Blackhawks Take Early Lead, Cruise to 4-1 Win over Red Wings

The Chicago Blackhawks scored twice in the first 4:32 Friday night, all the scoring they’d need as they held off the Detroit Red Wings for a 4-1 win.

Patrick Sharp opened the game’s scoring with a power play goal just 1:04 in. Jonathan Toews won a faceoff in the right circle back to Brent Seabrook on at the point. Seabrook sent it along the blue line to Sharp for a one-timer past Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard.

It was 2-0 3:28 later, when Bryan Bickell jumped off the bench and into the play in the Detroit end, snapping a shot from the high slot past Howard.

Just 27 seconds later, Patrick Eaves got Detroit on the board. A Jonathan Ericsson shot went wide of the net and off the boards behind the goal, bouncing back out the other side for Eaves to put past Chicago netminder Corey Crawford.

Former Red Wing Tomas Kopecky restored the two-goal lead at 11:22 of the second. On a delayed penalty, Kopecky got in behind the defense and took a feed from Brian Campbell, beating Howard one-on-one.

Kopecky added an empty-net goal in the game’s closing minutes to wrap up the scoring.

Chicago scored on their only power play, as well as on the delayed call of the only other penalty of the game. The Red Wings were without a power play for the first time in six years.

Crawford stopped 29 of 30 shots against. Howard made 27 saves on the same number of chances.

The Red Wings will be back in action on Sunday when they host the Dallas Stars as Chris Osgood goes for his 400th career victory.