Blackhawks' Niemi Shuts Out Bolts For 3rd In 8 Games

Chicago Blackhawks' backup goaltender Antti Niemi is starting to get some notice around the NHL after the rookie netminder got his 3rd shutout in only 8 starts, beating the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-0.

Niemi has been used sparingly as Chicago usually goes with Cristobal Huet in net, but the 26-year-old native of Finland has risen to the challenge with a 6-1-1 record in the 8 games he's appeared, with a stingy 1.50 goals-against-average. He was in net for 3 Chicago games last year, going 1-1-1 before finishing the season with the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. Niemi faced only 18 shots while his counterpart in Tampa Bay's net, Antero Niittymaki had to contend with 29 Blackhawk shots.

Patrick Kane opened the scoring 7:42 into the game, getting his 10th past Niittymaki before having to leave the gave after being tripped in the corner by Lightning defenseman Matt Smaby with about 7 minutes left in the first. Kane hit his head on the ice, receiving a cut above his eye and didn't return.

Left winger Ben Eager put the Blackhawks up 2-0 snapping a shot that snuck past Niittymaki with 9:18 left in the 2nd. Marian Hossa recovered the puck on a shoot in, outracing the two Tampa defensemen and flipped the puck to Eager alone in the slot.

Hossa wasn't done, as he scored a highlight reel goal himself at 19:44, as Patrick Sharp crossed the Lightning blue line and tried to pass to Hossa as he skated in on the right side of the Tampa Bay net, but it hit the stick of defenseman Andrej Meszaros and flipped up and over to Hossa, who coolly grabbed the puck in midair and dropped it to the ground and swatted the puck behind Niittymaki.

The Blackhawks went up 4-0 at 6:01 of the 3rd period when captain Jonathan Toews pounced on a rebound in the slot on a shot from right winger Dustin Byfuglien.

The win puts Chicago 2 points behind both the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks for the lead in the Western Conference, and one back of the Colorado Avalanche. Tampa Bay remains tied with the Florida Panthers in 3rd place in the Southeast Division.

The Lightning play Tuesday night in Nashville, while Chicago is off until Wednesday when they will host the St Louis Blues.