Toews lifts Blackhawks in shootout with Thrashers

The Blackhawks won't remember their 40th win of the season as a work of art.

In fact, coach Joel Quenneville thought his team was fortunate to slip past the Atlanta Thrashers 5-4 in a shootout Saturday night at the United Center.

The Hawks looked like they might blow the Thrashers out of the building in the first period when they took a 3-1 lead, but a miserable second period resulted in 3 Atlanta goals.

The Hawks dominated the third period and got the game to overtime on Dave Bolland's goal.

"It was one of those games where you had to fall asleep thinking it was going to be easy and you were going to have a lot of offense without having to check and play in our own end," Quenneville said. "That game got turned around there, and we were fortunate to come up with 2 points."

Jonathan Toews scored the only goal in the shootout, while Hawks goalie Antti Niemi stopped all 3 Atlanta attempts. Niemi is 8-for-8 in saves in 2 shootout wins in the last week. Toews is 7-for-11 in shootouts for the season.

"In games like that when we have great starts we always seem to ease off the gas a little bit in the second period and help them keep it a game," Toews said. "It's one of those things we need to do better.

"If we get some easier goals in the first period maybe we're thinking that the game is already over and they're going to pack it in, but it's never the case."

The Hawks finished the game without Marian Hossa, who was drilled by Colby Armstrong at 3:13 of the third period.

Hossa had his head down when he was clocked by Armstrong. It appeared to be a shoulder to Hossa's chin, leaving the Hawks star laid out on the ice for several minutes before he retired to the dressing room.

Kris Versteeg stepped into Armstrong with both players getting penalties for roughing, but there were no punches thrown.

Quenneville wasn't ready to call the hit clean or dirty. Hossa is questionable for Sunday's game at Columbus.

"I haven't seen the replay of the hit," Quenneville said. "Let me look at it a little better and I'll get you the replay version. Originally I can't complain, but I want to look at it a little better."

It's the second time this season one of the Hawks' best players has been hit around his head. Toews missed six games with a concussion after getting blindsided by Vancouver's Willie Mitchell in October.

The Hawks got first-period goals from Patrick Sharp, Kim Johnsson and Hossa short-handed. Johnsson played a strong 19 minutes in his first game since being acquired from Minnesota on Friday.

His goal came from between the circles through a Toews screen on a sweet give-and-go with Patrick Kane.

"It's easy to play with great players," said Johnsson, who had only 14 points in 52 games with the Wild. "That's been my game for a long time and I'm happy to be back playing it."

Quenneville was impressed with his new defenseman.

"It was a nice beginning for him," he said.

<p class="factboxtext12col"><b>Tim Sassone's game tracker</b></p>

<p class="factboxtext12col">Blackhawks 5, Thrashers 4 (SO)</p>

<p class="factboxtext12col">Three stars:</p>

<p class="factboxtext12col">1. Patrick Sharp, Hawks: A goal and 2 assists and was plus-2.</p>

<p class="factboxtext12col">2. Jonathan Toews, Hawks: Scored the winning goal in the shootout and was plus-2, playing a whopping 25 minutes.</p>

<p class="factboxtext12col">3. Patrick Kane, Hawks: Two assists and was dangerous with the puck all night.</p>

<p class="factboxtext12col">By the numbers: With San Jose losing to Buffalo, the Hawks moved within 4 points of the first-place Sharks in the Western Conference standings.</p>

<p class="factboxtext12col">Waiting to exhale: With Marian Hossa leaving the game after Colby Armstrong's third-period check, Slovakia Olympic officials likely are holding their breaths that he can play in Vancouver. </p>