Corey Crawford was spectacular Tuesday for the Blackhawks.
The veteran goaltender stopped all 32 shots he faced, earning the Hawks’ first shutout of the season in a 3-0 win.
“(There) were a few times where we got stuck in our zone and we didn’t panic, just kept them to the outside,” Crawford said. “Some big blocked saves by [Brent Seabrook] there – a couple kick saves. It was a good win against a really good team.”
Crawford’s heroics improved the Hawks’ team save percentage to a truly incredible .939 over the past 15 games.
The veteran goalie now sports a .920 save percentage this year, putting a rough start well behind him, and has climbed into a tie for 12th in the NHL. And he still has nothing on Lehner, whose .938 individual mark tops the league.
“It gives us the confidence that we know they’re going to make the save for us if we need one,” Jeremy Colliton said. “It helps you to play better defensively actually, just knowing that if you make a mistake, it’s not necessarily going to go in.”
Crawford’s impeccable play — highlighted by an acrobatic second-period stoning of Tyler Seguin — helped a first-period Brandon Saad goal hold up until the game’s final 10 minutes, when Alex DeBrincat found Patrick Kane on the power play to finally extend the Hawks’ lead.
Dylan Strome took the morning skate but was a late scratch due to concussion-like symptoms. Recently recalled Matthew Highmore filled in, making his first NHL appearance since March 2018.
The Hawks’ win broke the Stars’ absurd 14-1-1 run and earned an important split of the home-and-home series.
“They’re a really good team, obviously,” Colliton said. “To get three of four points in this set is positive for us.”
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