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SAN JOSE -- San Jose Sharks general manager Doug Wilson will only smile when asked the question, as he was again on Friday before his team took on the Chicago Blackhawks.

In 2010 after the Hawks had won the Stanley Cup, Wilson famously offered Hawks’ defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson, a restricted free agent at the time, a mammoth four-year, $14 million contract. It stunned the Hawks and the hockey world. When Chicago matched it, and subsequently walked away from an arbitration award for goalie Antti Niemi, Wilson scooped up Niemi instead.

Did Wilson know he would get one or the other when he made the offer to Hjalmarsson? It’s a question he’s never answered. The Hawks were up against the salary cap. A fact the entire league was aware of.

“You appreciate good players on teams that have had success,” Wilson said diplomatically Friday morning. “You’re always looking for ways to improve your hockey team. He played outstanding against us.”

Niemi and the Hawks swept a four-game series against the Sharks en route the Stanley Cup in 2010. It was the goaltender’s shining moment. Twice he made 40-plus saves, and Wilson took notice.

“Making the big saves at key times was probably the difference-maker in that series,” Wilson said.

The move to keep Hjalmarsson and let Niemi go is proving larger at the moment due to the Hawks' woes in net and on defense. Mired in a six-game losing streak, could the Hawks have made the wrong decision?

“Not really thinking about it,” Niemi said after practice on Thursday. “It’s a long season. I think they have great goalies, and it’s a long season and they just have to keep working on it.”

As the story goes, Chicago's brass gathered at the organization’s prospect camp in the summer of 2010 with a decision to make.

Days earlier, Wilson had made the offer to Hjalmarsson -- the only offer made to any restricted free agent that offseason. Just days before that, Hawks general manager Stan Bowman said he wasn’t worried about such offers for his restricted free agents. He was wrong.

Instead of potentially paying Hjalmarsson around $1.5 million the Hawks had to decide to commit to him for four years at a steep price or let him sign with the Sharks in return for a compensation package of draft picks.

Ironically, the decision they had to make didn’t revolve around Hjalmarsson. It revolved around their goaltending. Niemi had just come off a glorious playoff run to the Stanley Cup. He was due a raise. The Hawks could not pay Hjalmarsson and Niemi their new salaries. One had to go.

The decision to let Niemi walk was as much about Corey Crawford as anything. Goalie coach Stephan Waite had worked with Crawford since he was drafted by the Hawks in 2003. Many inside and outside the organization believed he would have been the backup to start the 2009-2010 season if not for the fact Niemi had to clear waivers to go to the minors while Crawford did not.

The decision-makers voted in favor of Crawford, which meant Niemi was sent packing as his former team walked away from the arbitration award making him an unrestricted free agent. The Hawks got nothing for the goaltender who won them a Stanley cup for the first time in 49 years. Ironically, weeks later, he signed a one-year deal with those same Sharks and a year after that he signed a huge extension worth $15.2 million.

“He’s a young, developing goaltender,” Wilson said. “If you watch how he plays and the commitment he puts into the game, it’s contagious. People really want to play for guys like that.”

Most of this is well documented, but now fast-forward to 2012. By even the most generous of standards, the Hawks are having goaltender problems. As of this moment it’s still safe to say they haven’t replaced Niemi -- despite a good run by Crawford last season. Currently, the Hawks are 26th in defense in the NHL and 27th in penalty killing. Crawford’s .900 save percentage ranks 41st out of 46 who qualify. His 2.94 goals-against average is 40th. Niemi only ranks 20th and 13th in those categories but the difference is he has a ring and was arguably the best goaltender in the league in the second half of last season.

And last year, Niemi became the fourth goaltender in league history to take two different teams to the conference finals in back-to-back years. The Sharks lost to the Vancouver Canucks in six games.

“It was fun,” Niemi said of his attempt at back-to-back titles. “I wish we could have gone further.”

Did the Hawks make a major mistake in essentially choosing Hjalmarsson and Crawford over Niemi? Winning four rounds in the playoffs is the biggest test in hockey, and Niemi passed it. Hjalamrsson and Crawford have both had their struggles. Hjalmarsson last year, Crawford this season.

The answer to that question has yet to be determined though currently the Hawks defensive situation looks so bleak any alternative is bound to appear better. Niemi says he’s not following the Hawks closely but probably realizes this year’s team defense is nowhere near what he played behind.

“I heard a rumor they’re giving up a lot of scoring chances,” Niemi said.

The former Hawk Wilson, his netminder Niemi and Hjalmarsson are linked through the set of events that took place in the summer of 2010, but it was the Hawks' decision that made it all happen. Was it the right move?

Wilson will only smile.

