Sharp proving he can score from any position on line

It's all going so well for the Blackhawks right now that the last thing anyone needs to be worrying about are line combinations.

Yet it's difficult to ignore that there's magic whenever Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp play together like they did briefly in Saturday's 3-1 victory at Vancouver.

They were together in the second period when Sharp scored what proved to be the game-winning goal.

Sharp has shown he can score anywhere, but it's no secret he'd prefer to be taking regular shifts at left wing with Toews and Kane instead of playing center.

But with the Hawks short down the middle, that's where Sharp has been needed. Coach Joel Quenneville said he put Sharp out with Toews and Kane against the Canucks after penalty-killing situations.

"That was just after a kill, and sometimes that happens," Quenneville said. "I think we're not complaining about anything as far as the lines and the versatility of our options."

Getting greedy: The Hawks could have been content with wins at Edmonton and Calgary, but they made it a special trip through Western Canada by beating the Canucks for the three-game sweep.

"We've got five days off now, and the guys left it out there," coach Joel Quenneville said. "We had the same approach and consistency in our game and energy."

Brian Campbell remembered looking at the schedule leading up to Christmas and thinking .500 or a little better would have been a good thing. Now all of a sudden the Hawks have won seven games in a row.

"I know I said six games ago looking to the Christmas break, if we could get 8 or 9 points, that would be a good little stretch because four of the six games were on the road," Campbell said.

"But you get 10 points and you want 12. You want to be greedy. I think those are the expectations we're trying to go after."

Style points: Not only did Patrick Kane score a goal in each of the three games on the road trip, the shots he used were jaw-droppers.

Kane's snap shot over the shoulder of goalie Miikka Kiprusoff at Calgary on Friday was nothing compared to his goal at Vancouver when he roofed a backhander past goaltender Curtis Sanford to the short side.

"What a shot," Joel Quenneville said. "It was impossible to go in, from what it looked like to me, and it still found a way to get in.

"He's got such great vision and shot selection. He scored 3 goals on the trip, all in the upper part of the net on spectacular shots."

Tip-ins: The Hawks will practice this morning at the United Center before their family Christmas party, then scatter for three days. They aren't required back until Friday's morning skate before the game with Philadelphia. - Sunday's late afternoon practice was canceled due to a late arrival overnight from Vancouver.