Stalberg's SO goal lifts Hawks to 4-3 win

COLUMBUS, Ohio – These aren't style points the Blackhawks are trying to collect.

So when the dust settles in what has been a terrific playoff chase in the Western Conference, nobody is going to remember the ugly 2 points the Hawks took out of Nationwide Arena on Friday night.

The Hawks were sloppy defensively and undisciplined, but they got a gift goal from Bryan Bickell with 5:03 left in regulation to tie the game and then beat the Blue Jackets 4-3 on Viktor Stalberg's goal in a shootout.

“We'll take anything we can get right now,” Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. “You're down late in the game so it turns out to be a huge win for us.”

It was huge in that while the Hawks remained eighth in the West, they stayed 3 points ahead of Calgary and moved 5 in front of Dallas. They still are within striking distance of fourth place with five games to play.

“We were a little sloppy all game, but we got the win, which is what we needed,” defenseman Brian Campbell said.

Bickell's tying goal came on a wrist shot from well past the top of the left circle that appeared to fool goalie Mathieu Garon and was in quick response to Samuel Pahlsson's goal less than two minutes earlier that put Columbus ahead 3-2.

“I was just trying to get a rebound there, a little pad, and it just snuck by him,” Bickell said. “Good things happen when you put it on the net. It put a big grin on my face.”

Hawks goalie Corey Crawford made 31 saves and 3 more in the shootout. Stalberg was the Hawks' third shooter after Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane missed and put the game-winner through Garon.

Stalberg was Quenneville's surprise third pick ahead of Marian Hossa, but the goal made him 2-for-2 in shootouts. His first shootout goal also won a game in Atlanta early in the season.

“We've been waiting to do that for some time here knowing he's been very good in the morning skates and practices,” Quenneville said. “You've got to give him credit. He's scored a couple big ones for us.”

Stalberg got a heads up from Quenneville a few weeks ago in practice that he would be part of the next shootout.

“I like the opportunity,” Stalberg said. “We haven't had any shootout games since he asked me, but it's a big extra point for us in the standings.

“We came out really flying tonight and get 2-0 and kind of take out foot off the gas a bit.”

Goals by Kane and Brent Seabrook less than six minutes into the game looked to have the Hawks on their way.

They took a 2-1 lead into the second period, which was pretty much a disaster thanks to 6 penalties, 1 of them a double minor to Kane for high sticking.

The Blue Jackets made it 2-2 at 14:07 of the second period on Derick Brassard's goal during a 5-on-3 power play with Hossa off for boarding and Niklas Hjalmarsson for delay of game.

“We had to kill at least half the period,” Campbell said. “They were stupid penalties and we talked about it after the second period.”