Toews rescues Blackhawks again

Countless more times than not, Jonathan Toews is there whenever the Blackhawks need him.

The Hawks needed Toews badly down 2 goals entering the third period at the Honda Center on Friday afternoon, and the captain responded in the biggest of ways.

Toews scored twice and set up 2 goals by Patrick Sharp in the third period to help rally the Hawks past the Anaheim Ducks 6-5 in a win that wasn't as pretty as it was important.

The victory snapped the Hawks' concerning three-game losing streak and left them within another victory Saturday night at Los Angeles of a .500 circus road trip.

“The guys are excited,” Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. “We have a chance to get to .500 and coming off two very disappointing games (at Calgary and Edmonton), the last two games we're back on track.”

The Hawks struck for 3 goals in the first 3:33 of the third period to wipe out a 4-2 deficit.

After Toews had a Duncan Keith shot go in off his skate at 1:04, he set up Sharp's second and third goals of the day 2:01 apart for a 5-4 lead.

Toews scored on a power play moments later.

“You're not keeping count when you're out there on the ice,” Toews said. “You just know you're down 1 goal and you have to go get another one.”

The Ducks scored in the waning seconds of the third period after pulling goalie Dan Ellis, who replaced starter Jonas Hiller.

The loss was the sixth in a row for staggering Anaheim, which has won just twice in its last 17 games after starting 4-1.

“We stopped playing the body; we stopped playing hard and let them back in the game,” Hiller said. “I'm speechless.”

Sharp's hat trick was the second of his career and first since November 2007.

“It was one of those games when the puck seemed to be coming to me in scoring areas,” Sharp said.

Toews finished with a career-best 5 points, the first Hawk to get 5 in a game since Jeff Hamilton in March 2007.

“It's a big win for us because of how things have been going lately,” Toews said. “Over the last couple of games we've come up short, but we've worked hard.

“Today we were all over the place getting chances, and we knew the breaks would come. I feel like we are over the hump, but we've got to carry that into (Saturday's) game.”

Three times the Hawks fought back from 2-goal deficits. It looked bleak early when the Ducks got goals from Bobby Ryan and Andrew Cogliano 2:13 into the opening period.

The Hawks trailed 3-1 late in the first period when Dave Bolland scored on a power play, but Ryan's second goal at 8:41 of the second period had them chasing 2 goals again.

“We were down early on, but we felt really good about the way we were playing and we were playing that team-first game,” Sharp said.

“Our offense hasn't been scoring goals like we did today in the third period, but the philosophy of the team game is there — and that is the biggest thing. We stuck with it and we were able to get a win.”

The third period was all Hawks. Toews' critical power- play goal that made it 6-4 came after 2 bad Anaheim penalties by Corey Perry and Saku Koivu.

“In the third period, it was like we froze and didn't want the puck,” Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. “That leads to more defensive-zone play and more penalties — totally undisciplined penalties at critical times, like Saku Koivu in the offensive zone.

“Right now we're finding ways to lose hockey games when we're in a prime position to win them. It's very frustrating and very confusing for everybody involved.”

The Hawks got better defensively as the game wore on. Brent Seabrook returned after missing four games with a leg injury and was a welcome sight.

Seabrook was plus-2 in more than 21 minutes with 3 hits.

The Hawks also got a strong game from center Marcus Kruger, who assisted on Bolland's power-play goal, was around the net much of the day and won 8 of 8 faceoffs.

tsassone@dailyherald.com