Blackhawks 4, Canucks 0
CHICAGO -- Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford recorded his second consecutive shutout as the Blackhawks defeated the Vancouver Canucks 4-0 at the United Center on Sunday.
Crawford stopped all 30 shots he faced against the Canucks (11-12-8) after having a 25-save shutout performance against the Winnipeg Jets on Friday. He has four shutouts on the season. He has allowed a total of two goals in his last four starts for the Blackhawks (17-10-4).
Defenseman Duncan Keith put the Blackhawks ahead 1-0 when he scored on a power play at 11:51 of the first period. The Blackhawks entered the game fifth in the league in power-play percentage.
The goal was just the second power-play goal the Canucks allowed in December. They are 17 of 19 on the penalty kill for the month. The Canucks were 0-for-3 on their own power play on Sunday.
Blackhawks right winger Patrick Kane extended his career-high point streak to 26 games with a secondary assist on Keith's goal. The streak is the longest in the NHL since Mats Sundin had a 30-game point streak for the Quebec Nordiques during the 1992-93 season. Kane has 17 goals and 24 assists during the streak.
Center Dennis Rasmussen gave the Blackhawks a 2-0 advantage when he tapped the puck into the net at 11:36 of the third period after Canucks goaltender Ryan Miller was unable to hold onto a shot by Chicago left winger Bryan Bickell.
Right winger Andrew Shaw and left winger Brandon Mashinter scored goals in the final minute of the third period to provide the Blackhawks a 4-0 lead. Shaw's goal was an empty-netter.
Miller stopped 26 of 29 shots in the loss. He hadn't allowed more than two goals in his previous two starts.
The Blackhawks improved to 12-3-1 at home this season. They are 5-7-3 on the road. Sunday was the second game of a four-game homestand, which matches the Blackhawks' longest of the season.
The Canucks were playing in the first game of a six-game road trip. They won't play at home again until Dec. 26.
NOTES: Blackhawks RW Marian Hossa played in his 1,200 career NHL game. He ranks 10th among active players in games played. ... Blackhawks D Michal Rozsival was a healthy scratch for the second consecutive game. He had played in 13 consecutive games before being scratched against the Winnipeg Jets on Friday. ... Canucks RW Derek Dorsett played in Sunday's game after missing practice on Saturday due to personal reasons. ... The Canucks were without D Dan Hamhuis who suffered a facial fracture after being struck by a puck in Vancouver's last game on Dec. 9. He underwent surgery on Friday and is expected to be out at least two months.