Can healthy Khabibulin help Hawks?
It's all about the goaltenders today when the Blackhawks play at Nashville in a battle of two teams that have likely seen their playoff chances slip away.
But Hawks coach Denis Savard believes miracles do happen, and if the Hawks are to win their last eight games to give themselves a fighting chance to make the playoffs, they will need Nikolai Khabibulin to lead the way.
Khabibulin has posted two straight shutouts, although they came a month apart due to his bout with bask spasms. He was sharp in Wednesday's 5-0 win over Washington, and Savard says Khabibulin is capable of putting a team on his back down the stretch.
"He's done it before," Savard said, referring to 2004 when Khabibulin led Tampa Bay to the Stanley Cup. "He hasn't allowed a goal in seven periods, but I don't want to talk too much about that because it might jinx it, but he has played well.
"It's in him, but we need to play well in front of him, too."
Goaltending has let down the Predators when they needed it the most. Neither Chris Mason nor Dan Ellis has distinguished himself of late, particularly in a six-game home losing streak that ties a franchise record.
Ellis started Thursday's loss to Detroit and was pulled after several poor goals, in the opinion of Predators coach Barry Trotz. It was the 12th time this season Trotz has pulled his goalie.
"That's way too many times, absolutely," Trotz said. "We might lead the league in that."
Trotz made no secret of his disgust with his goaltending following the loss to the Red Wings.
"We're in a playoff hunt and we need good goaltending," Trotz said. "It's so disheartening on the bench when we let bad goals happen."
Pick five: Denis Savard hates to look ahead, but even he has to see the next stretch of five games against Nashville, St. Louis twice and Columbus twice as all being winnable.
"Any game you have, you have to be prepared to play well," Savard said. "Nashville and Columbus aren't out of it either and they're going to battle and fight. We're going to have to be at our best."
The Hawks have won four straight against Nashville.
"It's one shift at a time, one period at a time," Savard said. "I know it's an old saying, but we can't look further ahead. We've got this game coming up (today), let's have a good first period and go from there.
"We don't know what's going to happen to the other teams. They play each other a lot. I would think one loss the rest of the way might get us in, but I don't know that."
More home TV: The March 30 game against Columbus starting at 6 p.m. at the United Center has been added to the Comcast SportsNet schedule.
The game became available to Comcast when NBC decided to pick up the April 6 game in Detroit between the Hawks and Red Wings as its national game of the week.
The March 30 game will be the 12th home game televised this season.
Tip-ins: Patrick Sharp has 6 of his 35 goals in the six games against Nashville … With Cam Barker out with a head injury, Niklas Hjalmarsson returns to the defense. Barker is iffy for Sunday's game against St. Louis as well.
Today's faceoff
Blackhawks vs. Nashville Predators at the Sommet Center, 2 p.m.
TV: Comcast SportsNet
Radio: WSCR 670-AM
The skinny: The Predators have lost six in a row at home to dim their playoff chances while the Hawks are looking to build on Wednesday's 5-0 win over Washington. The Hawks lead the season series 4-2 and have won the last four straight. Patrick Sharp has 6 goals in the season series and Jonathan Toews 4. Nashville center David Legwand is doubtful with a leg bruise.
Player to watch: Nikolai Khabibulin. Hawks' goalie is looking for his third straight shutout.
Next: St. Louis Blues at the United Center, 2 p.m. Sunday
-- Tim Sassone