Blackhawks goalie Crawford NHL’s weekly first star; Edmonton’s Hall second star

Goaltender Corey Crawford of the Chicago Blackhawks was named the NHL’s first star of the week on Monday.

Crawford won all three of his starts for the week with a 0.33 goals-against average, .989 save percentage and two shutouts to help the Blackhawks climb into second place in the Central Division.

He stopped 36 of 37 shots in a 4-1 win over Nashville on Dec. 8. Crawford then earned a pair of shutouts, making 25 saves in a 2-0 victory over Winnipeg on Dec. 11 and 30 saves in a 4-0 triumph over Vancouver on Dec. 13.

The 30 year old from Chateauguay, Que., shares the NHL lead with four shutouts in 2015-16, owns a 15-7-2 record in 24 appearances (2.23 GAA, .924 save percentage), including four straight wins.

Edmonton left-winger Taylor Hall was the second star with three goals and three assists, including two game-winning goals, to help the Oilers complete a perfect 5-0-0 homestand with a pair of victories.

Defenceman Justin Faulk was third star with three goals and three assists to lead Carolina to a pair of wins in three starts.