Robidas Breaks Leg In Stars Loss

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DALLAS — Ben Smith scored the clinching goal for the Chicago Blackhawks in a 2-1 shootout win over the Dallas Stars on Friday.

Smith, the Blackhawks’ 11th shooter, beat Dallas goaltender Kari Lehtonen with a wrister over his glove for the clincher.

Lehtonen had stopped the previous eight attempts and Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford turned back 10 of Dallas’ 11 shootout attempts. Crawford stopped 28 of 29 shots in the win.

Dallas took the lead late in the first period when center Rich Peverley scored his fifth of the season with 3:20 left before the first intermission. Peverley’s goal into an open net was set up after Crawford left the net to make a play on the puck to the right of his goal.

However, Dallas center Shawn Horcoff got the better of Crawford in that battle, gaining possession before spotting Peverley open in the high slot and finding him with a backhand pass. Peverley then delivered a wrister that landed in the left side of the Chicago net.

Crawford had dashed back to the crease to deny Peverley’s shot, but his efforts were in vain. Crawford then smashed his stick on the ice in disgust over his miscue leading to the game’s first goal.

The Stars had a great chance to double their lead 2:39 into the second period when rookie right winger Alex Chiasson was hooked from behind by Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook, resulting in

a penalty shot. However, Chiasson’s low wrister rang off the left post, making Crawford 9-for-9 in his career on penalty shots.

At 12:34 of the second period as Dallas was killing off the game’s first power play, Stars veteran defenseman Stephane Robidas suffered an apparent knee injury and left the ice on a stretcher. Robidas, currently Dallas’ longest-tenured player, was attempting to block a shot or pass by Chicago center Jonathan Toews when he slid into the end boards and immediately pointed to his right knee.

Robidas was transported to a local hospital with a leg fracture.

Chicago tied it up at 7:21 of the third period when Patrick Sharp tipped in a pass from defenseman Duncan Keith to make it 1-1. Dallas defenseman Alex Goligoski had attempted to clear the puck out of the Stars zone from the left corner. However, Keith gained possession, sending the puck toward the Dallas net before being tipped in by Sharp for his 10th of the season.

Blackhawks right winger Patrick Kane was attempting to set a career high with a point in 12 straight games. However, Kane was kept off the stat sheet, ending his point streak at 11.

Dallas had a chance to end it with two seconds remaining in overtime, but Crawford denied a 62-foot wrister by Goligoski and the attempt by Chiasson on the rebound went wide.

Lehtonen stopped 25 of the 26 shots he faced for Dallas.

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