Anaheim,  CA (SportsNetwork.com)  -  Marian  Hossa registered  a  goal and  an 
assist  and Corey Crawford posted a 29-save shutout, as the Chicago Blackhawks 
blanked the Anaheim Ducks, 2-0, on Wednesday at Honda Center. 

Hossa  scored  his 24th  of the season  39 seconds into  the second period and 
assisted  on a  Jonathan Toews tally late  in the third to help Chicago secure 
its  third win in four games and pull within one point of Anaheim for the best 
record in the NHL. 

"It  is  always nice to get  a shutout but catching  up to them at little bit, 
that's what is important," Crawford said. 

Jonas  Hiller allowed  both goals on 25  shots for the Ducks, who wrapped up a 
five-game homestand at 1-4-0. 

"We  played a good game," Anaheim head coach Bruce Boudreau said. "We put in a 
really good effort. We're not gonna sit and cry about it." 

Following  a scoreless  first  frame  that saw  Crawford  stop  15 shots,  the 
Blackhawks broke through less than a minute into the second. 

Patrick  Sharp carried  the disc down the  left side and into the Anaheim zone 
before  sliding  a pass to the  inner half of  the right circle for Hossa, who 
weaved  through the slot and waited for Hiller to drop before roofing the disc 
from the low left side for a 1-0 lead. 

Chicago's  Michal  Rozsival was  sent off for  a high-sticking double-minor at 
16:11  of the second, but the Blackhawks killed off the extended man-advantage 
to maintain their one-goal edge. 

Hossa  helped put  the game  away late  in the  third, as  he came  up with  a 
turnover  deep in the  Anaheim end before tapping the puck to Toews, who split 
two  defenders in the  right circle and snuck a writer under Hiller's left arm 
for a 2-0 lead with 2:31 to play. 

Crawford  capped his first  shutout of the season and ninth of his career with 
six saves over the final 20 minutes. 

                                   Game Notes 

Anaheim's three-game slide is the team's longest since an 0-3-2 skid from Nov. 
12-20  of  this season  ... The Blackhawks will visit  the Phoenix Coyotes on 
Friday for their final game before the Olympic break, while Anaheim will visit 
Nashville  on Saturday before going on hiatus for the Winter Games ... Anaheim 
went 0-for-5 on the power play, while Chicago finished 0-for-2.