Blackhawks 2, Senators 0

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Photo Gallery Game Highlights Big Save by Gerber

CHICAGO - Cristobal Huet stopped 23 shots to earn his first shutout with Chicago and Patrick Kane scored an early goal as the Blackhawks beat the Ottawa Senators 2-0 on Wednesday night.

It was Huet's first NHL shutout since March 29 against Florida, when he was with the Washington Capitals. He signed a four-year deal with Chicago as a free agent during the off-season.

Kane scored a power-play goal on a wrist shot from the circle 5:17 into the game against Senators goalie Martin Gerber, who also played well after the early score. Chicago got its second goal on an empty-netter from Troy Brouwer with 40 seconds left.

The Senators, who were 4-1-3 in their previous eight games, entered the night tied with Tampa Bay for the fewest goals in the NHL. They had a 5-on-3 advantage for 64 seconds in the opening period, but managed only one shot and finished the game 0-for-6 on the power play.

Huet's stop of a point-blank attempt by Dany Heatley highlighted another penalty kill by the Blackhawks in the second period. And then minutes later, with Chicago on a power play, he made a body save on a short-handed breakaway attempt by Mike Fisher.

Kane was whistled for three high-sticking penalties, the third was a double minor after Ottawa's Nick Foligno was struck.

The Senators got off four shots in a third-period power play, but Huet responded.

Notes: Chicago's Kris Versteeg, tied for the NHL rookie-scoring lead with 22 points, served a one-game suspension for fighting Phoenix's Kyle Turris following a scrum with just over a second left Sunday night ... G Nikolai Khabibulin, who has a lower-body injury, dressed but missed his sixth straight game. He could return Friday night when Chicago plays at Colorado ... Senators C Dean McAmmond missed his sixth game due to pneumonia ... Gerber got the start after Alex Auld had been in net for 11 straight games ... The Blackhawks had their 14th straight home sellout, two more than all of last season ... Ottawa concludes its road swing Friday in Washington against the Capitals (7 p.m., Rogers Sportsnet East, Team 1200).