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Kane's OT game-winner lifts Blackhawks

Mar 24, 2008 - 2:46 AM CHICAGO (Ticker) -- James Wisniewski and rookie Patrick Kane kept the Chicago Blackhawks fledgling playoff hopes alive with two late goals in a 4-3 overtime win over the St. Louis Blues on Sunday.

After the Blues had taken a 3-2 lead late in the third period on a goal by Keith Tkachuk, Wisniewski fired a slap shot past St. Louis goaltender Hannu Toivonen to knot the game at 3-3 at 19:05, forcing the game into overtime with his seventh goal of the campaign and first in 18 games.

Just 69 seconds into the extra session, Kane netted his 18th tally of the season. He weaved through traffic and scored on a backhanded shot that went off the side of Toivonen and into the net for the game-winner.

"This goal was one of the biggest goals I have scored," Kane said. "It helped us get two points in a game we needed to win. It's a good feeling."

Blackhawks coach Denis Savard admitted games like this are fun.

"Our team was tired after the game we played yesterday," Savard said. "But it is fun and we got a great result. Our kids are understanding what it takes to battle to get to the playoffs."

The Blackhawks (36-32-8) had gone 2-4-2 over their last eight games following a 10-3-1 stretch, leaving them in 12th place in the Western Conference, but Sunday's victory pulled them within four points of idle eighth-place Colorado (39-31-6) for the final playoff spot.

"These two points were crucial and a must," Wisniewski said. "When we trailed, 3-2, we still had time left. (We said), 'Let's go out there and get some shots at the goal and see what happens.' Mine and Kane's might be the biggest two goals we have scored all season."

The two points recorded by Kane gave him 65 for the season and a one-point lead over Washington's Nicklas Backstrom in the scoring race for NHL rookies.

"It's fun to be a part of that," Kane said. "I can't lie, I check the box score once in a while to see what (Backstrom) is doing. We are both playing with great players, it should be a great battle to the end of the season."

Blackhawks netminder Nikolai Khabibulin recorded 26 saves for the Blackhawks. Toivonen turned away 27 shots and fell to 0-5-0 in his last five starts.

Tkachuk netted his 23rd goal of the season to give the Blues their short-lived final lead. It was the 496th goal of Tkachuk's career.

However, St. Louis fell to 1-6-2 over their last nine contests.

"My goal was a lucky goal," Tkachuk said. "It just seems that this is just how things have gone for us lately. We have no one but ourselves to blame."

The Blues' Lee Stempniak scored his 13th goal of the year at 7:55 of the second period to put St. Louis ahead, 1-0.

Stempniak stole the puck in the left corner and circled out in front of the Chicago net, using Blackhawks defenseman Jordan Hendry - who slid across the slot trying to block the shot - as a screen. He fired a wrist shot just under the glove of Khabibulin.

Chicago tied the game, 1-1, at 17:34 of the second period when Adam Burish scored his second goal of the season.

Burish was awarded the goal when Troy Brouwer, who was called up from Chicago's Rockford American Hockey League affiliate on Sunday morning, broke in on Toivonen. Brouwer tried to stuff the shot from the left side only to find the puck at his skates behind the Blues' net.

Brouwer tried a drop pass that went through Burish's skates along the crease before banking into the net off the stick of Blues defenseman Barrett Jackman.

"That's going to happen when you go to the net," Burish said. "I wasn't the last guy to touch the puck but I'll take it. Maybe you guys (the media) can make it look like I went top shelf."

Chicago took a 2-1 lead at 9:10 of the third period when Dustin Byfuglien scored his 18th goal. He received a pass from Patrick Kane in the left corner and he snuck a wrist shot just inside the left post.

St. Louis tied the game at 2-2 just 2:09 later when Dwayne King netted his third goal of the season. David Backes took a slap shot from the right point that Khabibulin made a kick save on.

However, the puck came right to King, who put the puck into the open left side of the net.