Coach Q: After rough start, Hawks get a 'good point'

In between a poor start and a disappointing finish, the Blackhawks played well enough to at least earn 1 point in the standings Monday night.

And considering they once trailed the Phoenix Coyotes 3-0 early in the second period, getting something out of the 4-3 loss in a shootout lightened coach Joel Quenneville's mood a bit.

“Disappointed with our start, but a good comeback, good point,” Quenneville said. “Good second period, and I thought we had a good third. Tough start to the game, though. You don't want to give them the lead. We were fortunate to get ourselves back into it.”

It looked as if it was going to be a repeat of last week's ugly home-ice loss when Phoenix broke on top by 3, chasing starting goalie Corey Crawford.

But it was Jonathan Toews bringing the Hawks back in spectacular style.

Toews scored at 2:40 of the second period and again on a power play at 9:27 when he beautifully redirected a shot by Duncan Keith past goalie Mike Smith.

Toews then set up Patrick Kane's tying goal at 13:57 of the second with a pass in front from the left corner. Kane showed great hands collecting the pass and quickly getting it up and over Smith while flying to the net.

With Kane dangling all over the ice with the puck in the third period, the Hawks pressed for the go-ahead goal, but it never came.

“I thought Kaner had an outstanding game, lot of puck possession,” Quenneville said. “(Toews) has been hot lately, and I thought Kaner complemented him in a lot of ways tonight.”

Toews' 2 goals gave him 17 to lead the NHL. He has 7 goals and 6 assists in the last six games.

“The guy is an awesome player,” Coyotes defenseman Keith Yandle said. “He's a guy who every time he touches the puck it looks like he's going to make something happen.”

The Hawks were booed off the ice after the first period down 2-0. Yandle's goal at 1:09 of the second made it 3-0 and had Quenneville going to the bullpen for backup Ray Emery.

“Terrible start to the game, going down 3-0,” Kane said. “It was a good comeback, but you can't really have that start.

“We didn't want to give up; we wanted to prove we could come back. The crowd was booing at the end of the first, and we wanted to get them back into it and get them excited.”

Quenneville said he pulled Crawford to change the game's momentum.

“(The third one) was a good shot,” Quenneville said. “The first goal was a 2-on-1, clean pass, not his fault. Ray gave us a spot to get a point, which was good.”

Emery was beaten twice in the shootout by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Radim Vrbata while Toews and Marian Hossa failed to score against Smith.

Hossa had a great chance for a go-ahead goal short-handed in the third period, but he couldn't beat a down and out Smith.

“We played the way we had to and found a way to get back after a slow start,” Toews said. “Some games lately where we go down 2 or 3 goals in the first or second period, it seems like it's become a funk we can't get out of, and it seems like as a team we did that tonight.

“For the second half of the game we dictated most of the play.”