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NHL-worst Blackhawks snap 6-game skid with a 4-3, shootout victory over the Stars

DALLAS (AP) — Rookie Nick Lardis scored in the fourth round of the shootout to give the Chicago Blackhawks a 4-3 win over the Dallas Stars on Saturday night.

The Blackhawks, last in the overall NHL standings, snapped a six-game losing streak. The Stars, second in the overall standings, lost a second consecutive game after regulation following a four-game winning streak.

Tyler Bertuzzi scored twice, former Star Jason Dickinson added a goal and Arvid Soderblom made 28 saves through overtime for the Blackhawks. Soderblom, getting his 12th start with Chicago beginning a back-to-back, snapped a personal five-game skid during which he allowed 29 goals.

Mikko Rantanen had a goal and two assists, and Nils Lundkvist and Justin Hrychowian also scored for the Stars. Jake Oettinger stopped 30 shots.

Chicago won for the first time since star forward Connor Bedard was sidelined by a shoulder injury on Dec. 12.

Lardis, playing his sixth NHL game, sent the puck past Oettinger in his first NHL shootout attempt. He was one of five rookies in the Blackhawks’ lineup.

Bertuzzi has a team-high 18 goals and ended a seven-game pointless streak.

For Lundkvist, who missed 25 games with a lower-body injury, it was his first goal since the season-opening game.

Rantanen has 39 assists this season, second in the NHL, and has a six-game point streak (2-10-12).

Hryckowian has a five-game point streak (3-2-5).

Dallas’ Wyatt Johnston had three assists.

Chicago’s Alex Vlasic had two assists.

In a matchup of standout special teams, Dallas’ power play went 0 for 4 against Chicago’s penalty kill – ranked fourth.

The teams will meet again in Chicago on New Year’s night.

Up next

Blackhawks: Host Pittsburgh on Sunday night.

Stars: Host Buffalo on New Year’s Eve following a second consecutive three days off.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

NYPD says dozens rescued from human trafficking during World Cup

▶ Watch Video: Inside look at security preparations for World Cup Forty-three people, including seven minors, were rescued from human traffickers during the World Cup matches in the New York City area, according to the New York City Police Department's Special Victims Unit.The rescue operations were carried out between June 11 and July 19 by specialized NYPD detectives who arrested 89 individuals."The surprise was really the outpouring of support behind the mission and the collaboration with all our partners," said Inspector Gary Marcus, commanding officer of the Special Victims Unit.Those rescued, largely the victims of sex trafficking, are now being supported with an array of social services for the victims, including food, housing and counseling.The 87 operations carried out during the World Cup have generated new leads, officials said, and law enforcement agencies are building more cases based on the investigations already underway."We have ongoing investigations now as a result of these operations," an NYPD official told CBS News.Major sporting events are known to law enforcement as hotbeds of human trafficking.Years in advance, the NYPD devoted significant resources to preparing for the World Cup. Eight matches were played at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, including the final on Sunday."When we talk about the outreach and the prep we do, a large part of that involved visiting the known sex offenders, particularly the known human traffickers, in our registry," Marcus said. "Whether they're on parole or probation for human trafficking, we visited them to make sure they're compliant with the terms of their release, and secondly, to let them know that the NYPD is watching."The matches were held in multiple cities around the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Preparations to secure those games and prepare for crimes like human trafficking were coordinated between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.Police departments in many locations that hosted World Cup matches have made arrests and rescues connected to human trafficking, including in Georgia, New England and Missouri. Nationally, there were more than 673 arrests on human-trafficking charges made during the World Cup, and 61 adults and 13 minors rescued, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
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