A picture-perfect finale: Khabibulin blanks Red Wings

Sure, if you're looking big picture, Sunday's 3-0 victory over Detroit at the United Center really doesn't mean a hill of beans to the Blackhawks in terms of the playoffs.

But if you look a little deeper, focus a little closer, you'll see that a lot of the arrows are pointing up for this team after it wrapped up the regular season with a weekend sweep of the Red Wings.

Is there a better sign for a team heading into the postseason than to have a goalie who's nearly unbeatable between the pipes?

That's what the Hawks have right now in Nikolai Khabibulin, who was incredible again Sunday, turning away 37 shots to improve his record to 8-1-2 in his last 11 games.

"Khabby was spectacular," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "That's as good as you're going to get against a dangerous opponent. He rose to the occasion today."

Another sold-out crowd at the UC serenaded the 36-year-old throughout the game but saved its best for when the final horn sounded.

"It gives you the chills," Khabibulin said of the reception following his third shutout of the season. "It feels great. Hopefully I'll hear more of that this spring (in the playoffs)."

How about having your young captain heading to the postseason full of confidence thanks to playing his best stretch of hockey yet?

Courtesy of his first period goal Sunday - his team-leading 34th - Jonathan Toews now heads into the playoffs on quite a roll having scored 25 goals in his last 45 games and accruing 29 points in his last 29 games.

"Confidence is a huge thing," Toews said. "It was a good team effort. I don't think we've taken a step back. We've kept playing the way we wanted to."

And then there's the play of Martin Havlat. The Hawks' most skilled forward proved just how valuable he is if he can stay healthy. Havlat did just that this season and wound up leading the Hawks with 77 points.

"My goal this season was to stay healthy," he said. "I never set any individual goals as far as goals and points. I knew if I could stay healthy the whole season everything would work out fine and that's exactly how it happened."

The two biggest worries coming out of Sunday's game were why defenseman Duncan Keith wasn't in the lineup (he was getting a well-deserved break), and if injured forward Patrick Sharp will be back in time for the playoffs.

Quenneville didn't guarantee he would, but indicated Sharp's arrow is pointing up as well.

"We think," said Quenneville, "he should be ready to go."