Sun Mar 30 22:15:13 2008

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Blackhawks rally to maintain playoff chances

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Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Nikolai Khabibulin stopped all three Columbus shots in the shootout, and the Chicago Blackhawks downed the Blue Jackets, 5-4, to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.

Chicago has 84 points, three behind Nashville for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Vancouver and Edmonton are tied for ninth place with 86 points.

Patrick Kane scored in the shootout for Chicago, which has won two in a row and three of four. Khabibulin, who had 31 saves, stopped Joakim Lindstrom and Nikolai Zherdev, giving Chicago's Jason Williams a chance to win the game with a goal.

Columbus' Fredrik Norrena deflected Williams' backhand just enough that it bounced off the crossbar, but Khabibulin made sure it didn't matter by stoning Rick Nash to seal the win.

Brent Seabrook had two assists for the Blackhawks, who knotted the game at 4-4 on a Yanic Perreault score with 6:18 left in regulation.

Gilbert Brule and Kris Russell each notched two assists for Columbus, which was eliminated from playoff contention with the loss. Norrena had 29 saves for the Blue Jackets, who led 3-1 and 4-3, but couldn't hold on.

"There's nothing like winning, that's how simple it is," said Norrena. "If you don't play your heart out in this league, you don't belong here."

Jonathan Toews opened the scoring with his power-play goal at 3:54, putting the Blackhawks on top. Andrew Murray picked up his sixth goal of the season, though, at 13:46 to even the game at 1-1.

Michael Peca's power-play tally with 1:29 left in the period gave the Blue Jackets a 2-1 lead at the intermission.

Zherdev's goal 3:36 into the second period gave the Blue Jackets a 3-1 lead, but Williams and Patrick Sharp both scored on the man advantage, at 8:19 and 17:17, respectively, tying the game at 3-3.

Derek MacKenzie's second goal of the season put Columbus back on top 3:57 into the third period, but Perreault scored at 13:42 to knot the game at 4-4.

"We knew our season was over if we didn't come back in the third period, so we rallied behind each other and now we're still in it," said Sharp.

Neither team was able to break through over the final 6:18 of regulation, or the five minutes of four-on-four action in overtime.

Game Notes

Chicago went 3-for-7 on the power play, while Columbus scored once in five chances with the man advantage...The teams combined for five shots in the overtime (Chicago 3, Columbus 2)...The teams split the eight games between them this season.