SAN JOSE -- You’ll excuse the Chicago Blackhawks if they were feeling a bit of deja vu after their 1-0 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday.

They’ve seen the goalie that shut them out -- former Hawk Antti Niemi -- do it to many an opponent on his way to helping the Hawks to a Stanley Cup in 2010. He was fantastic.

“He stood on his head,” Bryan Bickell said afterwards.

Bickell had one of the best chances on the night. A breakaway in the first period.

“The puck was bouncing,” he said. “I went to the blocker side and he got a piece of it.”

Maybe Niemi knew what was coming. He’s played well against the Hawks since leaving via free-agency after winning the Cup.

“They came hard and fast,” Niemi said. “A couple of times maybe I recognized who was coming and maybe you know who’s shooting and what they can do.”

Before Bickell, there was the breakaway by Marian Hossa that missed then a power-play chance by Jonathan Toews near the slot.

“[He] was real good today especially that one save on Toews,” Niemi’s buddy Niklas Hjalmarsson said. “He stretched out his leg.”

He made that save and 33 others in earning his 14th career shutout. He had seven with the Hawks and now seven with the Sharks.

“He’s the reason we got two points tonight,” Sharks captain Joe Thornton said. “He played great. For whatever reason, he likes playing against his old team … A couple of his saves were spectacular.”

Slappers

• Wednesday’s loss marked the first time the Hawks have gone three consecutive games without earning at least a point.

• Coming off a minus-8 weekend, Duncan Keith had six shots on net to go along with three blocked shots and 29:18 of ice time.

• With a power-play goal given up on four chances to San Jose the Hawks dropped to last in the league in penalty killing. They have a success rate of just 73.5 percent, just below Columbus who’s at 73.6 percent. As recent as November 6, the Hawks were ranked fourth in the league in killing penalties.

Quotable

“It just hit me and bounced three feet in the air, so tough on Crawford to react to. Kind of a crappy bounce.”- Jonathan Toews on the point shot that turned into the winning goal.

Is the news that Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Chris Campoli and winger Viktor Stalberg have filed for salary arbitration an indication that general manager Stan Bowman is having trouble signing his three restricted free agents?

Campoli, Stalberg and Michael Frolik, who is not eligible for arbitration, have been available to be signed since the season ended but it’s now heading into the second week of July and they remain unsigned despite Bowman’s proclamations he expects them to return in “short order.”

There have been some indications that the timetable isn’t going as planned. Bowman said at the NHL draft in late June he was focusing on the draft and would turn his attention to his restricted free agents the next week. That was the week leading up to free agency so when July 1 came around and still his restricted free agents had not signed, Bowman again pushed things back.

This time he said he had been focused on the unrestricted free agents, five of whom signed with the Hawks on Friday. Bowman then said again he would focus on Stalberg, Campoli and Frolik.

In one day he signed five players he had no history with. It’s taken two and a half months and three of his own remain in limbo. Obviously, there are different circumstances involved. The restricted free agents can’t go anywhere, at least not yet. The unrestricted ones need to be gobbled up before someone else does, but
the question still stands, why is it taking so long?

And then comes the filing for arbitration by Campoli and Stalberg.

It doesn’t mean they will go to an arbiter -- only two Hawks have had a hearing since 2005-2006 -- but one of them was Antti Niemi last year. Niemi “won” his case and the Hawks refused to pay him, making him an unrestricted free agent. Before that, Niklas Hjalmarsson received a surprise offer sheet from San Jose which the Hawks had to match, paying Hjalmarsson millions more than they planned. On the eve of free agency a year ago Bowman infamously said he wasn’t “worried about offer sheets,” and then got burned.

So is restricted free agency Bowman’s kryptonite?

It’s a small sample size but between Hjalmarsson, Niemi and this year’s crop it’s obvious it hasn’t gone as smooth as the Hawks would have liked.

Again, timing is undoubtedly playing a part. Campoli’s side must be looking at Steve Montador’s deal and licking their chops. Montador signed a four-year, $11 million contract on Thursday. Word has it Campoli is looking to top that deal by asking for $3 million per season. He’s five years younger and just one year away from unrestricted free-agency while Montador was one day away. They’re different kinds of players but in the same salary structure. Montador made $1.5 million last season and Campoli made $1.4.

Cases that go to arbitration most often favor the player so if the Hawks had signed Campoli before they traded for Montador maybe they get a better rate. It’s similar to Hjalmarsson’s situation last summer. If signed before July 1, the Hawks pay Hjalmarsson much less. Waiting hurt, just as it might again.

Stalberg shouldn’t be as complicated. His base salary was $785,000 and has very little on his resume. Remember, the sides can negotiate all the way up until the arbitration hearing. It would be a shock if Stalberg’s case was actually heard by an arbiter.

