Turns out breaking up is not exactly hard to do

Dustin Byfuglien and Patrick Kane's trial separation worked out just fine for both of them Sunday night.

If they keep this up, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville will have to insist they file for divorce.

When Coach Q shook up his lines for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals it could have been viewed as desperation.

Maybe it was after the Flyers' tied the best-of-seven series with 2 victories in Philadelphia.

"We had to come back with some fire, get on them and show them we weren't going to quit," Byfuglien said.

Mission certainly accomplished.

Byfuglien was especially special in the 7-4 victory, which advanced the Hawks to within 1 victory of winning the Stanley Cup.

To put it mildly, Big Buff was back and as he put it, "I was focused, ready and knew what I had to do."

The idea of splitting up Byfuglien and Kane - who had been flanking center Jonathan Toews on the first line - was designed to neutralize Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger to some extent.

Apparently the premise was that Pronger couldn't be in two or three places at one time even if he does play an omnipresent 30 minutes a game.

Toews stayed on the first line, Kane dropped to the second, and Byfuglien settled into the third.

Bingo!

Suddenly, Byfuglien was enough of a monster again to be selected the game's No. 1 star. He came out flying at the Flyers from the start, denting both the stat sheet and Philly flesh.

Byfuglien assisted on 2 Hawks goals in the first period, he scored 1 of his own in the second, and fittingly he finished off the Flyers with an empty-netter on assists from his two new linemates in the third.

Midway through the second period Byfuglien cracked Pronger into the boards and explained later, "He's out there to battle, and so am I. I just try to get the best of him."

Finally, just for fun in the third period, Byfuglien wiped out Philly defenseman Kimmo Timonen and referee Dan O'Halloran with one mighty body blow.

Meanwhile, Kane also was prominent with a goal on an assist from new linemate Andrew Ladd and with an assist on other new linemate Patrick Sharp's goal.

Maybe an even bigger Kane contribution came late in the second period when he drew a hooking penalty from Pronger that led to a Hawks' power-play goal.

In a way, Pronger went from dominating games in the series for the Flyers to dominating this one for the Hawks.

Brent Seabrook scored the Hawks' first goal on a shot off Pronger's skate and Byfuglien scored later with Pronger in the penalty box.

Maybe Pronger was confused by the shake-up of the Hawks' lines. Or maybe he was shook up by the United Center crowd booing him every time he touched the puck, as if he hasn't heard that before.

Now it's back to Philadelphia for Game 6 and an opportunity for the Hawks to clinch their first Stanley Cup in 49 years.

"It's exciting," Kane said.

Quenneville surely won't reunite Byfuglien, Kane and Toews. You know, if it ain't broke don't break it.

The divorce appears final - unless the Flyers force Game 7 and Coach Q feels compelled to shuffle his lines again.