Blackhawks’ win over Wings had ‘playoff atmosphere’

Everyone can catch their breath for a week until the Blackhawks and Red Wings play again next Sunday at the United Center.

The Hawks’ nailbiting 3-2 win over Detroit on Friday was about as good as it gets in terms of entertaining hockey and the performance turned in by coach Joel Quenneville’s club.

It certainly ranked right up there with the Hawks’ best games of the season.

“It was one of our best games when we needed it the most,” defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson said.

“I liked how we competed and how we played,” Quenneville said. “I thought we had pace, we had strength, we had support. Across the board, I was very happy with how we played.

“It was a great hockey game. It definitely had the playoff atmosphere right from the anthem on.”

The Hawks had three straight power plays after Brent Seabrook scored the go-ahead goal at 1:52 of the third period, but they couldn’t get the insurance score.

Fortunately for the Hawks it didn’t come back to bite them even if some fans might have been waiting for one those late scores by the Red Wings that we’ve seen so many times over the years.

“We were still all right even though we could have lost some momentum on our power play,” Quenneville said. “At the same time you want to generate a little more than we did and get that insurance goal, but I still thought we were pretty clean in our own end.”

Jonathan Toews said the Hawks used the boisterous crowd, a season high of 22,166, to twice come back from 1-goal deficits.

“We were confident all night that we were going to use that crowd and that energy to find a way to win, and we did,” Toews said.

Good impression:

Rookie winger Jimmy Hayes had an impressive NHL debut in limited minutes against Detroit.

The 6-foot-6 Hayes had 4 hits (all in the first period) in eight minutes with 2 shots on goal and a block playing on the fourth line with Jamal Mayers and Andrew Brunette.

“Jimmy Hayes, I liked him,” Joel Quenneville said. “I thought he had a great first shift and from that he still had that presence. He had some good physicality in his play and some strength in the puck area. I thought he asserted himself well and was dangerous around the net. He didn’t play a ton, but it was a great first game for him.”

On a roll:

Marian Hossa continues to play one special game after another.

Hossa’s goal against Detroit gave him 8 goals and 17 points in the last 12 games. He’s plus-13 in that stretch.

Hossa doesn’t take any special satisfaction scoring against the Red Wings, his former team.

“I’ve got lots of friends on the other team, and you’re always going to remember that year, to be there, but when I play against former teams I don’t think about it different,” Hossa said. “I try to play the same way.”

Turn the page:

The Hawks closed December with a 10-2-1 record for a .807 winning percentage.

The potential is there for another monster month in January with nine of 13 games at the United Center, starting Monday against Edmonton.