The most interesting situation of the three could turn out to be Frolik. He’s not eligible for arbitration due to his service time and age but there are indications he’s asking for a huge raise. His base salary was $850,000 last year and Frolik is looking for close to $2.5 million. He’s a two-time 20-goal scorer but he had an off year in 2010-2011, netting just 11 goals in 80 games played between Florida and Chicago. He did come alive in the playoffs scoring twice while adding three assists in seven game and played stellar defense in a shut-down role. Still, with no leverage that would be a huge raise.

It’s one Frolik’s former general manager Dale Tallon would be more apt to agree to. When he was the GM of the Hawks, Tallon bypassed some “second” contracts for some former Hawks giving them “third” contract money. It helped put the Hawks in their nearly two-year salary cap crunch and, ironically, it helped facilitate trading some of those players.

The good news this time around is no offer sheets arrived for the Hawks restricted free agents, making it easier -- and cheaper -- to get them signed. But arbitration still provides leverage for the player and a potential headache for the Hawks.

The mail-bag is full once again. Let’s lighten it some:

Q: I am concerned that Duncan Keith reached his pinnacle in 2009. The Keith we saw this season was disappointing to say the least. I think we should consider a trade involving Keith while his value is still pretty high and assuming we can get a fair value for him. What are your thoughts on Keith? – Kirk, Toronto

A:It’s a good question, and I’m sure one many Hawks’ fans are wondering. I don’t know if he’ll contend for another Norris Trophy, but this year proved he is actually human. The body and mind just can’t take all that was on him coming off the previous year. However, he admittedly did not prepare for the season the right way and then Joel Quenneville played him to near exhaustion. I think this season was the exception more than the norm. Look at what he did in the couple years before the Norris Trophy. He was very good. While it’s a disappointment, it’s not a complete shock he had an off year. I think he will be much better next season.

Q: Jesse, just how much of a raise did Andrew Ladd earn himself this year? I love his two-way play, and his departure last year was the toughest one for me to swallow. Any chance (realistically) the Hawks bring him back? I'm thinking we use the money that Kopecky was making and try and sign him to a three- to four-year deal worth $3-4 million per. -- Robert, San Antonio

A:Sorry, barring some unforeseen circumstances it’s just not going to happen for a Ladd return. First of all he’s a restricted free agent who made $2.3 million last season. He’s getting another raise, no question. There is no way the Hawks could pry him away from Atlanta without them matching or someone with more cap room swooping in. Second, he’s a winger, and they really don’t need expensive wingers. Third, the Hawks can’t afford him anyway. Any money they save on Kopecky or anyone else leaving will be used to cover new contracts for Michael Frolik, Chris Campoli, etc., plus they’ll use what money they do have on a second-line center more than likely. It’s just not going to happen unless it’s a trade, which is a longshot as well. He’s the Thrasher’s captain afterall. Of course, if he doesn’t want to play in Winnipeg and forces a trade, anything can happen at that point.

Q: Brian Campbell is the one player more than any other on the Blackhawks' roster whose production does not justify his salary. He is a nice contributor, but for being the second-highest paid blue-liner on the roster, he, in my opinion, needs to do more than just lead the team in plus/minus. So I can see why you say that if someone is going to be moved through a trade this offseason it will be him. If he does get moved, what kind of player will Bowman try to get in return? Will it be another top-four blue-liner or a second-line center? How feasible would it be to get a player like Dustin Byfuglien back? He's a player who, when given comparable ice time, had twice the offensive production as Campbell. – Jonathan, Savannah, Ga.

A:The reasons you stated are the reasons we won’t see a return of Byfuglien. He’s too valuable at a decent price, so why would Atlanta (Winnipeg) trade him for Campbell? The major scenario I see Campbell is being moved is to a team with a ton of cap room that is trying to get rid of someone that might not make as much as Campbell but they feel is overpaid, etc. I’ve speculated a Campbell-for-Phil Kessel trade would be a good starting point for a deal with Toronto. I agree with your assessment that the production doesn’t justify the salary which would be no big deal if there was no salary cap. But he eats up too much of it. They would miss his transition game, but just think, getting two $3.5 million players in his place or three making nearly $2.5 million. That might more than make up for his loss.

Q: Jesse, thanks for all your insights and comments this year. You add a lot of perspective. If all Hawks fans agree that some size and toughness up front is needed and a second-line center to boot, what about getting Ladd back from Atlanta? Trade No. 4 and Troy Brouwer. How about Eric Brewer from the Bolts? -- Tommy boy, McHenry, Ill.

