ANAHEIM, Calif. - Chicago and Anaheim had the NHLs two best records and a combined 15 Olympians on the ice at Honda Center. Before all that world-class talent heads to Sochi this weekend, the Blackhawks demonstrated why theyre still the team to beat when the NHL gets back to work in three short weeks. Corey Crawford made 29 saves in his first shutout of the season and Chicago pulled within one point of Anaheim for the overall NHL lead with a 2-0 victory over the Ducks on Wednesday night. Marian Hossa scored in the second period and captain Jonathan Toews added a late goal for the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks, who improved to 3-0-2 on their six-game trip before the Olympic break. Chicago followed up its victory in Los Angeles two days ago with another solid effort against the Ducks, suggesting the defending champs are hitting their stride right before Sochi. "The last handful of games on this trip, weve got back to the way we need to play," Toews said. "Thats a tough team to do that to, and we have to feel good about what we were able to accomplish." After keeping the Ducks off the scoreboard in a fast, well-played game, the Blackhawks also won the Western Conference powers season series, taking two of three from Anaheim. Chicago (35-10-14, 84 points) is right behind Anaheim (40-14-5, 85 points) with one game left before the break. "(Crawford) made some key saves, and we had some breaks and some fortunate bounces," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "(Anaheim) had that run there, 19 of 20 (wins), but I think this trip really put us in a spot where were back in the mix. We played the right way, and were getting some good points." Quenneville also announced Patrick Kane wont be with the Blackhawks when they wrap up their trip in Phoenix. The American Olympians grandfather, Donald, died two days ago, and Kane is going back home to Buffalo before heading to Sochi. Jonas Hiller stopped 23 shots for the Ducks, who have lost four of five. Anaheim also has lost three straight home games after starting the season 20-0-2 at Honda Center. "We will overcome this," Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau said. "I thought we put in a great effort. We just didnt score goals. Were not going to cry about it. Were just going to get back to work and put another big run together." Chicago mostly beat the Ducks with defence, a minor surprise in a meeting between two of the NHLs highest-scoring teams. Crawford turned away every chance generated by the Ducks, who hadnt been shut out in their first 56 games this season before getting blanked twice in their last three games by Dallas and Chicago. Anaheim improved its effort from recent games, yet struggled mightily to get clean scoring chances. The Ducks had a 15-3 shots edge early on, but couldnt score during 40 seconds of 5-on-3 play in the scoreless first period. "We were doing a lot of things right, but unfortunately we cant buy a goal right now," Ducks defenceman Cam Fowler said. "All we can do is continue to push, continue to work on it." Both rosters are dotted with Olympic talent, including five key members of the Canadian team headed to Sochi. In addition, two members of the Swedish team — Chicagos Johnny Oduya and Anaheims Jakob Silfverberg — were scratched. Just 39 seconds into the second period, Hossa sneaked into Anaheims defence and beat Hiller for his 24th goal. The Slovak Olympian also had two goals in Chicagos win over the Ducks last month. The Blackhawks matched the Ducks effort after the midway point of the game. Anaheims Daniel Winnik had an outstanding short-handed chance in the slot in the third period, but couldnt settle a bouncing puck in time. Toews wrapped it up with 2:31 to play with a slippery move off the wall. After Hossa grabbed a turnover by Fowler, Toews went toward the middle and put a shot past Hillers left arm for his 19th goal. NOTES: Oduya missed his first game of the season with a lower-body injury. Quenneville said the injury shouldnt prevent Oduya from playing in Sochi. ... Hossa has scored in five consecutive games. ... Ducks C Nick Bonino missed his third straight game with an apparent wrist injury. Before the game, Anaheim recalled F Emerson Etem for his first game with the Ducks since Dec. 9. David Cone Jersey . Sopoaga hit the upright with his first shot at goal from 15 metres. He then kicked nine goals in succession -- two conversions and seven penalties -- before being replaced in the 62nd minute, three points short of the Highlanders record for most points in a match. Whit Merrifield Jersey . -- Green Bay wide receiver Greg Jennings will be on the sideline as the Packers make their push for a perfect regular season. https://www.cheaproyals.com/767a-alex-gordon-jersey-royals.html . Tokarski, a somewhat controversial choice -- with his 10 games of NHL experience and all -- to replace an injured Carey Price in Game Two had a night to remember, turning back a Rangers team that was dominating play from the get-go, outshooting the Canadiens 14-4 in the first period and 37-25 overall. Fake Royals Jerseys .I get texts: Do you know Drake? Have you met Drake? He sits there every night, he hears me cuss out the referees every night, Casey said, laughing. Nicky Lopez Jersey . -- Manager Bob Melvin shuffled the Athletics batting order and got the