Morning Box Score: Blackhawks Blanked by Kings, Buckeyes Rout NU
By Chuck Sudo in News on Dec 29, 2011 2:30PM
The Blackhawks are now 9-2-1 in their 12 games last night thanks to the stellar work between the pipes of Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick. Quick stopped 28 shots en route to his league-best fifth shutout of the season. But he also had a lot of help from his teammates, who simply outplayed the Hawks for the first two periods. Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford held his own in net, stopping 36 of the 38 shots he faced.
Now that conference play has begun in the Big Ten, eyes are on Northwestern as they try to break through to earn a first NCAA tournament berth. If last night's game against the second-ranked Buckeyes is an indication, They'll either have to once again settle for an NIT bid or stay home. Ohio State guard William Buford torched the Wildcats for 28 points on 9-14 shooting, including a red hot 5-for-7 from behind the three-point arc. Forwards Jared Sullinger scored 17 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and Deshaun Thomas added 16 points as the Buckeyes outrebounded NU 49-30. Northwestern was led by John Shurna and Drew Crawford with 11 and 13 points, respectively, on a combined 9-of-20 from the field, a far cry from the season averages for the Big ten's top two scorers.