Khabibulin, Blackhawks Blank Wild 3-0

[February 21, 2008]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Nikolai Khabibulin made 38 saves for his first shutout in nearly a year and rookie Dave Bolland scored two goals to lead the Chicago Blackhawks to a 3-0 win over the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday night.

NHL rookie points leader Patrick Kane also scored for the Blackhawks, who are 5-1-1 in their last seven.

Khabibulin, who missed Chicago's last three games with a mild right knee sprain, got his 37th career shutout and first since March 6. It was only his second since signing with the Blackhawks as a free agent before the 2005-06 season.

Minnesota's Josh Harding stopped 27 shots. The Wild is 4-2-1 in its last seven, but none of the wins were in regulation.

Kane scored the only goal of the first period 3:49 in. Trailing on a rush, he fired in a rebound after Harding had made a point-blank pad save on Robert Lang's one-time shot.

Bolland's goal with 19.4 seconds left in the second period made it 2-0. Shortly after a Chicago power play expired, Bolland beat Harding between the legs with a shot from the left circle after taking a pass from Rene Bourque.

Khabibulin made several tough saves in the second as the Wild outshot the Blackhawks 16-10.

Among Khabibulin's best stops were two on defenseman Brent Burns early in the period. He made a sprawling close-in save on Burns at 3:40, then a glove save during a Minnesota power play about 30 seconds later.

Burns hit the left post with a shot from a slot during a power play with four minutes left in the period.

Harding stopped Kane on a breakaway with a glove save with 7:48 left in the second.

Bolland made it 3-0 with his second goal of the game at 5:24 of the third. From the left side of the crease, he converted a rebound of Duncan Keith's shot.

Khabibulin made several more close-in saves in the third to preserve his shutout. Among them was chance by Minnesota's Aaron Voros with 7:50 left.

The Wild's Matt Foy left the game seconds later after being hit in the face with a rebound of a second shot by Voros.

Minnesota's Keith Carney's shot from the left point hit the left post with 5:48 left. Brian Rolston's shot hit the crossbar during a 5-on-3 power play with 4:19 to go.

Notes: Blackhawks C Jason Williams returned after missing 35 games following a groin injury and sports hernia surgery. ... Chicago LW Ben Eager missed his fifth game with a concussion and C Yanic Perreault missed his second with a cracked bone in his wrist. ... Minnesota LW Derek Boogaard sat out his 11th game with back injury.

[Associated Press]

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