Kane Leads Blackhawks Past Red Wings

CHICAGO (AP) _ The Detroit Red Wings just can't seem to beat the Chicago Blackhawks. <br/><br/>NHL rookie scoring leader Patrick Kane had a power-play goal and an assist, and the resurgent Blackhawks

Monday, November 12th 2007, 7:40 am

By: News On 6

CHICAGO (AP) _ The Detroit Red Wings just can't seem to beat the Chicago Blackhawks.

NHL rookie scoring leader Patrick Kane had a power-play goal and an assist, and the resurgent Blackhawks beat the Red Wings 3-2 on Sunday night to end Detroit's franchise record-tying winning streak at nine games.

Jonathan Toews, second in rookie scoring, also had a power-play goal, and Yanic Perreault connected at even strength for Chicago in its third straight victory and third of the season over Detroit. Jason Williams and Robert Lang each had two assists, and Nikolai Khabibulin made 30 saves.

``It's always a confidence builder to beat a team like that,'' Toews said. ``We all knew how big a game this was for our team and our club on and off the ice.

``We just knew if we wanted to win, we had to go out and have a great start and keep doing the things we've done the last week or so.''

In the only other NHL game Sunday night, Colorado beat Minnesota 4-2.

Jiri Hudler and Nicklas Lidstrom scored for the Red Wings, 13-3-1 overall _ 0-2-1 against Chiacgo. Anaheim is the only other team to have beaten Detroit so far this season.

The Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg, the NHL's leading scorer, had an assist to run his season-opening points streak to 17 games.

Chicago is 10-7-0 after missing the playoffs eight of the last nine seasons.

``It's exciting,'' Kane said. ``I don't know if we expected it to happen this quick.''

Chicago was 2-for-6 on the power play and killed five Detroit advantages.

``We're a much better team,'' Chicago coach Denis Savard said. ``Our depth is better than we've had in a long time and our special teams came through.''

Detroit coach Mike Babcock planned to give his players a day off Monday.

``We've been on a good stretch and it's hard to win every night in this league,'' he said. ``Sometimes a loss is a good reminder to get you back on track. I don't think we had any spunk. They were outracing us to pucks in one-on-one battles.''

The Red Wings also pointed to the Blackhawks' improved talent.

``They play us well,'' Lidstrom said. ``Their kids play hard and are good with the puck.''

Perreault opened the scoring with 7:32 left in the first period. He scored on a high shot from the slot after taking Lang's bouncing pass from behind the net.

Kane made it 2-0 with a second left on a 5-on-3 Chicago power play with 4:51 remaining in the first. He ripped in a one-time shot from the right side of the net after Lang threaded the puck through the crease.

Khabibulin stopped Brian Rafalski on a breakaway and Zetterberg's point-blank backhand shot early in the second.

Hudler cut it to 2-1 with 3:50 left in the second. He connected after driving up the slot and taking Tomas Kopecky's backhand feed from behind the net.

Toews' power-play goal from the right circle with 1:32 left in the period made it 3-1. He fired in a high shot that may have been screened.

Lidstrom trimmed it to 3-2 with 6:15 left in the third. He scored on a screened shot from the point 5 seconds after a Detroit power play ended.

The Red Wings have had seven nine-game winning streaks.

Avalanche 4, Wild 2

Paul Stastny had two goals and an assist for host Colorado, 7-1-1 in its last nine games and 9-1 overall at home. Stastny has 100 points in 99 career games.

Peter Budaj stopped 25 shots, Ryan Smyth had a goal and an assist, and Wojtek Wolski sealed the game with an empty-net goal with a second remaining.

Eric Belanger and Bouchard had power-play goals for the Wild. Minnesota has seven power-play goals in its last three games.