Hawks right on target to reach Savard goal

DETROIT -- The Blackhawks played their 20th game Saturday night, and a quarter of the way into the season, coach Denis Savard likes what he has seen.

But if the Hawks are going to make the playoffs for the first time since 2002, Savard has a number in mind and it's no secret to anyone -- 96 points.

Last season the Calgary Flames made the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Western Conference with 96 points. Colorado finished with 95 points and missed.

"I'm very pleased," said Savard, whose team sits at 11-8-1 after Saturday's 5-3 win over the Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. "The first 10 games we got 11 points, and (Saturday) we had a chance to get 12 points in the second 10 games. That's 23, and if you go times four, it's 92 points with two games to play. I think 96 or somewhere there gets you in the playoffs.

"So we're on pace, and I think our team is going to continue to improve with consistency," Savard said.

A year ago the Hawks were 7-11-2 after 20 games.

"I don't think anyone expected us to do as well as we have," center Robert Lang said.

Brotherly love: Red Wings defenseman and Buffalo Grove native Brett Lebda says his younger brother Arik is still a Hawks fan.

"He's probably the only one in the family that hasn't come over to the Detroit side," Lebda said. "I think he's just a Blackhawks fan to make me mad."

Losing the first four games of the seasons series to the Hawks has given Lebda's brother plenty of ammunition.

"My brother's giving me a hard time about it, and it's really starting to irritate me, so we'd like to get a win," Lebda said before Saturday's game. "We've got a little friendly wager going on the season series, so we really need to pick it up a bit.

"He said if we won he'd have to become a Detroit fan and I wouldn't have to hear it anymore," Lebda said. "And if he wins I have to buy him a Chicago Blackhawks jersey of his choice."

Tip-ins: The 3 short-handed goals Saturday tied a Hawks team record done three times previously, the last time being in March 1991 when Steve Larmer, Dirk Graham and Adam Creighton scored while a man short. … Not only did Patrick Sharp record his first hat trick, he had a career high 4 points. …

The Hawks were without winger Jason Williams (groin), which forced Denis Savard to dress seven defensemen. … Detroit rested 45-year-old defenseman Chris Chelios because of back-to-back games. The Red Wings are in Columbus tonight. … The Hawks lost 35 of 53 faceoffs. …

Now 1-1-1 on their six-game road trip, the Hawks come home for four days before heading to Calgary and a Thanksgiving night game.