For Blackhawks, it's playoff time
Blackhawks general manager Dale Tallon stood in the back of the press box at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Friday night and took a look at the rest of the season.
This was before the Hawks posted back-to-back 2-1 shootout victories over Colorado and Phoenix.
"We don't consider ourselves out of this," Tallon said, meaning the playoff race in the Western Conference.
An eight-game losing streak had the situation looking bleak for the Hawks, but all of a sudden they have won four in a row behind goalie Patrick Lalime. The Hawks hope to make it five straight tonight against the San Jose Sharks at HP Pavilion.
With two games left before the all-star break, the Hawks are two games over .500 and came out of the weekend 5 points out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.
"Hopefully we can be in the hunt when we come back from the break, get some people back and make a run for it," Tallon said. "We have a favorable schedule in March."
That favorable schedule includes 11 of 17 games at the United Center from March into early April, but first the Hawks must get there in good shape. They play eight of the next nine on the road, a stretch that includes a seven-game road trip that begins right out of the box following the break.
The players and coach Denis Savard say their playoffs already have started, and they've been getting playoff-like goaltending from Lalime.
"We're playing with a lot of confidence," defenseman Brent Seabrook said.
"We're starting to believe and hopefully we'll continue down this road," Savard said. "This is a good team. We've got lots of depth and we've used it well.
"We've got to have a playoff attitude for the rest of the year now. Every game is important and every inch you gain is going to be tough."
The Hawks have allowed only 5 goals during their four-game winning streak with 3 of the victories coming in shootouts.
"We've got to play a simple game, especially on the road -- not boring but kind of playoff hockey where you have to get the points no matter how," Robert Lang said. "It's nice to put a little streak together and get that good feeling and the mood in the locker room.
"You're never going to win all the games. It's just nice to get as many as you can and go from there."
The Hawks have 34 games to play, and there will be only 32 on the schedule once they come back from the all-star break. The trade deadline is five weeks from today -- still a long way off for teams trying to decide if they will be sellers or buyers at that time.
The Hawks hope to be buyers. Tallon still is searching for a defenseman to play the point on the power play and thought he came close to landing one last week before making the deal with Carolina for winger Craig Adams.
Tallon isn't sure how much activity there will be in the weeks approaching the Feb. 26 trade deadline.
"It's hard to say because you're either buying or selling and not very many teams are out of it," Tallon said. "It will be interesting to see what unfolds here in the next month."
Tonight's faceoff
Blackhawks vs. San Jose Sharls at HP Pavilion, 9:30 p.m.
TV: Comcast SportsNet
Radio: WSCR 670-AM
The skinny: The Sharks have quietly put together a 25-15-7 record but are coming off a 6-3 loss to Detroit on Saturday. Center Curtis Brown hurt his hand in that game and went on the injury list. The Hawks have won four games in a row and are 2-0 on the road trip that ends tonight. Patrick Lalime has started all 4 wins in goal, 3 of them coming in shootouts. The Sharks lead the season series 1-0, having beaten the Hawks 2-1 on Oct. 10 in Chicago on the strength of 2 power-play goals.
Player to watch: Joe Thornton. The Sharks' all-star center is always a load for the Hawks' defense to handle.
Next: Columbus Blue Jackets at the United Center, 7:30 p.m. Thursday
-- Tim Sassone