A:It’s not a bad proposal for Ladd. Certainly should be more than enough for the Thrashers to consider. In fact it might be too much talent back if you think Niklas Hjalmarsson is still going to blossom. But it does help the Hawks salary-wise except a lot of it would be used to pay Ladd. I think center is where they will allocate the biggest expenditure this summer and from your question it sounds like you think Ladd can play there. I don’t think he can. Again, I think the door is closed on Ladd for myriad of reasons but never say never.

Q: Hey Jesse, what do you think the future holds for Ben Smith? I know I was impressed by his postseason play and grittiness, especially when he came back after seemingly destroying his leg. Will he start out in Rockford or do you think the organization believes he's a NHL-ready talent? -- Dom

A:I think it’s pretty obvious he’s got a job to lose once camp opens. Unless he’s a total flash in the pan I think the sky is the limit for Smith. There isn’t any one part of his game that is deficient. Obviously, he’s inexperienced, but he seems to have all the tools from his head to his skates. His hockey smarts and willingness to play in tough areas is impressive and it’s definitely not lost on Quenneville. Let’s see what the next step brings.

Q: Is it possible for the Hawks and Campbell to work together to defer some of the money on his contract to lower the cap hit? If so, I take it that Campbell refused to do it last offseason. I like Campbell, and I do not begrudge him for getting the contract he did, but it would be hard to find another $7 million defensemen in the league that does not play against the top line or on the No. 1 power play. Would have loved to see Big Buff in that Canucks series! Thanks Jesse. – Drew, Marietta, Ga.

A: No, they cannot defer money or change anything about a contract once it’s been signed. They can’t pay half his salary while another team they trade him to pays the other half. The salary, cap hit and everything else about the contract cannot be changed.

Q: What plans do you think the Blackhawks have for Jeremy Morin? He started strong until the World Juniors then had an injury. Do you think he will take a roster spot next season? – Daniel, Pekin, Ill.

A: I can’t tell you exactly what their plans are, but I assume he has a good chance to make it. Obviously, Smith may have moved ahead of him on the prospects chart, but he showed enough that I’m sure he’ll get a serious look. He could be trade bait as well. It’s all about the numbers, both where his salary fits in, and if he can play where they want/need him to play. That could be top-six or bottom-six. He showed enough grit that he doesn’t have to play on the top two lines to start his career in my opinion. We’ll see.

Q: Hi Jesse. If they're looking for a little bit of size and scoring, why trade Brouwer? I know he underperformed a bit, but doesn't he rank up there in terms of that total combo on the Hawks? – Matt, Cincinnati

A:On paper you’re right, but this might come down to money. They probably want to pay him like a bottom-six forward but I’m sure he’ll show the numbers you reference to an arbitrator asking for money in the $2 million range. I’m not sure the Hawks can afford that. In fact, I’m pretty sure they can’t. And he’s not enough of an impact player to make a priority. It reminds me of the Antti Niemi situation. They would like to have him back but aren’t going to move mountains to keep him. Like I wrote in another blog post, it’s 50/50 he’s on the opening night roster.

Q: Patrick Sharp had a career year this year, and is approaching a contract season. Realistically, can we re-sign him following next season, or if not should we consider trading him this offseason to free up some salary and get that second-line center our team is desperately in need of? – Jeff, Dallas

A: They can definitely re-sign him but it means making tough choices elsewhere of course. They have approximately $48 million tied up in 12 players going into 2012-2013 so there is room but it will be tight once again for the rest of the roster. Plenty of time between now and then to move money around, etc. but if they want him they can keep him.

Q: Other than Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Sharp, and Marian Hossa, what player(s) score 20-plus goals next year for Hawks? Also, have we seen the best of Hossa or will a longer offseason help him? – Jim, Lake Forest, Ill.

A:Smith would be a cool choice right? I’ll go with Frolik. I think he found his touch there at the end. He’s scored 20 twice before in the NHL so now a full season with this kind of talent around him, I’ll go that route. As for Hossa, I think we’ve seen his best, but I also think he can at least achieve that level still. Rest will help. I think a somewhat healthy Hossa -- if that’s possible -- still has some real good years left. I don’t think he’ll play better than what we’ve seen when at his best, but he can reach that same level again, easily.

CHICAGO -- How good was the Chicago Blackhawks' second period on Monday night in their 6-3 win over the San Jose Sharks at the United Center? How about as good as any period this season.

The Hawks recorded a season-high five goals while chasing their former hero, Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi, to a chorus of sarcastic cheers.

“It dictated the outcome of the game,” Jonathan Toews said. “Especially when they made it 5-3 and we came right back and got that sixth goal.”

Two goals came via the power play, three during even strength. All had some star quality to them. Marian Hossa scored twice and Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane once, while noted sniper Patrick Sharp had four assists.

“I know my strengths, that’s shooting the puck,” Sharp joked. “It would be nice if Patrick and Jonathan mixed in an assist one of these days.”

