Kane scores early, Huet makes 29 saves as Blackhawks hold off Maple Leafs 3-2

By RICK GANO, Associated Press

Last update: November 14, 2009 - 1:04 AM

CHICAGO - Patrick Kane got Chicago started with an early unassisted goal, and the Blackhawks held on after building a three-goal lead to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 Friday night for their third straight win.

Cristobal Huet made 29 saves in Chicago's sixth straight home win.

Phil Kessel's second goal of the game, 5:33 into the final period, pulled Toronto to 3-2.

Troy Brouwer and Duncan Keith also scored the Blackhawks.

Brouwer deflected in teammate Patrick Sharp's shot on the power play to put the Blackhawks up 3-0 in the second and it looked as if Chicago was on its way to an easy win.

Kane intercepted Luke Schenn as he came around from behind the net, stole the puck from him and scored just 3:22 into the game, his sixth goal of the season.

About 10 minutes later, Keith's slapper through heavy traffic had given the Blackhawks a 2-0 lead.

Huet stopped two close-in stuff attempts by Niklas Hagman late in the period and officials turned to video replay to see if the puck had crossed the line, eventually ruling there was no conclusive evidence to show that it had.

One of Huet's best saves of the night came in the third with the Maple Leafs on a power play when he stopped a hard shot from the circle by Matt Stajan on a give-and-go.

Kessel's first goal with just over two minutes left in the second ended Huet's shutout bid and made it 3-1.

Toronto's Vesa Toskala made 31 saves, including a nice stop on Jonathan Toews near the end of the third that would have extended Chicago's lead to three goals.

Toskala made a great pad save against Kane with 2:45 left.

NOTES: Toronto's Ron Wilson, who will coach the U.S. Olympic team, got a close look at two Blackhawks players who could be on his squad in Vancouver — Kane (considered a cinch) and Dustin Byfuglien. ... Toskala, who battled a knee injury this year and lost time to Jonas Gustavsson, played for the first time since Oct. 31. ... Before Brouwer's goal, Chicago was 5 for 40 on the power play since Oct. 15.. ... The crowd of 21,036 was the largest of the season at the United Center.

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