CHICAGO, March 4 (UPI) -- Bryan Bickell scored the go-ahead goal at 9:51 of the first period Friday, the first of four unanswered Chicago goals in the Blackhawks' 5-2 win over Carolina.
The Blackhawks won their seventh straight game and moved into fourth place in the tight Western Conference race, two points in front of idle Los Angeles and Phoenix.
Carolina fell back into the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference, a point behind the New York Rangers.
Bickell broke a 1-1 tie with a wrist shot and there was no further scoring until Ryan Johnson produced his first goal of the season to give the Blackhawks a 3-1 lead 2:50 into the third.
Dave Bolland and Patrick Kane also scored for Chicago in the final period to turn the game into a rout.
Corey Crawford picked up the win with 18 saves.
Justin Peters surrendered all five goals on 29 shots to end Carolina's two-game winning streak.