While the numbers on offense were gaudy, it was hard work that turned the momentum.

“For whatever reason in the first period we weren’t on the same page,” Hossa said. “All of a sudden we started working as a team. We were supporting each other, we were outbattling them.”

It showed up in the boxscore in the form of three lazy penalties taken by the Sharks. The Hawks scored on two of them.

“More speed, I thought, we were fighting for space,” Joel Quenneville explained of the second period. “Couple of those [penalties] were a result of moving our feet.”

If you turned off the game after one period you would have been shocked by the final result. The Hawks trailed 2-1 after one, taking two penalties in the opening minutes and allowing a 5-on-3 score. But it all changed in the middle 20 minutes.

“I thought we gathered ourselves pretty quickly after that start there,” Quenneville said. “Great second period. Huge for us. We did a lot of good things. Power play was rolling as well.”

The Hawks beat one of the hottest teams in the league and beat them bad, thanks to that second period.

“If I was going to sum up the game: They skated, we glided,” Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. “They were hard on the boards, we were soft. They were determined at the net, we played ‘I hope’ around the net.

“We were looking for a win the easy way, and there’s 30 teams in the league right now that know that doesn’t work. I don’t know why we chose that route tonight, but it’s not the recipe we’ve been following for success. It was a complete team meltdown, and every position was included in it.”

San Jose was 18-3-3 in their last 24 games coming into the night and in none of those six losses had they lost a game by more than a single goal. It further highlights the domination of the Hawks on Monday and once again sends notice to the Western Conference: when the Hawks turn it on, they can play with anyone in the NHL.

CHICAGO -- A quick look at the Chicago Blackhawks' 6-3 win over the San Jose Sharks on Monday night at the United Center.

How it happened: A tight, 2-1, game entering the second period turned into a laugher as the Hawks exploded like they have only a handful of times this season. Five second-period goals chased former Blackhawks netminder Antti Niemi to a chorus of cheers. The Hawks did it with two power-play goals by Marian Hossa -- both assisted by Patrick Sharp -- and three even-strength tallies, including Jonathan Toews’ 30th of the season. Patrick Kane and even Niklas Hjalmarsson scored as the Hawks added two more goals against Antero Niittymaki. Sharp had four assists in the period.

What it means: While the gaudy offensive numbers will take center stage, it was hard work that turned the momentum. The Hawks created power-play chances for themselves when San Jose was called for hooking and holding penalties in the second. The five goals were the most for the Hawks in any one period this season. Toews set a career-high with his 70th point while Kane’s goal was his 100th. The Hawks jumped back into the No. 4 seed-spot in the Western Conference, sporting a 38-24-8 record. They have earned at least one point in 15 of their last 17 games.

Best of season? Was the second period their best of the season? Numbers-wise it would say so. The Hawks had the five goals and 17 shots on net. And consider the opponent as well. The Sharks were the more rested team and came into the game with a gaudy 18-3-3 record in their last 24 games. Each of those six losses were by a single goal. That was not the case on Monday.

What’s next: The Hawks go back on the road for two crucial games in Dallas and Phoenix, but not until Thursday. It gives them a chance to possibly get a couple players back from injury, although there is no timetable on Dave Bolland, who is suffering from concussion-like symptoms.

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Blackhawks are leading the San Jose Sharks 6-3 after two periods at the United Center on Monday.

The Hawks exploded in the middle 20 minutes, scoring a season-high five goals. Marian Hossa scored twice on the power play while Patrick Sharp assisted on four of the five goals.

When Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane got the Hawks’ a fourth goal on a 2-on-1 break, with Toews finishing, it ended Sharks’ goalie Antti Niemi's night. The former Hawk gave up four goals on 18 shots in 27:25 of playing time, although the Sharks played poorly in front of him.

The Hawks weren’t done, scoring two more against Antero Niittymaki. One came from Kane’s stick and was his 100th career goal. Toews’ tally was his 30th of the season, setting his career-high in points with 70.

Kane, Tomas Kopecky, Toews, Hossa and Sharp had multiple points in the period. It was arguably the Hawks’ best 20 minutes of the season.

It's been a busy few days in the NHL, and for the Chicago Blackhawks. In the midst of their best run of the season, we'll examine -- in several blog posts -- the moves and ramifications.

We'll start with Tuesday's news that former Hawks net minder Antti Niemi signed a four-year extension with San Jose. What does that mean for current Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford?

Former Hawks continue to see the money they would never have received if they were still in town.

The latest is Niemi, who signed a four-year, $15.2 million deal with the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday. He follows Dustin Byfuglien, who signed a $26 million deal with Atlanta last month, while Andrew Ladd of the Thrashers is rumored to be close to a new deal.

