Wed Oct 15 23:21:56 2008

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Blackhawks crush Coyotes

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Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Martin Havlat registered a goal and an assist to lead the Chicago Blackhawks to a 4-1 win over the Phoenix Coyotes at the United Center.

Patrick Sharp, Brian Campbell and Colin Fraser also scored for the Blackhawks, who recorded their first win following an 0-2-1 start to the new season. Nikolai Khabibulin was sharp between the pipes, stopping 29-of-30 shots.

Peter Mueller had the lone goal for Phoenix, which was looking for its first 3-0 start since 2003-04. Ilya Bryzgalov allowed four goals on 30 shots in defeat.

Following a scoreless opening period, Mueller put the Coyotes on the board 4:30 into the second stanza. In a span of 43 seconds, Chicago's Jonathan Toews and Brent Seabrook were whistled for infractions, giving the visitors a lengthy two-man advantage. Shortly after the first man vacated the penalty box, Kyle Turris fed Mueller on a cross-ice pass and the 2006 first-round pick let go a wrister from the right circle that beat Khabibulin on the stick side.

Havlat evened the contest with 8:25 remaining in the middle stanza. The oft- injured winger weaved his way to the middle before lifting a backhander into the top right corner of the net. Sharp gave the Hawks a 2-1 edge in the final minute. Bryzgalov turned aside Duncan Keith's offering from the left point, but Sharp picked up the rebound and buried it past the Phoenix netminder with 58 seconds to go.

Fraser gave the Hawks a two-goal lead 65 seconds into the third. Dave Bolland whipped a pass from behind the cage to a wide-open Fraser in the slot and the rookie pivot deposited the puck in the back of the net for his first career NHL goal and point.

Campbell, the most sought-after defenseman in the offseason, netted his first goal in a Chicago uniform with 7:56 left in the game. The smooth-skating Campbell finished tied for third among defensemen last season with a career- high 62 points and inked an eight-year contract on July 1, the first day of free agency.

Game Notes

Chicago left winger Ben Eager returned to the lineup after serving a three- game suspension for a stick-swinging incident in a preseason tilt against Dallas on October 2...Keith and Kris Versteeg each collected two assists in the win for Chicago...Phoenix went 1-for-8 on the power play, while the Blackhawks were 0-for-6...The Blackhawks were 3-1 against Phoenix last year.