The Dallas Stars used a 12-game point streak to help regain their footing in the competitive Central Division. However, the Blackhawks ended the surge with a 3-0 victory against the Stars Tuesday.
Brandon Saad, Patrick Kane and Connor Murphy scored while Corey Crawford made 32 saves as the Blackhawks snapped their own three-game losing streak.
Stars run out of gas
The Stars have participated in five games since last Tuesday and ran out of energy in the third period against the Blackhawks as they completed a stretch of three game in four days.
Dallas only managed nine shots in the third period as it failed to set a franchise record with eight straight victories.
The Stars had a busy offseason adding Joe Pavelski and Corey Perry to the mix this summer. After a 1-7-1 start to the season, the Stars have posted a 14-2-1 record in their past 17 games and climbed up the standings.
Crawford vs. Lehner
The backup goalie position has become more important in recent years as teams try to lighten the load of the starting netminder. Crawford has made more than 30 starts in seven of the previous 10 seasons but with Robin Lehner in the fold, the Blackhawks are hoping to ride the hot goaltender throughout the course of the regular season. The Islanders had tremendous success last season utilizing this strategy with Lehner and Thomas Greiss. Chicago is hoping that strong goaltending on a consistent basis could help springboard a return to the postseason.
Dallas made a strong push in the second period, but Crawford made 14 saves before Kane scored a timely goal in the third period to double Chicago’s advantage. Crawford recorded his first shutout of the season.
Kane extends point streak
The American winger has been a force with Chicago since entering the NHL in 2007 and extended his individual point streak to 13 games with a third-period power-play goal against Dallas. Kane, 31, has recorded nine goals and 13 assists during the streak. The Blackhawks will need Kane to continue to produce at an elite level to keep pace in the Western Conference.
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Scott Charles is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @ScottMCharles.