With Jimmy Howard of the Red Wings recently signing a two-year extension worth $2.25 million per year, the market place is starting to take shape for Crawford.

Crawford is a restricted free agent at year's end, and to this point the similarities between him and Niemi are striking. Crawford is 26, one year away from unrestricted free agency, just as Niemi was last year. Crawford currently makes $850,000, very close to Niemi's $827,000 of a year ago.

So what does Crawford deserve knowing what we know right now?

He's arbitration eligible, just as Niemi was, and his figure won't be too much lower than Niemi's $2.75 million arbitration ruling that paved Niemi's way out of town.

Say both sides think Crawford's number will come in around $2.5 million, then that's a starting point for negotiations. The Hawks will claim they don't have that type of money, but will offer security instead. Maybe 4-5 years, or longer, averaging closer to $2 million but possibly front loaded in his actual pay check. Maybe they decide he's their guy through thick and thin and give him a decade long deal and really reduce the salary cap hit. In the end, his numbers should come close to Howard, who's been in the league one year longer.

Monetarily, the Hawks are in no better shape this coming offseason than they were last year. Yes, the cap might go up a little and some bonuses come off the books, along with a few smaller contracts, but Brent Seabrook's raise kicks in to make up for some of that.

So could Crawford end up leaving like Niemi?

Its doubtful, for one simple reason: the Hawks will make him a priority. They'll move money around and make sure they get the right deal in place to keep him.

Bringing this full circle, it's exactly what they didn't do for Niemi last summer. They chose Niklas Hjalmarsson over him after doling out huge contracts to the likes of Duncan Keith, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews.

Niemi and his agent, Bill Zito, were criticized last offseason while being called "greedy" for not accepting a lower figure to stay with the Hawks.

"It was a bit frustrating, but I understand the fans didn't have the full truth," Zito said on Tuesday. "I don't have to feel vindicated, because I work for Antti and he knew what was going on every step of the way and was fully appraised of our plan. We sat down and put together a plan and executed the plan."

Tuesday's signing was a result of that planning. Fortunately, Niemi and the Sharks recovered from a slow start for it to all come together. Niemi was named the NHL's second star for the month of February.

Now it just has to come together for Crawford, or the Hawks could lose two stellar, rookie net minders in consecutive years. Smart money says it won't happen again.

Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, who led all scorers in February with 21 points, was named the league's first star of the month.

Read the entire story.

CHICAGO -- It’s one of the more disturbing trends of the Chicago Blackhawks season: Giving away a tight game in the third period.

It happened again in Thursday’s 5-3 loss to the San Jose Sharks at the United Center. The Hawks clearly grabbed the momentum late in the second period, scoring two goals in the final 23 seconds. But the Sharks rebounded with two of their own in the third to win the game. It was the second straight contest in which the Hawks were outscored 2-0 in the final 20 minutes.

“It’s [another] disappointing ending to our recent losses over third periods,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “Where we’re tied, and looking like we’re getting something out of the game, and we come up with air. That’s things we have to prevent.”

The Hawks have given up 47 goals in the third period this season -- easily the most in the NHL. No other team has given up more than 43. And a lot of the goals aren’t coming in blowouts, but in close games causing the Hawks to skate off with nothing at the final horn.

“I can give you more than one, as games that [are] could’ves and would’ves,” Quenneville said. “I don’t know how many games we were tied in critical stages of games and come up with no points. It’s frustrating and disappointing. That’s the area, if we want to become a playoff team and a better team, these are points we need to have. We’ll find a way to get up in the standings if we find a way to get points, two particularly.”

Toews effect: Not surprisingly, the loss of Jonathan Toews was felt all over the ice, possibly most of all after the Hawks called timeout late in the contest, down a goal with their goaltender on the bench. An offensive-zone faceoff was forthcoming. Instead of having Toews and his 59.6 percent winning percentage, Tomas Kopecky was tabbed to take the draw. Kopecky had won 33 percent on the year coming into the game.

“Johnny would definitely be there,” Quenneville said. “Kopy was our best guy tonight.”

Kopecky lost the draw and when the Hawks eventually got the puck back in their own zone, he promptly turned it over, leading to the Sharks’ empty-net goal. And for the record, Kopecky won nine and lost eight as their best on the night. The Hawks won just 45 percent of their faceoffs.

Skille scratched: Jack Skille sat out the game in favor of Jordan Hendry.

“You could argue, coming off the last game, we had several candidates that we weren’t happy with,” Quenneville said. “We’re trying to keep [him] more consistent to his best performances.”

Niemi wins again: Former Blackhawk Antti Niemi beat his old team for the third time this season, but not before some trying moments after he gave up two goals in the final 23 seconds of the second period, allowing the Hawks back into the game. Defenseman Dan Boyle described the scene in the Sharks’ dressing room during the second intermission.

