Weekend showdown for Hawks goalies?

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Both Huet and Niemi could play in games against Philadelphia and Washington


This weekend could go a long way toward settling the Blackhawks' uncertain goaltending situation.

Cristobal Huet and Antti Niemi could play and prove themselves capable of capturing the No. 1 job as they continue to audition for coach Joel Quenneville.

Huet will start Saturday against the Flyers in Philadelphia and Niemi is likely to get the call Sunday when the Hawks play host to the Capitals. There are 16 regular-season games remaining for one of the goalies to seize control.

"They'll both get a chance to play," Quenneville told reporters Friday. "Hopefully they're both playing well and hopefully we have a tough decision to make. We feel that they're both capable of getting the ball and taking charge. Both are likely to get a chance here this weekend and we'll go off of that.

"Hopefully both guys are playing rock-solid and it will be a fun decision to make."

Full boat: It took more than three-quarters of the season, but the Hawks finally are playing with a full deck.

When forward Adam Burish came off the injured list to play Wednesday night against the Kings, the Hawks were at full strength for the first time in 2009-10.

"Knock on wood there," Quenneville said. "We know the importance of depth and we've added some pieces down in the minors in the defensive areas. You know you're going to need to go and dig deep at times. But it's nice knowing everybody's healthy."

The Hawks have lost 178 man-games to injury this season, with Burish, Marian Hossa (shoulder) and Dave Bolland (back) missing the most significant time. In '08-09, the Hawks lost 179 man-games to injuries over the 82-game schedule.

With 23 healthy players, three will have to be scratched each night ? barring further injury. Against Los Angeles, forwards Tomas Kopecky and Colin Fraser and defenseman Jordan Hendry sat out.

"On a game-to-game basis we have some tough decisions to make in that we'll be sitting some healthy guys. ? Not everybody's going to be happy about it," Quenneville said. "We have to fight through it knowing you keep yourself ready and sharp because you know you're going to be going at some point. We're very comfortable knowing everybody's fresh and healthy right now."

Shark hunting: With 16 regular-season games remaining for both teams, the Hawks trail the Sharks by two points for the top spot in the Western Conference. After playing host to the Panthers on Saturday night, San Jose embarks on a 10-day, six-game trip.

"It seems like we've been tied with (the Sharks) about 30 times this year," winger Patrick Sharp said. "It goes back and forth. They're a great team. Why not shoot for first in our conference and first in the league? There are a lot of games left (and) we just want to build as the playoffs come."

 

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Coach Peter Laviolette will shake up Flyers' lines




With the Flyers struggling since the Olympic break, coach Peter Laviolette is making some line changes for today's 1 p.m. game against the Chicago Blackhawks at the Wachovia Center.Center Jeff Carter will have two new wingers, Ville Leino will be added to the lineup, and slumping Scott Hartnell and Danny Briere are expected to be dropped to the third unit.

Leino, who was impressive in the two games he has played since being acquired from Detroit, will be on a line with Carter and left winger James van Riemsdyk.

"We're trying to get more balanced scoring," Carter said after yesterday's short practice in Voorhees.

"I'm just happy to be in," said Leino, who played well on a line with Carter and Briere in a 3-2 overtime loss in Buffalo last week. "Carter is easy to play with, and Reemer [van Riemsdyk] is a hard worker who brings lots of energy."

Carter, who has 10 goals in his last 10 games, had been centering Briere and Hartnell.

Arron Asham will probably be a healthy scratch today. Hartnell and Briere worked with Claude Giroux at yesterday's practice. Hartnell has not scored in his last 13 games and has just three goals in his last 39 games.

"Hopefully, we can get a quick chemistry going," Giroux said.

Briere said he understood the mini-shakeup.

"Sometimes you go through stretches and the lines are doing really well and you ride them," he said. "And other times they get a little stale and you switch them up a little. I think it puts a little urgency in [everyone's] step."

There was too little urgency in Thursday's 5-1 loss to Boston, and when the Flyers did have good scoring chances, rookie goalie Tuukka Rask was sensational.

Defensively, the Flyers had an abundance of lapses. Kimmo Timonen, Lukas Krajicek, Mike Richards and Simon Gagne were each minus-3 in the game.

The Flyers are 3-2-1 since the Olympic layoff, but they were not sharp in wins against Toronto and the Islanders, the Eastern Conference's weakest teams.

"I liked the way we were playing before the break," Laviolette said. "Since then, we've been too inconsistent."

He said his team was too loose defensively around its net and lost too many puck battles in the lopsided loss to Boston.

"It's unacceptable," he said. "This is when we want to be tuning our game."

Chicago, which has the Western Conference's second-highest point total, will provide a formidable measuring stick.

"I don't know if I look at it that way," Carter said. "I'm looking at it that we need the two points."

The Flyers are sixth in the East with 74 points. Montreal has the same number of points but has played three more games than the Flyers.

Boston, which has played the same number of games as the Flyers, is two points behind both teams.

Today is the only regular-season meeting between the Flyers and Chicago. The Flyers have won seven straight home games over the Blackhawks, who have not won in Philly since 1996.

Breakaways. Though Laviolette would not announce his goalie for today, it wouldn't be surprising if Brian Boucher made his first start since Dec. 21. Today is the first of back-to-back games for the Flyers, who play the host Rangers tomorrow. Since the Rangers are chasing the Flyers in the East, that game is considered more important. Michael Leighton has started 12 straight games . . . In yesterday's practice, two of the lines - Richards centering Gagne and Dan Carcillo, and Blair Betts centering Darroll Powe and Ian Laperriere - remained intact . . . Carcillo was not suspended for an incident in Thursday's loss. The winger tried to push away from linesman Greg Devorski to get at the Bruins' Matt Hunwick in the third period. Carcillo received a roughing penalty and a 10-minute misconduct, but the NHL yesterday said no suspension was forthcoming.