Win streak snapped as Hawks fall to Islanders 3-2

Joel Quenneville has consistently used the term "excellent" when talking about the play of the Blackhawks goaltenders this season.

It had to be again Saturday night on Long Island because if it wasn't, this one could have been a laugher in favor of the host Islanders.

As it turned out, though, goals from Kyle Okposo and Lubomir Visnovsky less than a minute apart in the third period spoiled some sterling play in net from Scott Darling and some late-game heroics by Patrick Kane as New York edged the Hawks 3-2 to snap the Hawk's eight-game winning streak.

"You have to commend him on giving us a chance," coach Joel Quenneville said of Darling's play.

The Hawks had a handful of great opportunities in the first period, but it ended up scoreless thanks to the play of Isles goalie Jaroslav Halak.

The second period was all Islanders as they outshot the Hawks 10-1 at one point and 17-7 for the period, but somehow the frame ended 1-1.

Daniel Carcillo put the Hawks up 1-0 when his shot hit Halak, bounded straight up, and then trickled in behind him.

Before you could say "what the heck was that?" Cal Clutterbuck took advantage of some Duncan Keith largesse and easily beat Darling just 6 seconds after Carcillo's goal.

Kane scored his 10th third period goal of the season on a beautiful top-shelf backhand to make it 2-1, and it looked like the Hawks would come home winners of nine straight, but it wasn't to be.

Jonathan Toews, who left the Boston game on Thursday, returned to the lineup Saturday.