Hawks' focus to continue improvement

No matter what happens this week, whether the Blackhawks make the playoffs or not, general manager Dale Tallon will consider the season to be a success.

With three games to play, the Hawks still are mathematically alive in the Western Conference playoff chase, 4 points out of the eighth spot, and they have surpassed their totals from last season for wins and points.

"It's been a good year with all that's gone on, to have a winning season and still be in the playoff race going into the final week," Tallon said. "To have our young players playing meaningful games at this point in the season is a big part of the progression.

"We have a group of guys that have battled through everything. We knew we had some quality kids, but they've shown us a lot."

Gaining a playoff spot would only put the Hawks ahead of the learning curve, but if it doesn't work out, Tallon will begin planning for next season, when the expectations will be higher than they've been in a lot of years.

"The goal is to get better every year," Tallon said. "We're going to have an opportunity now to get even closer to where we want to be with the draft and some free agents."

Tallon expects to get the OK from chairman Rocky Wirtz to spend what he needs in free agency starting July 1. As of right now, Tallon guesses he'll be in the market for two top-end free agents.

"We need a top-notch defenseman and a top-notch forward," Tallon said. "I could see (adding) two free agents and two kids. But whatever we do won't be just for next year. Any additions will be for the long term, too."

Tallon has been looking for a defenseman to quarterback the power play all season, and his search will continue once the year ends.

"We'd like to get someone to settle things down back there," Tallon said, meaning at one of the points.

But first things first, and there still are games to play before the off-season talk intensifies. Next for the Hawks is Wednesday's clash with the Detroit Red Wings at the United Center.

The Hawks need to win their last three games to even have a chance of catching and passing Vancouver, Nashville and Edmonton.

"Our guys never gave up," Hawks coach Denis Savard said. "We've said all along to come back and make it, we're going to need some help and come from out of it. That's what we're doing, and hopefully we can get it done."

The Hawks wouldn't even be talking about these last three games as being important if not for Sunday's dramatic 5-4 shootout win over Columbus when they rallied from behind twice down the stretch.

"I think we all looked at each other on the bench and we weren't looking at each other waiting for someone else to do something," Jonathan Toews said. "Everyone was going out there trying to make a difference and that's what you need in games like these."

• The power play picked a perfect time to come alive, scoring three times in Sunday's win.

"We just shot pucks more, that's all, and that's been our message all along," Savard said.

The Hawks even connected during a 5-on-3, which has been a big problem the second half of the season.

"We just have to bear down around that net and eventually things are going to go in," Toews said. "It's frustrating because people that are watching think we're not trying or we're not bearing down, but we're trying and we're working at it so it's nice to get some results."

• Yanic Perreault hasn't played the kind of key role the Hawks expected him to last summer when they signed him as a free agent.

Perreault appeared in just his 50th game Sunday, and only because Dave Bolland's ankle acted up. But Perreault scored a huge goal in the third period to tie the game at 4-4 and set the stage for the win in a shootout.

"Yanic has been a real pro all year long," Savard said. "He's never really complained. I'm glad he got it done and helped us out to get a win."