Nikolai Khabibulin was minutes away from a shuout against the Los Angeles Kings yesterday at the United Center when Kings rookie defenseman Drew Doughty got his team on the board (at the 16:54 mark of the 3rd period). Khabibulin’s solid day in net was overshadowed by the return of Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp, who scored 2 goals in yesterday’s victory. Khabibulin’s win was his 18th of the season and his first since February 11. This comes after Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville indicated he would “ride” Khabibulin the rest of the way, as Chicago solidifies their playoff drive.
