National Hockey League
Chicago 4, Vancouver 0
When: 7:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 13, 2015
Where: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
Referees: Steve Kozari, Dan O'Halloran
Linesmen: Mike Cvik, Tony Sericolo
Attendance: 21711

CHICAGO -- November wasn't Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford's month, but he's making sure December is.

Crawford recorded his second consecutive shutout and improved his December save percentage to .957 while making 30 saves in a 4-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks at the United Center on Sunday. He had a .891 save percentage in 10 games in November.

"I started out pretty strong (on the season), but kind of dipped a little bit," said Crawford, who has allowed a total of two goals in his last four starts and has four shutouts on the season. "I'm able to get back and have that focus and that preparation and that battle throughout the whole game."

The Blackhawks (17-10-4) provided all the offense Crawford would need when defenseman Duncan Keith scored a power-play goal at 11:51 of the first period. The Blackhawks boosted their power-play percentage to 22.8, which is fifth in the league. It was just the second power-play goal the Canucks had allowed in December.

Blackhawks right winger Patrick Kane extended his career-high point streak to 26 games with a secondary assist on Keith's goal. The streak is the longest in the NHL since Mats Sundin had a 30-game point streak for the Quebec Nordiques during the 1992-93 season. Kane has 17 goals and 24 assists during the streak.

"Without talking too much about it, (we know} there's kind of a game inside the game," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said of Kane's streak. "I think we're all having fun watching it and enjoying the different fashions he's been able to keep moving forward. Everybody's rooting for him as well."

The Blackhawks added to their lead with three goals in the third period. Center Dennis Rasmussen provided them a 2-0 cushion at 11:36 when he tapped in the puck after Canucks goalie Ryan Miller was unable to hold onto a shot by left winger Bryan Bickell. Right winger Andrew Shaw and left winger Brandon Mashinter scored in the final minute. Shaw's goal was an empty-netter.

The defeat wasn't how the Canucks (11-12-8) sought to begin a six-game road trip, but Vancouver coach Willie Desjardins continued to see progress in his team.

"I think our structure has been good," Desjardins said. "We decided we needed to get better structure, and we've been working at it. I think it was good tonight. That's a good team. I thought our structure helped us in the game."

Canucks center Henrik Sedin also took some positives from the game.

"I thought we hung in there again, like we did against the (New York) Rangers at home (on Dec. 9)," Sedin said. "Like I said, maybe we didn't play our best game, but most of the time we kept them to the outside and our PK was good for the most part. If you're in the game against a tough team like this on the road late in the third, you have to be happy with that. We had our chance, but we just couldn't score."

The Canucks had opportunities to get back into the game, but they couldn't capitalize on their power plays. The Canucks had six shots on goal on three power plays.

Miller had 26 saves on 29 shots. He hadn't allowed more than two goals in his previous two starts.

The Blackhawks improved to 12-3-1 at home this season. They are 5-7-3 on the road. Sunday was the second game of a four-game homestand, which matches the Blackhawks' longest of the season.

NOTES: Blackhawks RW Marian Hossa played in his 1,200 career NHL game. He ranks 10th among active players in games played. ... Blackhawks D Michal Rozsival was a healthy scratch for the second consecutive game. He had played in 13 consecutive games before being scratched against the Winnipeg Jets on Friday. ... Canucks RW Derek Dorsett played in Sunday's game after missing practice on Saturday due to personal reasons. ... The Canucks were without D Dan Hamhuis who suffered a facial fracture after being struck by a puck in Vancouver's last game on Dec. 9. He underwent surgery on Friday and is expected to be out at least two months.
Top Game Performances
 
Vancouver   Chicago
N/A Points Dennis Rasmussen 2
N/A Goals Dennis Rasmussen 1
N/A Assists Dennis Rasmussen 1
N/A Power Play Goals Duncan Keith 1
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Ryan Miller .897 Save Percentage Corey Crawford 1.000
Ryan Miller 26 Saves Corey Crawford 30
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Vancouver 30 0 0-3 1-2 4 21
Chicago 30 4 1-2 3-3 6 38
Upcoming Games
  • Chicago will play their next game at home against Colorado. The Blackhawks have a W/L % of .529 after a win and .571 after a loss.
  • Vancouver will play their next game on the road against Minnesota. The Canucks have a W/L % of .333 after a win and .368 after a loss.