Blackhawks top Predators 4-2; Khabibulin wins 7th of 8 starts

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Steve Sullivan and the Nashville Predators know what a disheartening loss to the Blackhawks on Tuesday night means for their slim playoff hopes.

"I think our mind-set coming into this week was that we have to run the table," Sullivan said after a 4-2 loss. "And we didn't. We didn't think 2 out of 3 wins was going to be enough. Now we have to hope that it is."

Patrick Kane and Martin Havlat each had a goal and an assist in the Blackhawks' fourth straight win.

"I still think we have the motivation of knowing that we haven't accomplished our goals yet and I think that's pushing us," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "It was a huge 2 points for us.

"It really helped us position ourselves where we can control our destiny in that area. We'll see how it plays out from there."

The Predators jumped out to a 1-0 lead on power play goal by Vernon Fiddler, but the Hawks answered with 3 second-period goals, 2 of them in the first 50 seconds by Jonathan Toews and Dustin Byfuglien.

Toews needed only 12 seconds to beat Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne with a wrist shot on a 2-on-1 break. Byfuglien scored 38 seconds later on a rebound.

Kane got the Hawks' third goal of the second period, capitalizing on a turnover by Nashville's Dan Hamhuis. Kane skated through the inside edge of the left circle and backhanded a shot that went between Rinne's stick and the left post. Havlat clinched it when he hit the empty net with 55 seconds remaining.