(SportsNetwork.com) – The Chicago Blackhawks will try to sweep a two-game tour
of Ontario when they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs in Saturday’s battle at Air
Canada Centre.
The Blackhawks won for the second time in three games on Thursday, picking up
a shootout victory over the Ottawa Senators to kick off a brief road trip.
Patrick Sharp scored in the third round of the shootout to give Chicago the
5-4 victory in Canada’s capital city.
Sharp was the final skater of the shootout and he made it count as he faked to
the forehand and roofed the puck over Craig Anderson for the win.
“It’s always nice to get a win on the road in a tough place like this,” said
Sharp.
Jonathan Toews scored twice while Kris Versteeg and Marian Hossa each posted a
goal and an assist for the Blackhawks. Hossa recorded his 1,000th career point
in the victory, becoming the 80th NHL player to reach the milestone.
Scott Darling made 28 saves for the win in his third straight start, but with
No. 1 netminder Corey Crawford due to return from an upper-body injury
tonight, the rookie was reassigned to the club’s AHL affiliate in Rockford on
Friday.
Darling went 2-1-0 with a 1.98 goals against average during his first foray
into the NHL, but, for now at least, it appears head coach Joel Quenneville is
content to keep Antti Raanta in the club’s backup role.
Crawford is expected to start tonight, while Raanta should get the call in
Sunday’s home tilt versus Winnipeg.
The Blackhawks, who are 2-2-0 on the road this season, have dominated Toronto
in recent years although the Maple Leafs did post a 7-3 rout when the clubs
last met on Dec. 14 of last season at ACC. Chicago had won the previous
eight encounters overall between the clubs and had claimed four straight in
Toronto.
The Maple Leafs, however, enter Saturday having won two straight and three of
their last four games. Toronto notched a 4-0 home victory against Buffalo on
Tuesday and posted a 4-1 decision Friday evening in Columbus.
Phil Kessel and Daniel Winnik both had a goal and two assists, leading the
Maple Leafs to the easy win over the Blue Jackets. Kessel, who leads Toronto
with 13 points, has recorded four goals and four assists over his last four
games and he already has five multi-point games this season.
David Clarkson and Nazem Kadri also scored, and Jonathan Bernier made 28 saves
for the Maple Leafs.
“We’re feeling good, but the season is full of peaks and valleys,” said
Winnik, who played in his 500th career game.
The Maple Leafs announced before the game that forward Joffrey Lupul will be
sidelined indefinitely with a broken bone in his right hand. The oft-injured
Lupul has two goals and one assist in nine games this season.
James Reimer is likely to start in net tonight for Toronto. His only career
appearance against the Blackhawks was on March 5, 2011, when Reimer
surrendered five goals in a 5-3 loss.
