NHL Game Summary - Chicago at Vancouver
(Friday, February 1st)
Final Score: Vancouver 2, Chicago 1 (SO)
Vancouver, BC (Sports Network) - Jordan Schroeder scored the deciding goal in
the fourth round of the shootout to lift the Vancouver Canucks over the
Chicago Blackhawks, 2-1, at Rogers Arena.
After the first six shooters all came up empty in their shootout attempts, the
rookie Schroeder, who still does not have an NHL goal, cruised down the center
of the ice and fired a wrister from the slot that snuck through the pads of
Corey Crawford and trickled across the goal line.
Nick Leddy came up next with a chance to keep the shootout alive, but fired
his attempt wide of the net to end the game.
Alexander Edler scored in regulation, while Roberto Luongo stopped 27 shots
for the Canucks, who have won two straight.
"It was the type of game where you could see the skill and you could see the
speed, but you could also see both teams capable of checking well and
battling," Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said. "It was a hard-fought game
where both goaltenders had to make some really great saves."
Patrick Kane tallied the lone goal for Chicago, which has dropped its last two
games following a season-opening six-game win streak. Crawford made 21 saves.
Vancouver netted the lone goal of the first period as Edler finished off a
rush by receiving a pass in the slot and firing a wrister over the left
shoulder of Crawford and under the crossbar with 4:18 remaining in the frame.
The Blackhawks failed to convert on a pair of power plays in the first period,
including a late tripping call on Edler that stretched into the second, and
then could not net the tying goal during a scoreless second period as Luongo
turned aside all nine shots he faced in the stanza.
Chicago, however, was able to knot the game 9:42 into the third period when
Andrew Shaw fed a pass from the right corner to Kane in the slot, where he
hesitated for a moment before lifting a shot over a prone Luongo.
The Canucks were then given a golden opportunity to regain the lead when
Marcus Kruger was whistled for high sticking three seconds later and Michael
Frolik chipped the puck over the glass for a delay of game penalty soon after
to give Vancouver a two-man advantage lasting 40 seconds. But they would not
manage a shot on the 5-on-3 before Chicago killed off the remaining power play
to keep it a 1-1 game.
Vancouver failed to convert on another power play within the final five
minutes of regulation to force overtime.
Chicago controlled the majority of the action in the extra period and even
received a power play for the final 1:11, but could not get a shot past Luongo
to necessitate the shootout.
"Our problem was we just didn't score enough goals to win the game. We had our
chances, but we just didn't make it happen," Blackhawks forward Jonathan Toews
said.
Game Notes
Chicago defenseman Michal Rozsival missed his fourth straight game with a
lower body injury ... The Blackhawks fell to 4-0-2 on the road this season ...
Vancouver has won five of the last seven games against Chicago ... The Canucks
went 0-for-4 on the power play, while Chicago went 0-for-5 with the man
advantage.
02/02 02:02:59 ET

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