Healthy and happy, Havlat enjoying his successful run

These are good days for Martin Havlat.

Healthy and happy, Havlat is leading the Blackhawks in scoring and about to get some career security with a fat, new contract, if you believe the strong signals coming from both sides.

Forget comeback player of the year, of which Havlat should receive strong consideration - he apparently has saved a Hawks career that looked to be over with this being the final year of his contract before unrestricted free agency.

Havlat takes a nine-game points scoring streak (4 goals, 11 assists) into today's game in Boston preferring not to concern himself with his contract or what has happened in the past.

"It's great that they're talking," Havlat said. "It's started on a positive note, I think, the talks. But I'm trying not to think about it at all. There are still 20 games to go in the season and I'm just here to play hockey. It's between my agent and management right now."

Havlat is displaying a confidence on the ice that was missing for most of his first two years with the Hawks as he battled an assortment of injuries, the most serious being a shoulder problem that limited him to 35 games last season.

The highlight-reel goal Havlat scored in overtime on Tuesday to beat Anaheim, when he shook off Corey Perry, was one he likely wouldn't have pulled off a year ago with a damaged shoulder.

"I missed a lot of games the last few years and it takes a while to get back to doing the stuff you were doing before," Havlat said. "Last year is last year and I don't want to live in the past that much. This year is a new year and I just want to concentrate on the future."

Havlat's dynamic play is taking a lot of offensive pressure off many of his teammates, most notably Patrick Kane, who has scored only 4 goals in his last 29 games going back to late December.

"He makes some special plays for sure," Kane said. "A guy like myself and maybe some younger guys could take some notes from him on how to be successful night in and night out.

"It's fun to see him back healthy. He's a big, big part of our team now, and it will be fun to have him back next year and for years, whatever that may be. He's a great guy in the locker room and a great guy to be around."

As someone who has battled a with bum ankle since late December, Kane can appreciate how Havlat has tried to play through his injuries.

"You hear the word injury-prone and things like that, but it was just one of those unfortunate things with him last year," Kane said. "The way he was playing through it last year, it's good that he's back healthy now. I can appreciate what he does."

Hawks coach Joel Quenneville laughs off questions of Havlat being such a dominant player of late.

"I think maybe the last 40 or 50 games he's been real good and real consistent in his game," Quenneville said. "Marty has the puck a lot and he sees plays that a lot of guys don't see."

• Quenneville said Cristobal Huet would start today in Boston with Antti Niemi likely getting the call on Sunday afternoon against Colorado at the United Center.

At dailyherald.com: For more on the Blackhawks, check out Tim Sassone's blog, Between the Circles.