DETROIT _ Barely a month ago, the Blackhawks were tied for the worst record in the league.
If the season ended after Wednesday's 5-4 overtime victory over the Red Wings, the Hawks would be a playoff team.
Unbelievable. But unfinished.
There are more than six weeks left in the season and if the Avalanche beat the Jets later Wednesday, they would move into a tie with the Hawks for the final Western Conference wild-card spot.
But at least for a few minutes, the Hawks moved into the driver's seat of a crazy playoff race with their 10th victory in their past 12 games.
Patrick Kane's second goal of the game won it in overtime.
The Red Wings scored three third-period goals, including Andreas Athanasiou's second of the period with 1 minute, 26 seconds left to send the game to overtime.
Alex DeBrincat scored his 33rd goal during the Hawks' three-goal first period and Kane extended his point streak to 19 games on his 37th goal early in the second. Kane's assist streak came to an end at 17 games.
The Red Wings outshot the Hawks 35-19 in the game, including 12-5 in the third.
The Hawks were playing down a man much of the game after Drake Caggiula left with an eye injury in the first period.
The Hawks scored on four of their first eight shots on goal to drive goalie Jimmy Howard from the game on the night the Red Wings honored him for playing in 500 career games.
Artem Anisimov's 10th goal got the Hawks started just 1 minute, 39 seconds into the game when he stole the puck behind the Red Wings net and sent a sweeping backhander past Howard. The Red Wings tied it a few minutes later, but Brandon Saad and DeBrincat tallied to give the Hawks eight first-period goals over in their past two games.
