CHICAGO – Daniel Carcillo scored the tie-breaking goal with 49.3 seconds left in regulation and the Chicago Blackhawks won their 11th consecutive game, beating the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 on Wednesday night to extend the best start in NHL history.

Jonathan Toews and Andrew Shaw also scored for Chicago (21-0-3), which reached the halfway point of a lockout-shortened season without losing in regulation. The remarkable Blackhawks have earned at least one point in their first 24 games, stretching their NHL record.

Dating back to last year’s regular season, the streak is 30 games.

The Blackhawks broke the previous team record for consecutive wins with their 10th in a row Tuesday night, 5-3 over Minnesota.

Chicago’s overall points streak is the second-longest during one season in NHL history. The 1979-80 Philadelphia Flyers set the league record at 35 games with a 25-0-10 run.

Carcillo knocked in a rebound with a backhand shot, his first goal of the season, after Semyon Varlamov made two in-close stops on Viktor Stalberg during a scrum in the crease.

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Toews scored a highlight-reel, short-handed goal early in the third period, beating two Avalanche players to tie the score at 2. Chicago trailed after two periods for only the fourth time this season.

John Mitchell and Matt Duchene scored for Colorado, which has lost 6 of 7.

Ray Emery made 20 saves for the Blackhawks to improve to 10-0. Varlamov finished with 29 stops.

Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa sat out with an upper-body injury. Shaw left the game late in the second period and teammate Patrick Sharp left midway through the third.

MAPLE LEAFS 5, SENATORS 4: Phil Kessel had a goal and two assists to help Toronto hold off visiting Ottawa.

Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk each had a goal and an assist for the Maple Leafs, who built leads of 3-0 and 5-2 before Ottawa scored twice in the final eight minutes.

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Toronto moved two points ahead of the Senators for fifth place in the Eastern Conference halfway through the season.

NOTES

RANGERS: Doctors are optimistic that defenseman Marc Staal will recover fully after being struck in the eye by a deflected puck Tuesday night.

Staal will be sidelined indefinitely but was already showing improvement, the Rangers said in a statement.

Staal’s specific injury hasn’t been disclosed.

The Rangers added veteran depth to their defense corps when Roman Hamrlik was claimed off waivers from the Washington Capitals.

The 38-year-old Hamrlik, the active leader with 1,383 NHL games played, was waived by the Capitals on Tuesday.

 


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