Hawks' stars hit snag in shootouts

It's only a matter of time before the Blackhawks are involved in another shootout, which isn't necessarily good news.

The Hawks are 1-4 in shootouts, with some of their best players struggling to contribute when the extra point is on the line.

Goalie Nikolai Khabibulin is 0-3 and has allowed 6 goals on 11 shots.

"I guess I'm going to have to work on the shootout in practice a little bit more," Khabibulin said. "I haven't won a game in a shootout yet."

Despite being two of the Hawks' best offensive players, Martin Havlat is 0-for-3 and Patrick Sharp 0-2. Neither got the call in Wednesday's shootout loss to Boston, when coach Joel Quenneville tapped Dave Bolland to go third after Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews.

Kane is 1-for-4 in shootouts and Toews 3-for-4.

Not only is Sharp 0-for-2, he missed on a penalty shot against the Bruins in overtime that could have won the game.

"I have to get better at that because it's valuable points for our team," Sharp said. "I think there's definitely ways to work on it. It's all about feeling comfortable coming down the ice, for me anyway. I think the more you do it, like at the end of practice on bad ice, it's good."

So far, so good: So what are general manager Dale Tallon's impressions of his team 15 games into the season?

"We know that we're very fast and we're skilled and we make plays and we're creative and we're a fun team to watch," Tallon said. "We're getting better defensively and we're getting great goaltending.

"Our young defensemen have developed and matured, getting to that 300-game threshold where they're more familiar with what their position entails. You can see (Brent) Seabrook and (Duncan) Keith getting more confident with every game."

Savvy backer: Joel Quenneville couldn't be happier to have Denis Savard, the man he replaced as head coach, back in the organization as an ambassador and part-time scout.

"He's a great guy, Savvy," Quenneville said. "Everybody likes him, and I think the world of Savvy. The fact that he's going to be here and part of it makes it a special situation."

Very interesting: Washington Capitals center Michael Nylander was a healthy scratch for Friday night's game against New Jersey.

Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said Nylander was being rested and wasn't sitting because he has just 1 assist in the last seven games.

Nylander has been linked in trade rumors involving the Hawks, although the veteran center has a no-trade clause in his contract that runs through 2011.