Savard asks veterans to step it up

MONTREAL -- Goalie Nikolai Khabibulin isn't the only Blackhawks veteran who needs to be better.

That was the word from Hawks coach Denis Savard on Tuesday after he elected to start backup Patrick Lalime and not Khabibulin against the Canadiens.

"He's played good and he needs to continue to play good and sometimes better," Savard said when asked to assess Khabibulin's game. "Especially with a thin lineup that we have right now, lacking scoring a bit, we need to tighten that up and he needs to step up to the front for us.

"And not only him. Our best players have to be our best players. Our veteran guys have to step up and play better and make sure they're plus players at the end of the night. That's the only way we're going to get in the playoffs here, having our best goalie play well and having our best players be the best."

Khabibulin's .900 save percentage was the sixth worst among No. 1 goalies prior to Tuesday's games.

Savard said Khabibulin would start tonight against Dallas at the United Center.

Samsonov claimed: The Hawks lost veteran winger Sergei Samsonov on Tuesday when he was claimed off re-entry waivers by the Carolina Hurricanes.

Samsonov twice cleared waivers last week and had been sent by the Hawks to their American Hockey League affiliate in Rockford.

Samsonov had no goals in 23 games for the Hawks, who had no plans to bring him back from the minors.

"He was given a chance," said Denis Savard. "The first 15 or 20 games, I played him in all situations and I played him with good players, but after awhile you have to go with what's going good.

"Things just didn't go for him, and when I look at the sheet and see no goals, it's pretty tough to play him in your top six. And if he doesn't play in the top six, then he doesn't fit."

Because he was claimed on re-entry waivers, the Hurricanes will pay only half of what was remaining on Samsonov's $3.525 million salary with the Hawks picking up the other half, approximately $800,000.

Tip-ins: On the same day the Canadiens honored former Hawks such as Stan Mikita, Bobby Hull, Tony Esposito, Steve Larmer, Denis Savard and Al Secord as part of a pregame tribute to the rivalry between the Hawks and Habs, the Hawks announced they would pay tribute to Hull and Mikita in a ceremony prior to the March 7 game against San Jose. …

Final fan vote totals for the Jan. 27 All-Star Game were announced Tuesday with no Hawks starters. Nikolai Khabibulin finished eighth among goalies in the Western Conference and Martin Havlat 22nd among forwards. … Rookie Patrick Kane received 18,589 write-in votes to finish 30th among forwards.