Barker's bombs a key on power play

Defenseman Cam Barker has become a valuable player for the Blackhawks.

Barker's work from the right point has become a key to the power play, particularly his knack for getting pucks to the net.

While teammates Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith struggle to keep their point shots from getting blocked, Barker's blasts always seem to find their way to the net where there usually is traffic.

Barker took 2 goals and 2 assists into Thursday's game at Nashville. Both were power-play goals, including the game-winner Wednesday against Edmonton through a Patrick Sharp screen.

Hawks coach Joel Quenneville agreed that Barker's ability to get pucks to the net is a definite skill.

"I think he has a bomb on the point," Quenneville said. "He had a hard shot and he has a harder shot this year. Not too many guys can beat a goalie from that far out, but when you get traffic they have no chance to see it because it's coming."

Barker reads plays well and can find the seams in the defense to the net.

"It's all about finding that lane and that seam," Barker said. "Every team is different, but you need guys in front to screen the goalie. It's exactly what we work on in practice, getting a guy square in front of the goalie. If he doesn't see it he's not going to stop it."

Hard to believe: The Hawks haven't scored on a penalty shot at home since Dec. 30, 1987, when Troy Murray beat Kari Takko of the Minnesota North Stars in Chicago Stadium.

Patrick Sharp's miss on Wednesday against Edmonton was the 17th straight failure on home ice over 22 years.

The Hawks haven't been much better with penalty shots on the road. When Dustin Byfuglien scored last April against Detroit's Ty Conklin, it snapped a streak of three straight misses dating back to 2002.

Buckle up: While Jack Skille would prefer just to stay with the Hawks, he doesn't mind the constant shuffling back and forth to Rockford when he is sent to the minors for salary cap reasons.

"Obviously, it puts some mileage on my truck, but maybe it's a tax write-off or something," Skille joked.

So does Skille ask the Hawks for mileage reimbursement? He said he hasn't.

Big numbers: The telecast of Wednesday's win over Edmonton by Comcast SportsNet drew the highest ratings ever for a regular-season Hawks game.

According to Comcast, the game was watched in 94,300 households, which accounted for a 2.70 household rating. At its peak the game was being viewed in 115,260 households.

Comcast SportsNet was the highest-rated TV network in the Chicago market Wednesday night with viewing men ages 18-49 and 25-54 for the entire length of the game.