Big sigh of relief for Blackhawks

The big thing for the Blackhawks on Tuesday night was the win over Columbus and the 2 points, or was it?

Two days after losing Patrick Sharp for a month with a broken wrist, the Hawks avoided what could have been a disastrous situation in the first period when Jonathan Toews took a wicked deflected Duncan Keith slap shot off his head.

Fortunately for the Hawks, the puck struck Toews on the helmet. Even more fortunate was the puck not getting him a few inches lower on his cheek or jaw.

Can you say months out of the lineup?

Toews missed only a few shifts while getting stitches in two places on his forehead before returning to get an assist and win 11 of 15 faceoffs in the Hawks' 5-2 victory.

Viktor Stalberg got his first career hat trick, while Dave Bolland and Ben Smith added goals as the Hawks snapped a four-game losing streak.

Toews admitted he was lucky, but that was after jokingly complaining how the puck didn't go in the net. It hit the post after striking the Hawks' captain.

“It hits me in the face and it still doesn't go in,” Toews said. “I'm not getting any bounces.”

Toews now is sporting stitches about his left eye and above his lip from a hit last week against Edmonton.

“He looks like old-time hockey now,” coach Joel Quenneville said.

“I like the look,” Toews said.

Stalberg had the look like he has on a few other occasions this season when the puck was following him around and winding up in the net.

His first goal at 15:29 of the second period snapped a 1-1 tie, and his second early in the third gave the Hawks some breathing room. Stalberg finished the Hawks' second hat trick this season by scoring into an empty net with 1:40 to play.

“The biggest thing is obviously getting back on track and getting 2 points, but it was fun to get that,” Stalberg said. “I had a couple chances before to get it, and it hasn't happened. It's a great feeling.”

It was a big night for the penalty-killers, who killed off six minutes of Columbus power plays in a scoreless first period and all five they faced. Add in Bolland's third short-handed goal of the season that opened the scoring.

“When you kill six minutes of power play it gives you extra energy and momentum,” Marian Hossa said. “I think we built on that and were a better team after that. We needed this win badly.”

Getting goals from Stalberg, Bolland and Smith as so-called secondary scorers was exactly what the Hawks needed with Sharp sidelined.

Stalberg and Smith scored 27 seconds apart early in the third to boost the lead to 4-1, making the goal the Blue Jackets' Antoine Vermette's scored later less meaningful.

“Benny's goal turned out to be a big goal, the timing of it,” Quenneville said. “I like our kids. (Jimmy) Hayes I thought was good, and (Andrew) Shaw was good as well. We're finding out about them and they're handling it well.”

Quenneville didn't like the 2 goals allowed, both on plays around the net that Nick Leddy and Keith couldn't prevent.

“Physicality or clear the puck, one of the two,” Quenneville said. “I think we've got to be better.”

Leddy was minus-2 and now is minus-9 in the last four games.

tsassone@dailyherald.com