OTTAWA, Ontario _ Richard Panik broke a long drought. Patrick Kane broke two career highs. The Blackhawks broke in the second half of their season by topping the Senators, 8-2.
Panik had gone 27 games and more than two-and-half months without a goal, with a few healthy scratches sprinkled in, after starting the season on the top line and recording three goals and two assists in the first three games.
On Tuesday morning, after the team's morning skate, Panik predicted the forgettable streak would end sometime.
That sometime was Tuesday night.
Panik scored with 1 minute, 59 seconds left in the first period, his first goal since Oct. 21, and his first five-on-five score since the second game of the season.
"Eventually something is going to go in, and I think that's going to be the breaking point," Panik said before the game. "From there, it's going to be good."
From there, a lot of other Blackhawks (21-15-6) were good, too.
Panik's goal preceded a parade of points from Kane, who had four assists during a five-goal second period. He added a goal for good measure in the third period, after Nick Schmaltz clanged what would have been his third goal off the post. It was the first five-point contest of Kane's career, and the first time he had four assists in one game.
Schmaltz scored twice during the second period, and was joined in that category on the stat sheet by Patrick Sharp (third goal in four games), Jonathan Toews and Jan Rutta. Toews added another in the third, giving him five goals in his last five games.
The Hawks scored four power-play goals to support goalie Anton Forsberg, who made 25 saves in his second straight start since he sat out four games in a row in favor of Jeff Glass.
