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Toews, Kane keep Blackhawks in playoff chase

Mar 31, 2008 - 5:08 AM By Rory Spears PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- Rookies Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews helped to keep the Chicago Blackhawks' faint playoff hopes alive.

The Blackhawks avenged a shutout loss earlier in the week to Columbus by defeating the Blue Jackets, 5-4, in a shootout on Sunday.

Kane netted the lone goal in the bonus format and Toews had a goal and assist for the Blackhawks (38-33-8), who rallied from a two-goal deficit in the second period to pick up a much-needed win.

Chicago is two points behind Vancouver (39-30-10) with three games to play for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Blackhawks also trail ninth-place Nashville (39-31-9) by a point.

"I don't how to explain my success in the shootouts," Kane said. "Last year in junior hockey, I was 4-for-10 and now, in the NHL, I am 7-of-9. I guess you just develop moves and I practiced them at home all summer with my friends in Buffalo. In pressure situations like that, they come in handy."

After Yanic Perreault's ninth goal of the season knotted the game at 4-4 with 6:18 left in the third period for Chicago, both teams were held scoreless throughout the remainder of regulation and overtime, setting the stage for Kane's heroics.

"We talked as a team after the second period and said if we lose the third period, the season is over," Blackhawks left wing Patrick Sharp said. "Then we came out and tied it up, which shows the character of our team. One week left in the season and we are alive, it's fun right now in Chicago."

In the first round of the shootout, Kane - starting from the left side - drifted to the right of the goal and sent a lefthanded snap shot past Columbus goaltender Fredrik Norrena with what proved to be the game-winner.

"The two shootouts we have had at home we have won," Kane said. "It's great having having the home crowd at that point, when they announced my name it gave me chills. I wanted to go low blocker but (Norrena) was so far out of the net, I just deked him."

Blackhawks goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin made Kane's conversion stand up as he turned away Joakim Lindstrom, Nikolai Zherdev and Rick Nash in succession to preserve the victory.

"Nikolai was incredible for us," Toews said. "In every big win we have this season, he has been right there for us. Even on nights he doesn't steal a game for us, you can look back and find where he makes a couple of big saves that have kept us in a game."

Khabibulin finished with 31 saves for his second straight win. Norrena had 29 in taking the loss.

"It was disappointing taking the ice knowing we were out of the playoffs," Norrena said. "That's our goal every year to make them, but we didn't take that out on the ice with us. We had a good game we just didn't close it."

Andrew Murray, Michael Peca, Zherdev and Derek MacKenzie each scored goals for Columbus.