Blackhawks end Oilers’ 4-game winning streak with 3-0 victory
Published 5:00 am Thursday, October 23, 2008
CHICAGO — Nikolai Khabibulin made 23 saves for his 39th career NHL shutout and the Chicago Blackhawks beat Edmonton 3-0 on Wednesday night to end the Oilers’ season-opening winning streak at four games.
Patrick Sharp, Brent Seabrook and Aaron Johnson scored to help the Blackhawks win their second straight game and improve to 2-0-1 since Joel Quenne-ville replaced Denis Savard as coach last Thursday.
Khabibulin’s shutout was his first of the season and fourth since he joined the Blackhawks as a free agent in July 2005.
The Oilers didn’t test him heavily. A shot by Shawn Horcoff midway through the first period beat Khabibulin, but hit the crossbar.
Edmonton had won each of its first four games by one goal.
The Oilers’ Dwayne Roloson stopped 27 shots in his first start this season.
Sharp opened the scoring with a power-play goal from the hashmarks 2:36 in.
Sharp carried the puck into the Edmonton zone, dumped it off Jonathan Toews in the left corner, then skated back into the slot, took a pass from Toews and fired a shot over Roloson’s glove.
Seabrook’s short-handed goal with 1:25 left in the first made it 2-0.
Chicago’s Dave Bolland and Kris Versteeg broke into the Oilers’ zone two on one. Bolland passed back to Seabrook, who connected from the slot.
Johnson added his first goal with the Blackhawks with 7:43 left in the second. Signed as a free agent from the New York Islanders last summer, Johnson beat Roloson between the pads with a low shot from just inside the blue line.
Also on Wednesday:
Red Wings 4
Blues 3
ST. LOUIS — Tomas Holm-strom scored for the fourth straight game to lead Detroit to a victory over St. Louis. Henrik Zetterberg, Nicklas Lidstrom and Johan Franzen also scored for the Red Wings. Keith Tkachuk, Brad Boyes and T.J. Oshie scored for the Blues.
Devils 5
Stars 0
NEWARK, N.J. — Martin Brodeur made 21 saves for his 98th NHL shutout, and mostly avoided Sean Avery, his No. 1 nemesis, to help New Jersey beat Dallas. John Madden scored two goals for the Devils, Zach Parise and David Clarkson had goals 53 seconds apart in the third period, and Jamie Langenbrunner also scored.
Sharks 7
Flyers 6
PHILADELPHIA — Former Philadelphia star Jeremy Roenick scored the deciding goal in a shootout for San Jose to hand Philadelphia its season-opening sixth straight loss. Joe Pavelski also scored for the Sharks in the shootout. Pavelski had a goal assist in regulation, Patrick Marleau added two goals and two assists, and Ryane Clowe and Devin Setoguchi each had a goal and an assist.
Panthers 3
Senators 1
OTTAWA — Rostislav Olesz and Nathan Horton scored 48 seconds apart, and Craig Anderson made 41 saves in his first start of the season for Florida. Cory Stillman assisted on Horton’s goal that made it 2-0 in the first, then scored his third of the season midway through the second to restore Florida’s two-goal lead. Daniel Alfredsson had a power-play goal for Ottawa.