Can Khabibulin carry Blackhawks down the stretch?

There's no denying the Blackhawks are running out of time in their quest to make the playoffs.

With 22 games to play, the Hawks are 8 points out of the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference and still with five teams to pass.

Do the math and the odds aren't good in their favor, but if anything can produce a big finish, the kind the Hawks are going to need to even get close to eighth, it's great goaltending.

Nikolai Khabibulin has come up with strong finishing kicks before and is looking as if he might be ready to put the Hawks on his back down the stretch.

Khabibulin has played some terrific games in the last few weeks, starting with the win he stole in Calgary on Feb. 7 and continuing with Wednesday's 3-0 whitewash of Minnesota, when he made 38 saves.

"He's been phenomenal," said teammate Dave Bolland. "Some of those saves he makes out there are like the ones I used to see him make in Tampa."

Khabibulin has won three of his last five starts with the 2 losses coming in shootouts, helping earn the Hawks 8 of a possible 10 points.

"He's been there in that situation many times," said Hawks coach Denis Savard. "But we're going to need both (goalies). We've still got a lot of back-to-back games. Let's not forget about the job Patrick (Lalime) also has done for our team."

But the Hawks are paying Khabibulin more than any other goaltender in the league to be a difference-maker, and now is the time for him to be that guy. In his first two seasons with the Hawks, Khabibulin hasn't played in too many important games the final six weeks of the season.

"All the games that we play from now on, they all mean a lot, and it's just great to be part of it," Khabibulin said.

The Hawks have won four of their last five, and since that Feb. 7 win in Calgary they have captured 11 of a possible 14 points.

"I think guys are buying into the system, and in the last few games they've seen that it works," Khabibulin said. "Not only that, but guys are getting more confident by playing game after game like that. If we keep playing like we did (Wednesday), I think we have a chance to get quite a few wins."

Savard's plan is to start Khabibulin on Saturday in Los Angeles, then he'll evaluate what to do on Sunday in Anaheim. There's a good chance Khabibulin will get both starts, considering the minimal bus travel between Los Angeles and Anaheim and the fact Saturday is an afternoon game and Sunday a night game.

The Hawks can't afford any stumbles the rest of the way, such as losing for a third time to the last-place Kings. The last time the Hawks played at Staples Center on Jan. 1, they were embarrassed 9-2 and Khabibulin was pulled.

That also was the game Jonathan Toews was lost with a knee injury. The Hawks are 4-1-1 since Toews returned.