“There were a few F-bombs for about a minute and then we kind of calmed the dressing room down shortly after,” he said. “We just said ‘Hey, we’ve still got a chance to win the game.’ It took about a minute but it did calm down after that.”

On-air news: The Hawks announced during the game that the contracts of TV broadcasters Pat Foley and Eddie Olczyk were extended by three years.

CHICAGO -- A quick look at the Chicago Blackhawks’ 5-3 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night at the United Center.

How it happened: It wasn’t the prettiest of games by either team, and both goaltenders would probably like to have at least one goal back, but the Sharks prevailed by taking advantage of some bad penalties taken by the home team. San Jose scored two power-play goals and gained momentum off of the Blackhawks’ infractions. The Hawks got back in the game with two goals in the final 23 seconds of the second period, including the then-tying score with :00.5 left, but they couldn’t carry that momentum to the third period. The winning goal came off a Joe Thornton deflection as the Hawks did not play well in front of their own net. Ryane Clowe added an empty-netter at the end of the contest.

What it means: It was a shaky first full game without Jonathan Toews, marked by bad penalties and bad penalty killing. Marty Turco came back to Earth after two solid performances and the man he replaced in goal, Antti Niemi, beat the Hawks for the third time this season. The Hawks have dropped two straight after winning four in a row.

What’s next: A day off on New Year’s Eve before a New Year’s day practice and trip to Southern California for back-to-back games Sunday and Monday against the Anaheim Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings. The Hawks will take their moms on the two-game road trip.

Though most Chicago Blackhawks think former teammate Antti Niemi will get a warm reception from the United Center crowd Thursday, once the puck drops against the San Jose Sharks, they are intent on beating Niemi and the Sharks for the first time this season.

"I don't think it's 0-2 against just Antti," Troy Brouwer said Thursday morning. "We're playing against a good hockey team, and the Sharks have a lot of weapons. Logan Coture leads them in goals. That tells you how dangerous they are."

Niemi has been in goal for both Sharks wins, beating Marty Turco once and then Corey Crawford. Turco gets the start in Game 3.

"We have to get pucks at him early," defenseman Brent Seabrook said. "Pucks and bodies. The less he sees the puck, the better for us."

No Toews
No one thinks the Hawks will be able to replace Jonathan Toews -- not with as much as he contributes in so many phases of the game. Maybe the hardest tangible problem will be in the faceoff circle.

San Jose ranks second in the league, winning 53.4 percent of their draws. Toews ranks fifth in the NHL with a 59.6 percent winning percentage.

"We should assume we have faith in anyone," Joel Quenneville said. "We're playing a very good faceoff team tonight. We need everybody to at least think that .500 is at least the level."

Quenneville has set the bar at an average level because his remaining center men don't have a very good history in the circle. Patrick Sharp remains the best option. He's at 50 percent for the season. Surprisingly, their best defensive center, Dave Bolland, is winning only 45.9 percent of his draws, and Tomas Kopecky -- playing center at the moment -- is at a paltry 33 percent for the season. Kopecky won just two of 13 draws on Tuesday against St. Louis, which is the game during which Toews went down.

The Hawks' best option in the dot is newcomer Ryan Johnson. He ranked third -- right behind Toews -- last season in the playoffs, winning 58.6 percent. In three games this season for the Hawks, he's won 13 of 19 draws.

Lines
The line combinations were jumbled during Thursday morning's practice. One trio had Jake Dowell between Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp. If he stays there, it's a huge spot for the young center.

"That's a possibility, those guys playing together," Quenneville said. "Jake plays well. You have to improvise a little bit with Johnny being out. Might be a shared responsibility."

Quenneville said he wasn't revealing the line combinations for the game until Thursday night.

The Moms
Most of the players and coaches' mothers are in town as they prepare for the Hawks first ever "moms trip." The Hawks leave for Southern California on Saturday for games Sunday and Monday, and are bringing their moms along to experience the road. Last season the Hawks did the same for their dads. The consensus in the dressing room is this will be a much more courteous trip.

CHICAGO -- San Jose Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi said Thursday morning that he will start Thursday night against the Chicago Blackhawks, marking the first time he'll play in Chicago since helping lead the Hawks to their first Stanley Cup title in 49 years.

Read the entire story.

You have to wonder if he ever wonders.

When former Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Antti Niemi beat out current netminder Corey Crawford for the backup position a season ago, who knew what would unfold for Niemi?

What if it had been Crawford who won the job? They were neck-and-neck in training camp when the Hawks chose to send Crawford down to the minors after the team returned from its opening two games in Europe. No one would have been surprised if Crawford had stayed or even was to come up later in the season. It never materialized that way.

