Strong return erases any worries for Sharp

Blackhawks winger Patrick Sharp was no different from most athletes returning from a serious injury when he took the ice Sunday at the United Center.

There were more than a few days of worry about how long it would take for him to do the things that make him one of the Hawks' most dangerous players.

"I worried big time," Sharp said.

Those worries were eased less than 10 minutes into the first period when Sharp flashed his old speed to lead a 2-on-1, then snapped a shot under the crossbar and past Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick.

"I was thinking about it for the last two days, trying to keep things simple and going over all the systems that we do, like the breakouts, just trying to keep my mind fresh," said Sharp, who had 2 goals and an assist in his comeback game.

"You never really know until you get out there. I got lucky with all the power plays in the first period that I got my legs into it right away."

Sharp missed 16 games with a sprained left knee. and the Hawks missed him dearly on and off the ice, going 6-7-3.

"Getting him back was one of those things we needed, I think maybe," Brent Seabrook said. "He's such a likable guy and a great guy in the room. He brings speed to the team and he's got a great shot and is one of those natural goal scorers."

Not many Hawks could have beaten Quick with the kind of shot Sharp put home.

"I've been shooting on an empty net for a long time working on my shot," Sharp said. "I don't know if that had anything to do with it, but I was excited when it went in and tried to pump people up as much as I could by jumping around."

Hawks coach Joel Quenneville felt getting Sharp back gave his struggling team a huge shot in the arm.

"You add a player like that to our lineup and it changes a lot of things," Quenneville said. "You've got three lines that can all produce and are dangerous.

"I thought he had a lot of jump the last couple of days at practice and he had it again (Sunday), so it's a really nice addition."

Sharp skated most of the 4-1 win over the Kings on a line with Jonathan Toews and Troy Brouwer, although he was on the ice with Toews and Marty Havlat when he set up Havlat's first goal in the second period.

Sharp ended up playing more than 17 minutes, so there was no easing him back into the lineup.

"He had a long time to rehab, and his conditioning and his strength was excellent," Quenneville said. "You're right about guys getting inserted into the lineup from the layoff; it takes them a while to get up to speed, but you have to commend him how he took care of himself and prepared for this game.

"He wanted to play Friday (against Edmonton). He worked hard and he worked his tail off."

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