Jan. 09--The Blackhawks just keep rolling.
Another home game, another win, this time 3-1 over a rebuilding Sabres team. Despite the game being close late, the Hawks won on the back of goaltender Corey Crawford and center Phillip Danault, who scored his first NHL goal, which also happened to break a 1-1 tie in the third period.
Here are some notes from the win:
1. Danault on duty
It was a sweet day for Danault, who cherished his first NHL goal. After the game at his locker stall, Danault had the puck with tape and the date on the puck to commemorate his achievement. He wasn't shy about sharing his joy for the moment.
"It's a big achievement for me and I want to keep going ... I was anxious (to get the goal) but all the guys were telling me, keep going, Phil, you're on the right path. And they were right."
Danault said he was mad after his line was on the ice to allow the tying goal to Ryan O'Reilly. He got even a few minutes later.
"They sent us back right away," Danault said. "We showed character and we scored."
2. Goalie duel
Crawford went toe-to-toe with Sabres goaltender Chad Johnson, with Johnson making a whopping 42 saves, but the Hawks proved too much for Johnson while Crawford was his usual steady self, as he has been all season.
As for being snubbed from the All-Star game, Crawford said: "It would've been fun to go there, but it's nice to get a little bit of a break too. Our guys, (Patrick) Kane and (Jonathan) Toews have been doing well and it's nice for them to go, but it is what it is. I'll just take the break and relax a little bit."
3. Kane fires away
Kane went goalless on Friday, but it wasn't for lack of trying. The winger tallied nine shots on net, a season high. He also led the Hawks in Corsi plus-minus at plus-15. The Hawks led in even strength Corsi 63-46.
