Hawks gut out 3-2 shootout win over Devils

After an intense six-game circus trip, followed by showdowns against heavyweights St. Louis, Montreal and Nashville, taking on struggling New Jersey had to be a little bit of a letdown for the Blackhawks.

It sure showed early on Tuesday as the Hawks played a lackluster first period and found themselves trailing the Devils and young goalie Keith Kinkaid, who was making his first NHL start.

But with the Hawks down 2-1 late, and things looking dim, a Duncan Keith rebound goal with just over 3 minutes remaining in regulation sent the game to overtime, and they ended up sneaking out of New Jersey with a 3-2 shootout victory on tallies by Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.

One guy who was in no way letting down on Tuesday was Patrick Sharp. The veteran Hawks forward was simply champing at the bit to get back out there after missing 14 games with a knee injury.

"It's nice to be back in the locker room," Sharp said following morning skate. "Hopefully I can get in there tonight and make some plays."

And that's just what Sharp did.

After being outshot and outplayed in the opening 20 minutes, the Hawks finally lit the lamp midway through the second when Bryan Bickell sent a wicked wrister past Kinkaid. Sharp picked up an assist on Bickell's fourth goal of the season.

"We expect him to bring some pace and energy," coach Joel Quenneville said of Sharp, who finished with a team-high 5 shots on goal. "He should get a normal workload and should be ready."

Sharp had a breakaway early in the third stymied by Kinkaid, and shortly thereafter, the Devils' Stephen Gionta knocked one from out of midair past Darling, changing the complexion of the game.

But Keith's late goal ensured at least 1 point and the eventual shootout win ensured the Hawks' their seventh straight win and the top spot in the Central Division,