Crawford Gets First Canuck Win

January 31, 1999 / 1:41 AM EST / AP

Markus Naslund scored the go-ahead goal with 8:45 left as the Vancouver Canucks won their first game under coach Marc Crawford with a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night.

Bryan McCabe and Mattias Ohlund also scored for the Canucks, who won for only the third time in their last 15 games (3-10-2) and for the first time in two games since Crawford took over following Mike Keenan's dismissal last weekend.

Vancouver also snapped a six-game winless streak against Chicago (0-4-2) dating back to Jan. 22, 1997.

The Blackhawks, in the midst of a season-high seven-game road trip, had a five-game unbeaten streak (3-0-2) snapped. Combined with the Calgary Flames' 4-3 overtime win over St. Louis, the loss dropped Chicago into the Western Conference cellar.

Donald Brashear set up Naslund's team-leading 24th goal. Brashear avoided a check from Chris Chelios at the Chicago blue line and fed Naslund streaking to the net up the right side. Naslund maneuvered around Blackhawk Nelson Emerson and, without breaking stride, neatly flipped the puck in off goalie Jocelyn Thibault, who was foiled in his bid to win his 100th career game.

Naslund's goal came a little over six minutes after Blackhawk Bryan Muir tied the game at 2-2 with his first NHL career goal.

Chicago's Jamie Allison, with his first of the season, opened the scoring 5:31 into the game on a weak shot that was misplayed by Vancouver goalie Garth Snow. Snow attempted to poke the puck away with his stick but missed, as the puck dribbled in through his legs.

Ohlund tied the game with a power-play goal 1:34 into the second period on a shot that deflected in off a Chicago defender.

The Canucks then went ahead on a shorthanded goal by McCabe at 4:10 of the second.

Alexander Mogilny intercepted a pass at the Vancouver blue line and raced up on a 2-on-1 break. Mogilny waited to draw the Blackhawk defenders and fed the puck to McCabe, who was trailing the play. McCabe, in snapping a seven-game pointless drought, had a clear path to the net and slipped the puck through Thibault's legs.

The Canucks lead the league with 12 shorthanded goals. Chicago has given up eight, tied with two other teams for last in the NHL.