Canucks the Hawks' top rival?
Remember the Blackhawks' rivalry with the Detroit Red Wings?
That's what it might turn into — a memory — if when the NHL realigns next season the Red Wings are placed in the Eastern Conference.
It could happen. The Red Wings want to be in the East to avoid playing so many of their road games two time zones away.
At least the Hawks still would have the Vancouver Canucks, whom they actually consider their top rival now thanks to three meetings in the playoffs the last three springs.
“It's the best rivalry in the league, I think,” Dave Bolland said.
“From some fans' point of view they can look at the Blackhawks-Red Wings rivalry, but since I've been here, this is it,” Patrick Kane said of what has developed with the Canucks.
The rivals went head to head for the second time this season Wednesday night at Rogers Arena, with the Hawks winning impressively 5-1 in the first stop on their six-game road trip.
That's 4 straight wins for the Hawks, who avenged last week's 6-2 loss to the Canucks at the United Center.
The Hawks got power-play goals from Andrew Brunette and Patrick Kane in the second period to wipe out a 1-0 deficit before erupting with 3 goals in the third period from Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp and Steve Montador.
Corey Crawford was outstanding with 28 saves. Marian Hossa added 3 assists.
The Hawks never took a penalty, keeping Vancouver's strong power play off the ice. The Canucks' scored 5 power-play goals last week in Chicago.
“We remembered what happened last time,” said Duncan Keith, who played almost 30 minutes with Brent Seabrook out with an injury.
“We saw what can happen when you put them on the power play,” Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said told reporters. “Our focus was on let's be disciplined and stay out of the box.”
Bolland returned to the Hawks' lineup after missing three games with a sore right foot, just in time to play the team he loves to go against.
“There's respect and dislike,” he said of the Canucks.
It was scoreless after the first period, with the Hawks outshooting the Canucks 8-7. Crawford had to make several big saves early.
Cory Schneider started in goal for the Canucks with Roberto Luongo sidelined by an upper-body injury.
Leading 1-0, the Canucks were all over the Hawks early in the second period, outshooting them 5-0, until Ryan Kesler took a tripping penalty against Viktor Stalberg.
The Hawks cashed in when Brunette finished a nice passing play with Marcus Kruger and Montador. It was Brunette's fourth goal of the season, all on the power play.
Kane scored a second power-play goal midway through the second period to give the Hawks a 2-1 lead they wouldn't lose.
Towes' goal at 12:40 of the third period made it 3-1. It was his fifth goal in the last four games.
tsassone@dailyherald.com