11/22/2009
VANCOUVER _ Bryan Bickell scored the lone goal of the game and Antti Niemi made 30 saves as the Chicago Blackhawks blanked the Vancouver Canucks 1-0 in NHL action Sunday night.
Bickell was questionable after leaving Saturday's game in Edmonton in the first period after colliding with Dustin Penner and falling to the ice as his helmet came off. But Bickell showed no ill effects while playing on Chicago's top line with Chicago captain Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, who saw his nine-game points streak, one of the longest in the NHL this season, come to an end.
The Blackhawks (15-5-2) extended their winning streak to seven games as they avenged a loss to the Canucks (12-11-0) earlier this season.
Bickell finally opened the scoring at 1:12 of the third period as he poked the puck in after it caromed off skates and came to him in front of a gaping Vancouver net.
Playing only his 13th game at the NHL level, Bickell had not scored a big-league goal since April 8, 2007 against Dallas. He spent the past two seasons with the Rockford Ice Dogs of the AHL.
Niemi earned his second shutout of the season while the Blackhawks managed only 17 shots on Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo.
The win was Chicago coach Joel Quenneville's 499th of his career.
The game had the potential of being a high-scoring affair as the Blackhawks scored 12 goals in their previous two games while the Canucks scored 13. Vancouver also had prolific forward Daniel Sedin back in the lineup after he missed 18 games with a broken bone in his foot. He suffered the injury Oct. 17 against Dallas.
But Luongo and Niemi put on a goaltending clinic in the first two periods, stopping a combined total of 33 shots to keep the game scoreless.
The Canucks outshot the Blackhawks 12-6 in the first period, but neither team could score.
Niemi picked off Christian Ehrhoff's slapshot during a power play in the first minute. With about seven minutes gone, Toews hit the post.
Then it was Luongo's turn to shine as he foiled Tomas Kopecky during a scramble.
Niemi stopped a hard Kevin Bieksa slapshot and Henrik Sedin grazed the post with just over three minutes left in the first.
Tempers flared in the late going as Chicago's Dustin Byfuglien took a holding penalty on Alex Burrows during a rush, and then Blackhawk winger Andrew Ladd high-sticked the pesky Canuck winger after the whistle. But Burrows was also called for cross-checking Ladd during the skirmish.
Shortly after play resumed, Niemi stoned Ryan Kesler on a point blank shot from the slot during the ensuing power play.
In the second period, Luongo kicked out a Toews redirection and stopped Byfuglien's shot as he tried to convert a two-on-one with Patrick Sharp.
Late in the middle frame, Niemi stopped Steve Bernier on a breakaway after he came out of the penalty box. With just over a minute left, the Chicago goaltender robbed Mason Raymond as he tried to stuff the puck in.
With just over six minutes left in the game, Vancouver's Alex Edler hit the post behind Niemi.
NOTES_ Before his injury, Daniel Sedin had not missed a game since 2006-07 . . . Canucks tough guy Darcy Hordichuk was scratched for the fourth straight game. Defencemen Shane O'Brien and Aaron Rome also received the night off . . . Chicago lost Andrew Ebbett to Minnesota on waivers. The Wild becomes his third team this season. He started the campaign with Anaheim . . . Blackhawks defenceman Jordan Hendry was scratched.
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