Keith sure he wouldn't be suspended

Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith's reputation as a clean player served him well when the NHL decided not to suspend him for the match penalty he received late in Saturday's win at St. Louis.

Colin Campbell, the league's chief of discipline, reviewed Keith's hit on Andy McDonald and agreed with the Hawks that it was more a case of self-defense.

Hawks general manager Dale Tallon said he spoke with Campbell immediately after the game and was told there would be no suspension.

Keith felt he would be vindicated when the play was reviewed.

"I knew I didn't hit him with my stick, so I felt it shouldn't be a suspension," Keith said. "I wasn't really worried. I felt they would review it and I thought I'd be all right."

Keith said he saw an irate McDonald flying at him at the last second and reacted, getting his glove high and popping the Blues' center in the face.

"I figured he wasn't coming to congratulate me on anything, so I just tried to defend myself," Keith said.

Hawks coach Denis Savard was relieved to have his best defenseman in the lineup Sunday night against the Blue Jackets. Keith played more than 31 minutes in the Hawks' 5-4 shootout win.

Keith has no history of discipline problems, and the league took that into consideration.

"That's No. 1," Savard said. "He plays hard, he plays with lots of grit and competes."

Record-breaker: Patrick Kane's 48th assist of the season on Jonathan Toews' first-period goal broke the Hawks' record for a rookie that had been shared by Denis Savard and Steve Larmer.

Savard had 47 assists in 1980-81 and Larmer 47 in 1982-83. Larmer captured the Calder Trophy that season as NHL rookie of the year.

No looking back: Denis Savard said Saturday's third-period collapse at St. Louis was addressed after the game and put in the past. The Hawks nearly blew a 4-0 lead before hanging on to win 4-3 at Scottrade Center.

"We got sloppy in the third," Savard said. "We were bringing pucks back in our end, not getting pucks out when it was time and not getting pucks in deep. First thing I addressed after the game was great win, but we can't keep playing like this."

Tip-ins: Dave Bolland couldn't play because of a sore right ankle and is listed as day to day. Yanic Perreault took his place in the lineup. ... Jason Williams tweaked his right leg in a third-period collision with Nikolai Zherdev and will be examined today. Williams played one shift after that but was able to take a turn in the shootout.