Crawford played in exactly one game -- when Cristobal Huet came down with the flu. Niemi won the Stanley Cup.

Fast-forward a season later, and the two former teammates, and competitors, battled toe to toe in a thrilling 2-1 San Jose Sharks win on Saturday night.

They matched each other save for save, literally, until Crawford blinked, unable to move across the crease in time to stop Ryane Clowe’s second of the night, late in the extra period.

Both goalies faced 11 shots in the first, eight each in the third, and two more apiece in overtime. In the second period, they were separated by just one attempt. That’s how close this game was. Crawford and Niemi each made 28 saves on the night.

There was Niemi stopping Jonathan Toews and Jack Skille on good scoring chances. Crawford responded by shutting the door on Dany Heatley, Joe Thornton and Benn Ferriero . It went back and forth like that until Clowe’s goal, allowing fans to exhale.

The loss didn’t change the mind of anyone who watched Crawford.

“I thought he played great,” Joel Quenneville said after the game. “I think you could argue that that might have been his best game. He’s the reason we got a point. He made two or three saves that looked like they were empty netters. His anticipation was there. He was sharp and quick and big.”

So Crawford’s winning streak is over, but a point streak continues, and after hearing Quenneville speak of his performance, it might just earn him yet another start on Monday in Denver.

As for Niemi, he’s beaten his former team twice, in arguably two of his best games this season. The teams will face two more times this regular season and the possibility of the young goaltenders battling out then, and in a postseason matchup, is tantalizing.

For now, Niemi has won some bragging rights but something tells me Crawford is just getting warmed up.

No goal

The Hawks may have been victim of a quick whistle on an apparent Viktor Stalberg goal in the second period. Jack Skille’s shot on Niemi went in and out of his glove, dropping just behind the goaltender. Stalberg quickly shoved it into the net but the referees claimed the whistle blew. Joel Quenneville took the high road regarding the stoppage of play.

“It was one of those plays where sometimes it goes against you,” Quenneville said. “But we can’t really complain because sometimes you get quick whistles.”

Just like a season ago, a young Chicago Blackhawks goaltender is beginning to make a name for himself.

With his seventh consecutive win Wednesday night, Corey Crawford has taken over the job from Marty Turco, at least for the moment. He's 8-4 after starting the season 1-4.

"We're enjoying it right now," coach Joel Quenneville said after practice on Thursday. "Our team has improved as we've gone along here. There's confidence both ways."

The seven wins are the most for a Hawks rookie netminder since Darren Pang in 1988.

"So far, it's a lot of fun," the understated Crawford said. "But [I] have to keep that same mentality and keep working hard. Sometimes when you're winning games, going through the motions could come. The biggest thing is to keep working hard and stay focused."

Quenneville said there are a lot of "similarities" between the soft-spoken Crawford and the man who beat him out a year ago, Antti Niemi. Niemi went on to win the Stanley Cup, though there were those in the Hawks organization who thought Crawford would eventually be with the team last season, and it would be Niemi who would be in the minors.

"I'm sure it was tough not getting a chance last year, but you have to commend him," Quenneville said. "He's patient with it and did what he had to do to keep his game improving, and to me -- for him, it was just a matter of opportunity, and we were fortunate to still have him, and here he goes."

The experience of going with the team to Europe last year to open the season, and then getting cut when the Hawks returned, wasn't easy for the 25-year-old Crawford. But he did learn something.

"Never give up," he said. "It was a bit of a tough time, every time you get cut from the NHL, especially last year. I thought I had a really good chance to make it. I just didn't give up. I kept working hard."



Perseverance is a lesson Crawford had to learn while playing five seasons in the minors.

It's paid off. He's 20th in the NHL in save percentage (.913) and 13th in goals against average (2.40). It may not sound like much, but those numbers don't indicate his clutch play. Like Niemi last season, when the game is on the line, Crawford has been up to the challenge.

"I do see that calm and coolness to him," Jonathan Toews said. "He's not putting any added pressure on himself. He wants it. You can tell he wants to play well and have that success. He's not biting off more than he can chew."

Crawford switched from forward to goalie when he was nine because of Patrick Roy, and he is just riding the wave of his first successful stint in the NHL.

"It's nice to play in front of this crowd," Crawford said. "It's one of the reasons I play hockey. To play in front of those people and see them cheer."

His teammates are cheering for him as well. He's helped put the Hawks in a better position in the playoff race.

"I talked to him this morning," Toews said Thursday. "I told him, ‘Keep working. Don't worry about any streaks like that. It'll keep going if we keep playing well.'

"Guys like him. He's got a good personality and is a fun guy to have around."

And he keeps on winning.