GAME THREAD: NHL: CHICAGO (4-3) at TORONTO (3-5)

NHL: CHICAGO (4-3) at TORONTO (3-5)

<h3>Rookies Kane, Toews lead Blackhawks against Maple Leafs</h3>

<div class="pre">Chicago (4-3-0) at Toronto (3-3-2) 7:00 pm EDT</div>

TORONTO (Ticker) -- After struggling offensively last season, theChicago Blackhawks appear to have solved their scoring woesthanks to a pair of rookies.


Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews will try to keep putting thepuck in the net when the Blackhawks take on the Toronto MapleLeafs on Saturday.


After scoring just 201 goals last season, a total that was tiedfor 28th in the NHL with the Columbus Blue Jackets, theBlackhawks have shown a much more dynamic attack this season.

On Friday, Chicago broke out for five tallies against theColorado Avalanche.


Kane, who was selected first overall by Chicago in June's NHLdraft, scored his first career goal while adding two assists enroute to the 5-3 victory over the Avalanche. The 18-year-oldright wing leads the team with seven points this season.

Toews, meanwhile, has registered two goals and three assists infive games this season. After being selected in the first roundof the 2006 draft, the 19-year-old center anchors theBlackhawks' second line along with Kane and another first-roundselection, Tuomo Ruutu, who was selected ninth overall in 2001.

While Kane and Toews provide the offense, goaltender NikolaiKhabibulin has anchored the defense from the crease this season.

Khabibulin made 37 saves against Colorado on Friday, moving to3-3-0 this season with a 2.32 goals-against average. The34-year-old Russian will try to use the momentum he has builtthis season when he faces the Maple Leafs in Toronto, a placewhere he has lost each of his last six outings with the lastcoming in 2003.


Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin has given Khabibulin and theBlackhawks plenty of trouble over his career, logging 20 goalsand 20 assists in 43 lifetime games against Chicago.

This is the only regular-season meeting scheduled between thesetwo teams which are both part of the NHL's "Original Six".

 

NHL: CHICAGO at TORONTO

<div class="pre">NHL AT TORONTO
STARTING GOALIES: CHI - PATRICK LALIME
TOR - ANDREW RAYCROFT

OFFICIALS: REF - DEAN WARREN, GREG DEVORSKI
LIN - JEAN MORIN, STEVE MILLER</div>

 

NHL: CHICAGO at TORONTO

<div class="pre">CHICAGO VS TORONTO - SCRATCHES

CHICAGO TORONTO

D RICHMOND HEALTHY B DEVEREAUX BACK INJURY
R BOURQUE GROIN
M JOHANSSON HEALTHY</div>

 

NHL: CHICAGO at TORONTO

<div class="pre">NHL CHICAGO 0
TORONTO 0 19:55 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: CHICAGO at TORONTO

<div class="pre">NHL CHICAGO 1
TORONTO 0
1ST PRD: CHI - (PP) JASON WILLIAMS 3 (JONATHAN TOEWS, PATRICK KANE)
4:13</div>

 

NHL: CHICAGO at TORONTO

<div class="pre">NHL CHICAGO 1
TORONTO 1
1ST PRD: TOR - (SH) MATS SUNDIN 4 (UNASSISTED) 7:43</div>

 

NHL: CHICAGO at TORONTO

<div class="pre">NHL CHICAGO 1
TORONTO 1 10:00 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: CHICAGO at TORONTO

<div class="pre">NHL CHICAGO 1
TORONTO 1 7:08 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: CHICAGO at TORONTO

<div class="pre">NHL CHICAGO 1
TORONTO 1 4:15 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: CHICAGO at TORONTO

<div class="pre">NHL CHICAGO 1
TORONTO 2
1ST PRD: TOR - TOMAS KABERLE 3 (JASON BLAKE) 17:08</div>

 

NHL: CHICAGO at TORONTO

<div class="pre">NHL CHICAGO 1
TORONTO 2 0:40 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: CHICAGO at TORONTO

<div class="pre">NHL END OF THE 1ST 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
CHICAGO 1 1
TORONTO 2 2 END OF THE 1ST

GOAL SCORING:

1ST PRD: CHI - (PP) JASON WILLIAMS 3 (JONATHAN TOEWS, PATRICK KANE)
4:13
TOR - (SH) MATS SUNDIN 4 (UNASSISTED) 7:43
TOR - TOMAS KABERLE 3 (JASON BLAKE) 17:08

SHOTS ON GOAL: 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
CHI 11 11
TOR 10 10

GOALIES: CHI - PATRICK LALIME
TOR - ANDREW RAYCROFT</div>

 

NHL: CHICAGO at TORONTO

<div class="pre">------------------------
Chicago 1 --1
Toronto 2 --2
------------------------

FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Chicago, Jason Williams 3 (power play)
(Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane), 4:13. 2, Toronto, Mats Sundin 4
(shorthanded) (Unassisted), 7:43. 3, Toronto, Tomas Kaberle 3 (Jason
Blake), 17:08. Penalties: J Pohl, Tor (holding stick), 2:49; A
Ponikarovsky, Tor (holding), 5:48; D Koci, Chi (major fighting), 9:29;
W Belak, Tor (major fighting), 9:29; T Ruutu, Chi (interference),
9:37.

Shots on goal:
-----------------------------
Chicago 11 --11
Toronto 10 --10
-----------------------------

Goalies : Chicago, Patrick Lalime (10 shots, 8 saves). Toronto, Andrew
Raycroft (11 shots, 10 saves). Referees: Dean Warren, Greg Devorski.
Linesmen: Jean Morin, Steve Miller.</div>

 

NHL: CHICAGO at TORONTO

<div class="pre">NHL CHICAGO 1
TORONTO 2 19:58 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: CHICAGO at TORONTO

<div class="pre">NHL CHICAGO 1
TORONTO 2 15:20 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: CHICAGO at TORONTO

<div class="pre">NHL CHICAGO 1
TORONTO 2 11:16 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: CHICAGO at TORONTO

<div class="pre">NHL CHICAGO 1
TORONTO 2 6:40 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: CHICAGO at TORONTO

<div class="pre">NHL CHICAGO 1
TORONTO 3
2ND PRD: TOR - MATS SUNDIN 5 (JASON BLAKE) 13:23</div>

 

NHL: CHICAGO at TORONTO

<div class="pre">NHL CHICAGO 1
TORONTO 3 5:05 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: CHICAGO at TORONTO

<div class="pre">NHL CHICAGO 1
TORONTO 3 1:10 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>