type of production he was looking for from the top of the lineup.The author of one of Canadas defining moments at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics is "99 per cent" certain hes retiring. Jon Montgomery, the gold-medal winning skeleton racer who celebrated his victory by chugging from a pitcher of beer handed to him by a fan, says his failed attempt to qualify for the Sochi Games will in all likelihood mark the end of his sliding career. "Im done. As a competitive athlete, this is the end of the road for me," Montgomery said in a telephone interview with The Canadian Press on Thursday, before later adding: "I would say 99 per cent of me is certain that I am done. "You wont see me (racing) next year or the year after and Im 99 per cent sure you wont see me trying to gain a spot for (the 2018 Winter Olympics in) Pyeongchang." The 34-year-old Montgomery was one of the stars of the Vancouver Games, memorably drinking from that pitcher on national television as he walked through a crowd of rabid Canadian fans in Whistler, B.C. But the Russell, Man., native struggled to find consistency on a new sled in the leadup to Sochi and missed out on a chance to defend his title in Russia. "Physically Im at the top of my game. Im going out faster than Ive ever been in my career but its a bit of a sacrifice to make sure that I dont get hurt," he said. "I dont know what sort of long-term damage Ive done to my brain but in terms of getting a concussion — which is a really distinct possibility, or a brain injury — I need to make the right choices based on my family." Montgomery said even had he made it to Sochi and topped the podium a second time, the emotions from Vancouver would have been difficult to repeat. "Nothing can ever replace your first Olympic gold medal," he said. "To have done that on home soil with friends and family and countrymen by my side ... you just cant top that." Although he wanted desperately to represent Canada again, Montgomery said hes been watching these Games intently. "Its the human drama that takes place in front of us every day during the Olympics," he said. "Its unbelievable. I enjoyed being part of it as an athlete and (enjoy) being part of it as a fan." Montgomery took the 2011-12 season off and found it difficult racing on the new sled he helped build from scratch when he returned to the track. He had used his previous sled for eight years, but felt it was necessary to go with new technology in order to defend his Olympic gold in Sochi. In the end, he never got that chance. "It was really frustrating because you had achieved a certain level of performance that you were used to being able to get back to week in and week out," said Montgomery. "Coonsistency is a huge part in our sport.dddddddddddd You have to be very athletic to push the sled, but its more of a game of skill and touch. "Its about that feel and that muscle memory, that finite muscle control, and thats what I was struggling with — to get that feel and that touch back to my sliding game." Montgomerys path to Sochi was always going to be difficult after he failed to earn one of the three mens spots on Canadas World Cup team. He instead raced on a lower circuit where point values for results are lower, but was promoted to the World Cup team in January. He needed at least a fourth-place finish in his final race to get a third Canadian sled into the Olympics, but wound up a heart-breaking seventh. That disappointment aside, Montgomery is adamant he did everything possible to give himself the best chance at success. "I can say until the day I die that there wasnt anything that we didnt address," he said. "I built a gym in my home garage with equipment that I felt was necessary for me to get quicker, bigger, faster, stronger and that paid off. "With the equipment development end of things, unfortunately we didnt realize the goals that we had set for ourselves — we fell a little bit short. "It was mostly timing. An opportunity to get comfortable with the equipment that wed built was really where we fell short. But as far as making the choices and decisions we made, zero regrets." Montgomery became somewhat of a folk hero after the 2010 Games and was in Calgary on Thursday to promote Proctor & Gambles "Thank You, Mom" campaign for the 2014 Olympics. He and his mother, Joan, starred in a video highlighting how she helped him through some tough times early in his career prior to the Olympic gold medal. She played a similar role again when her son failed to qualify for Sochi. "My mom was there to help me pick myself up and move on with some purpose and dedication towards what happens next in life," said Montgomery, who hosted the first season of CTVs "Amazing Race Canada" last year and has signed on again for a second instalment that begins shooting in the spring. That television career will keep Montgomery in the public eye, but he will likely always be known as the Canadian Olympic champion who chugged beer with a gold medal around his neck. "Lots of great memories, lots of good friends and a lot of pride in what we were able to accomplish for ourselves as individuals and for us as a country," he said. "I havent given a formal (retirement) announcement. "I havent gone to a press conference and cried like Wayne Gretzky yet, but if that day comes Ill probably do that too." ' ' '