Blackhawks get back on track at Blues' expense

CHICAGO -- Following a pair of listless losses, the Chicago Blackhawks and Corey Crawford slammed the door defensively and returned to their winning ways.

Crawford stopped 25 shots for his league-leading seventh shutout, rookie Artemi Panarin and Andrew Shaw scored and the Blackhawks beat the St. Louis Blues 2-0 on Sunday night to end a two-game losing streak.

Crawford wasn't consistently tested while earning his 19th career shutout. The defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks rebounded from a 2-1 setback at Tampa Bay and a 4-0 drubbing at Florida that followed a franchise-record 12-game winning streak.

The Blues outshot Chicago 12-6 in the first period and missed on a handful of chances, but after that, the Blackhawks were stingy and in control.

"We started to get our legs and were making plays after that," Crawford said. "There wasn't too many chances. After a couple losses, I thought it was important to get back on track."

Before this season, Crawford had never had more than four shutouts in a year -- in 2010-11.

St. Louis's Brian Elliott made 23 saves in his eighth straight start since taking over for Jake Allen, who suffered a lower-body injury at Anaheim on Jan. 8. Elliott is 5-2-2 since entering in the second period of that game against the Ducks.

The Blues lost their second straight since ending a three-game winning streak and are 5-2-1 in their past eight. They lost Friday night 2-1 in a shootout in Colorado and have scored just three times in their last three games -- all on the road -- going 1-1-1 in the stretch.

"We didn't have any offensive energy," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. "You look at this road trip, to come out of this thing with three points on scoring three goals, we're pretty fortunate.

"Coming back, we're going to have to have a lot more production than what we're having right now."

Panarin got Chicago on the board with 4:34 left in the second period when he leaned into a one-timer from the right circle and ripped a rising shot over Elliott's glove. Panarin, who leads rookies with 17 goals and 46 points, was set up when Patrick Kane threaded him a cross-ice backhand pass.

The goal ended Chicago's scoreless streak at 155 minutes and 43 seconds.

Shaw extended it to 2-0 at 4:56 of the third, connecting on a midair deflection.