NHL Game Summary - Philadelphia at Chicago
Chicago, IL (SportsNetwork.com) - Patrick Kane scored a pair of power-play goals and Antti Raanta stopped all 32 shots he faced in his first start of the year, as Chicago silenced Philadelphia, 4-0, at United Center.
Raanta notched his second career shutout and improved his overall record to 14-5-4 in 26 lifetime appearances.
Brandon Saad and Bryan Bickell also lit the lamp for the Blackhawks, who rode a three-goal opening period to up their record to 4-0-1. Patrick Sharp added two assists for the hosts.
Steve Mason was under siege at times, finishing with 39 stops for the Flyers, who fell to 1-3-2 on the season.
Chicago struck with 8:16 left in the first. Mason stopped two quick shots, but the second one, from Brad Richards, managed to lay just behind one of the Philly netminder's skates until Saad jammed the crease and pushed the disc home.
Michael Raffl was sent off for kneeing on the following shift, and 15 seconds later Kane doubled the hosts' advantage by potting a Sharp shot which caromed off the end boards and back in front.
Bickell's free shot from the left wing off a Saad dish during a 3-on-2 rush made it 3-0 with six minutes left before the first intermission.
"We were like deer in highlights in the first period," Flyers head coach Craig Berube said.
Raanta's best save of the scoreless middle frame occurred with just over five minutes left, when he slid across to the left post to deny a point-blank Claude Giroux shot. It was one of 10 saves the Finn authored in that 20-minute span.
It was a 4-0 game for the hosts at 3:50 of the third, when Mason was unable to properly corral a Duncan Keith point shot, and Kane slammed the puck home from inside the crease for his final power-play marker.
"I thought the power play was pretty good tonight," Kane said. "It was good to get a couple."
Raanta stayed clear of danger despite several quality scoring chances on a Philadelphia man advantage with 8:17 left. He stopped another 13 shots in the final period to preserve the winning margin.