What do you need to know about last night's big stories? Joe McDonald gives us his take on the biggest and best. This is where we say, "Morning, Joe."

Corey Crawford deserves your praise. Jimmy Simmons/Icon Sportswire

Crawford's the man: It's this simple: Without the solid goaltending of Corey Crawford, the Chicago Blackhawks would not be enjoying this much success. Chicago has won seven straight and is 8-0-1 in its last nine. Crawford is 6-0-0 in his last six starts, during which he has allowed only six goals. He also has a .965 save percentage in his last seven starts. There's no denying he is the backbone of the Blackhawks and largely responsible for their Central Division-leading 10-3-1 record. The Blackhawks are a different team than the one that has won three Stanley Cup titles since 2010. Their relative youth means they are giving up more scoring chances around Crawford, but he's been poised and gives them a chance to win every night. Because of the team's past success, he doesn't get the credit he deserves. He should this season.

Panarin does it all: Sticking with the Blackhawks, forward Artemi Panarin scored in overtime to lead Chicago to a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday. He added an assist and a fight for a Gordie Howe hat trick. It was his eighth career winning goal and second in OT. He has 15 points in 14 games this season, and 36 goals and 56 assists for 92 points in 94 career games. Sure, his stats have been helped by playing on a line with Patrick Kane and occasionally with future Hall of Famer Marian Hossa. But Panarin, 25, is a dynamic and elusive player who is fun to watch. One criticism: For a man of his talent, he should stay away from fighting, especially against the likes of the Blues' Scottie Upshall. The Blues would take that trade-off every time.

Blue Jackets in the zone: Let's talk about the Columbus Blue Jackets, who defeated the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 in overtime on Wednesday, adding to their 4-0-1 run. Many thought the Blue Jackets, now 6-3-2, would be in store for another difficult season, but they have surprised some people. One reason for their solid play is that they're getting contributions throughout the lineup. Rookie defenseman Zach Werenski scored his first career overtime goal in the win over the Ducks. In net, Sergei Bobrovsky has won four straight, with a 1.00 goals-against average and a .970 save percentage to improve to 6-1-1 in his last eight games. For Columbus to continue this roll, Bobrovsky needs to stay sharp. Inconsistency has crept into his game in the past, but he's calm and confident at the moment. That's a good sign.