Canucks at Blackhawks
Patrick Kane tries to extend his franchise-record point streak to 26 games when the Chicago Blackhawks host the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday. Chicago has won three of its last four games after Kane, who leads the NHL with 45 points, scored a power-play goal in Friday's 2-0 victory over Winnipeg and can pass Sidney Crosby (25 games in 2010) for the longest streak since 1992-93 on Sunday.
“I obviously feel honored and very fortunate to be involved with names like those,” Kane told reporters. “It’s something I’m trying not to think about too much. I just go out and play the game.” Vancouver has won two straight contests to springboard into an important six-game road trip. The Canucks responded to a five-game winless stretch (0-3-2) by knocking off Buffalo 5-2 on Monday and posted a 2-1 triumph over the New York Rangers two nights later. Leading scorer Daniel Sedin has recorded four points in his last two contests while Ryan Miller turned aside 64 of the 67 shots he faced after winning only two of his previous 11 games.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NHLN, RSN, TVA (Vancouver), WGN (Chicago)
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (11-11-8): Vancouver will have to go without one of its top defensemen in Dan Hamhuis for up to two months after he suffered a facial fracture when he took a puck to the face on Wednesday. Vancouver allowed 16 goals during its five-game slide before turning things around in the last two, thanks in part to a penalty-killing unit that went 8-for-8. Captain Henrik Sedin has notched six points in his last five games and 29 overall – four behind his twin brother Daniel, who has scored a team-best 13 goals.
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (16-10-4): Corey Crawford found another level in his last three contests, allowing a total of two goals on 93 shots - including his third shutout of the campaign on Friday. “Our guys did a great job of keeping them to the outside and blocking shots,” Crawford told reporters after the win over Winnipeg. “They had some momentum in the third, but we played well throughout the whole game.” Captain Jonathan Toews also netted a power-play goal Friday for just his second point in eight games.
OVERTIME
1. The Canucks have won three of their last four meetings with the Blackhawks, including a 6-3 triumph at home on Nov. 21.
2. Chicago LW Artemi Panarin has gone two games without a point but leads all rookies in the league with 28.
3. Vancouver D Alex Edler has registered two goals and two assists over his last four games to climb into third place on the team with 17 points.