Blackhawks a legitimate Stanley Cup threat from the net out
The Chicago Blackhawks put an end to a brief two-game losing streak with an impressive 2-0 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Sunday.
Corey Crawford made 25 saves for his NHL-leading seventh shutout of the season as the Blackhawks improved to 11-2-0 in January with the win.
The Blackhawks - who sit atop the Central Division with a record of 33-15-4 - are just the second team in the league to reach the 70-point mark this season, and it's becoming increasingly evident that they may be even more dangerous than the Blackhawks that won the Stanley Cup last year.
Chicago possesses the most dynamic duo in the entire league right now, and the Blues witnessed it first-hand.
Related - VIDEO: Kane sets up Panarin with ridiculous cross-ice backhand dish
Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin have now combined for a league-leading 119 points by a pair of teammates this season.
That's Artemi Panarin's 17th goal and 46th point this season. Kane's assist gives him an NHL-best 43 assists and 73 points.
— Mark Potash (@MarkPotash) January 25, 2016
Although the duo are front and center on a nightly basis, the Blackhawks are also benefiting from the most balanced attack in the entire league.
#Blackhawks have 4 players with 17+ goals 30 Kane 19 Toews 17 Anisimov 17 Panarin No other team has more than two 17+ goal scorers
— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) January 25, 2016
Andrew Shaw's power-play goal in the third period gave him 24 points on the campaign, which is only good enough for eighth on the team. In fact, the Blackhawks have nine players with at least 22 points this season.
With a potent lineup of this caliber, it's habitually simple to forget about their emerging Vezina Trophy candidate. Crawford is playing the best hockey of his career, sitting next to Washington Capitals goalie Braden Holtby as one of the best in the business right now.
Per @EliasSports: Corey Crawford is 1st @NHLBlackhawks goaltender to earn seven shutouts in a season since Antti Niemi in 2009-10. #STLvsCHI
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 25, 2016
The 31-year-old improved to 28-11-2 with the win Sunday, and now possesses an outstanding 2.08 GAA and .932 save percentage. He also leads the league with 1,157 saves.
From front to back, the Blackhawks have made it perfectly clear that losing the likes of Patrick Sharp and Brandon Saad in the offseason had little to no affect on their mentality as a whole. They're making a statement, and the thought of a fourth Stanley Cup in seven years is suddenly very realistic.