CHICAGO _ Even though the Blackhawks were eliminated from the playoffs this week, they aren't playing meaningless games to finish the season.
They beat the Blues on Wednesday to keep them from moving into a tie for the Central Division lead, and on Saturday they'll travel to Nashville, Tenn., for the season finale in a game the Predators need to win the Central.
In the Hawks' home finale Friday, Corey Crawford and Cam Ward combined to make 34 saves, and Patrick Kane scored his 43rd and 44th goals to dominate the playoff-bound Stars, 6-1, and prevent them from clinching the first Western Conference wild-card spot.
Crawford started and appeared to tweak his groin during the first period. He came out for the second, but Ward replaced him midway through the period. Ward had 25 saves in what was the 700th appearance of his career.
Kane's goals extended his career-best point total to 109. He's two shy of tying his career high of 46 goals set in the 2015-16 season. His first goal put the Hawks up 1-0 in the first and his second came on a breakaway late in the third to make it 6-1.
A tight game turned into a rout in the second period on goals by Dominik Kahun, Chris Kunitz and Dylan Strome. Kunitz, possibly playing in the final home game of his career, bounced in a shot that barely went over the goal line _ it was called a goal only after video review _ with 6 minutes, 55 seconds left in the second for his fifth of the season and 268th of his career.
Strome's goal was his 20th _ the first time he's reached that mark in his career _ and 17th since coming to the Hawks in a November trade with the Coyotes.
Defenseman Slater Koekkoek scored from a tough angle in the third for his first goal as a Hawk to make it 5-0.
Joel L'Esperance scored on the power play with 12:42 left in the third for the Stars' lone goal.
