Morning Bag Skate: Blackhawks sweep home back-to-back
Our daily look at Blackhawks news and the happenings around the hockey world.
Scott Darling stopped 39 of 40 and Jonathan Toews scored his seventh goal of the season as the Blackhawks beat the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 on Friday at United Center. The Blackhawks gained four points in two nights, and now have a three-point lead in the Western Conference over Minnesota.
HAWKS
**RECAP: Darling leads Hawks to win over Hurricanes (SCH)
**Toews to wear Team USA gear after losing WJC bet to Kane (SCH)
**Hartman appreciates Team USA’s gold at WJC (CSN Chicago)
**Dog days of winter can be a grind both physically, mentally (Sun Times)
CENTRAL DIVISION
**RECAP: Reimer lifts Panthers over Predators (On The Forecheck)
**Preds ink Irwin to 1-year contract extension (On The Forecheck)
**RECAP: Avs end five-game losing streak in OT (Mile High Hockey)
**Stars send Nemeth to AHL for conditioning (PHT)
**What’s wrong with the Stars power play? (Defending Big D)
NHL
**RECAP: Maple Leafs use early lead to defeat Devils (Pension Plan Puppets)
**RECAP: Miller makes 44 saves, Canucks win sixth in row (Nucks Misconduct)
**RECAP: Kase gives Ducks first win in OT (Anaheim Calling)
**Canadiens’ Gallagher out ‘minimum’ 8 weeks after hand surgery (Habs Eyes On The Prize)
**Report: Hertl won’t rejoin Sharks until mid-to-late February (PHT)
**Bruins recall McIntyre, who could get a start this weekend (PHT)
**Rangers assign Buchnevich to AHL (Blueshirt Banter)
**Flyers’ Neuvirth expected to make first start in almost two months (PHT)
**Matthews wins bottle of wine from Babcock in world juniors bet (theScore)
HOCKEY WORLD
**Pionk helps No. 1 Minnesota-Duluth avert disaster, tie Colorado College (Duluth News Tribune)
**No. 11 Ohio State shuts out No. 2 Penn State (Black Shoes Diaries)
**No. 4 Harvard overpowers No. 15 Quinnipiac (USCHO)
**No. 7 North Dakota hands No. 18 Omaha worst loss in program history (Omaha World Herald)
**No. 3 Denver cruises past Arizona State (Denver Post)
**No. 12 Notre Dame wins fifth straight (ND Insider)
**Hockey East Frozen Fenway doubleheader postponed (SBNCH)
**OHL Friday roundup (OHL)
**Q&A with Hilary Knight (The Ice Garden)
