Morning Bag Skate: Blackhawks sweep Stars, extend division lead

Corey Crawford tied his season high with 42 saves, and Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin scored in a shootout for the Chicago Blackhawks to beat the Dallas Stars 3-2 on Thursday at United Center

Chicago extended its Central Division and Western Conference lead to eight points over second-place Minnesota, who fell to Philadelphia on Thursday.

HAWKS

**RECAP: Panarin, Crawford lead Hawks to season sweep of Stars (SCH)

**Belfour reflects on fulfilling ‘childhood dream’ of playing for Hawks (CSN)

**Hawks sign Kero to 2-year extension (SCH)

**Hawks prospect guide to NCAA tournament, CHL playoffs (SCH)

**SCH guide to Hawks slang, nicknames, jargon (SCH)

CENTRAL DIVISION

**RECAP: Wild fall to Flyers, fail to clinch playoff spot (Hockey Wilderness)

**Wild prospect Kunin leaves Wisconsin, turns pro (Hockey Wilderness)

**RECAP: Paajarvi scores twice as Blues eliminate Canucks from playoff race (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

**RECAP: Preds gain on Flames in playoff race (On The Forecheck)

**Arvidsson breaks jumbotron with errant pass (SBN)

**RECAP: Oilers score 5 third-period goals to rally past Avs (Mile High Hockey)

**RECAP: Kings beat Jets, keep pace in Western wild-card race (NHL.com)

**Stars’ Janmark won’t play this season (PHT)

NHL

**IIHF asks NHL for Olympic decision by May 1 (TSN)

**NHL to make ‘special announcement’ next week in China (PHT)

**Every 2017 NHL college free agent signing in one place (SBN)

**RECAP: Kucherov’s hat trick powers Lightning past Bruins (Raw Charge)

**RECAP: Capitals beat Blue Jackets in shootout, maintain Metro lead (Japers’ Rink)

**RECAP: Leafs top Devils, tighten grip on 3rd in Atlantic (Pension Plan Puppets)

**RECAP: Hurricanes move within five points of wild card (Canes Country)

**RECAP: Senators top Penguins in shootout, close in on Atlantic lead (Silver Seven)

**Watch: Crosby slashes Sens’ Methot in hand, nearly severs finger (SBN)

**Senators’ Methot out “weeks” with finger injury (Silver Seven)

**RECAP: Marchessault scores twice in Panthers win over Coyotes (Miami Herald)

**Islanders lose Strome to broken wrist (Lighthouse Hockey)

**Sabres’ Ristolainen suspended 3 games for hit on Penguins’ Guentzel (Die By The Blade)

**Hurricanes sign Finnish prospect Kuokkanen (Canes Country)

**Bowling Green goalie Nell leaves school, signs with Rangers (Blueshirt Banter)

**Leafs’ Polak gets 2-game suspension for boarding Blue Jackets’ Bjorkstrand (Pension Plan Puppets)

HOCKEY WORLD

**Devils’ Hall unlikely to play for Canada at World Championship (theScore)

**Home ice proves valuable as OHL Playoffs get underway (OHL)

**2017 NCAA men’s hockey bracket (SBNCH)

**NCAA men’s hockey tournament: Game times, television schedule (SBNCH)