Hawks answer call of the Wild in 4-2 win
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The players the Blackhawks are putting on the ice are not supposed to be doing this, but don't tell them that.
With a lineup that included only two players making $1 million or more in Jason Williams and Duncan Keith, the Hawks stepped up and won a critical road game Tuesday night, turning back the Minnesota Wild 4-2.
"That just tells you how much these guys want to play," said goalie Patrick Lalime, who was brilliant at times in a 28-save performance. "We've got guys who work hard and do the simple things, and that's how you win. We're playing old-time hockey -- get the puck to the net and go to the net hard."
It certainly appears that this is a group that doesn't miss injured stars Martin Havlat, Nikolai Khabibulin and Robert Lang.
"We're not worried about what anyone is saying outside our locker room," said Jonathan Toews. "What's important is the guys inside this room and we're all sticking together and believing in each other. Coming into games like this there's no doubt in our mind we can come out with the 2 points. That's the attitude you have to have and we're going to keep going that way."
The Hawks got goals from Williams, Keith, Dustin Byfuglien and Craig Adams to back Lalime, who has won six of his last nine starts.
"As I said to you guys a month ago, he saved our season, where we're at now," Hawks coach Denis Savard said of Lalime. "He's been there before, you can't forget that. He's been a No. 1 for a long time."
Byfuglien's power-play goal at 2:32 of the third period proved to be the game-winner, giving the Hawks a 3-1 lead.
The Wild made it 3-2, but Adams scored an empty-netter with 16 seconds to play following a few frantic moments in the Hawks' end that saw Keith come up with a huge blocked shot.
The Hawks have won two in a row and eight of their last 11, but they remain 6 points out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
"We played a great team game," Keith said. "Our goaltender kept us in it early and after that we played smart and played disciplined.
"A lot of it stems from the fact we realize we do have a chance to make the playoffs and that hasn't happened in a while. We're fighting for our lives and need efforts like that in order to make the playoffs."
Some saves Lalime made were bigger than others, such as the pad stop on Marian Gaborik late in the second period with the Hawks ahead 3-2.
Defenseman Jordan Hendry fell down, sending Gaborik and Pavol Demitra the other way on a 2-on-0 break. Gaborik took a pass across from Demitra but had only Lalime's left pad to shoot at.
"I was kind of waiting for (the pass)," Lalime said. "He kind of showed it to me a little bit so I tried to be as patient as I could and wait until the last second."
The Hawks had lost nine straight at the Xcel Energy Center, dating back to their last win here on March 29, 2002.
"Our kids, they want it," Savard said. "They're working together and they're sticking together. I like what we're seeing, no question."