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Former Chicago Blackhawks goaltender and current free agent Marty Turco hasn't signed with a new team but isn't ready to retire.

"Yeah, I'm still looking," 36-year-old Turco said via phone on Monday. "Teams go to camp next week so we'll see."

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The early offseason signing of Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford puts a big check next to one item on general manager Stan Bowman's list of things to do this summer.

At first glance, a three-year deal seems a little light from the Hawks perspective considering the goalie rotation they've employed the last few seasons, though it's good for Crawford. He can become an unrestricted free agent at age 29, and if the Hawks haven't accomplished some more big things by then it will be a huge disappointment. If they live up to their talent and desire -- and he plays like he did this past season -- then Crawford can really cash in.

But the Hawks should be fine because the relationship between goaltender and team couldn't be better. Crawford and goalie coach Stephan Waite are tight, so a new deal before the old one is up seems realistic. Plus, in the NHL these days, committing to a goaltender for a major, extended amount of time can come back and bite a team. The beauty of this deal is even if Crawford surprisingly regresses and the Hawks have to go in another direction, he's not tied up for too long. Additionally, the Hawks -- in theory -- can pay him to back up without destroying their cap situation. But there is no indication to think Crawford will be anything but a very good goaltender in the league for many years.

So the easy part is done. This marriage was a foregone conclusion and the numbers, $8 million for three years, makes a lot of sense. Now comes the hard part.

The Hawks have ten remaining free agents to address, though Marty Turco is as good as gone. Sources indicate Alexander Salak has been signed to a one-way contract, which makes him the front runner to back-up Crawford.

While not exactly giving him the job, his “one-way” status points to the Hawks' confidence in their recently acquired netminder. It's hard to make judgments on Salak having seen very little of him, but he fits the Hawks' desire for bigger goalies. He's about 6-3. Waite should be able to work his magic on the 24-year-old.

With the signing of Salak for just over $600,000, the Hawks have 16 players under contract costing them just over $54 million. The salary cap reportedly is going to be in the $62 million range. Assuming a 22 man roster, that leaves about $8 million for six players, though the Hawks probably won't spend right up to the cap.

With restricted free agents Michael Frolik and Chris Campoli, in particular, expected back, it leaves little wiggle room for others unless the Hawks plan on doing little else in free agency. The prospects of unrestricted free agent Tomas Kopecky returning are slim, and how the Hawks will afford Troy Brouwer remains to be seen. Several players, including Campoli and Brouwer, are arbitration eligible, giving them some leverage as restricted free-agents.

Expect one or more of the restricted free agents to be traded, otherwise the Hawks could free some money by moving defensemen Brian Campbell or Niklas Hjalmarsson. As has been well documented Campbell is a tough buy for another team but he's not impossible to move, just unlikely. Hjalmarsson, on the other hand, is very attractive. There are enough teams needing to spend to the salary cap floor, and Hjalmarsson is young enough (23) to create a market for the Hawks.

If the Hawks are looking for a decent second line center, they will have to pay for it, which means finding the money to do so. That means making some tough choices with some current Hawks who are under contract or are in line for free agency. Turco is gone. Expect a few more to leave before the new season begins.

It’s a longer than hoped for offseason for the Chicago Blackhawks which means plenty of time to figure out what kind of a summer it will be for the still-defending Stanley Cup champions. First up is addressing the Hawks’ restricted and unrestricted free agents. Negotiations with agents haven’t started yet. Expect that to heat up as the calendar turns to June.

The Hawks have six unrestricted free agents and five restricted. Between now and July 1 they have exclusive negotiating rights with those players. After July 1, any team can talk to and sign an unrestricted free agent while teams are allowed to make offers to the restricted ones. The Hawks have the right to match any restricted offer -- as they did last summer with Niklas Hjalmarsson -- but if they choose not to, they get a compensation package in the form of draft picks in exchange for the player.

With unrestricted free agents, it’s a simple process. The Hawks and the player will either work out a deal before July 1 or the player will get to test the market after July 1 but still have the ability to re-sign with Chicago.

The first step in dealing with restricted free agents is to give them a qualifying offer. This offer gives the player a minimal raise, based on a formula, while locking them into a contract for one year if the two sides can’t negotiate a longer term deal. Those offers have to be submitted to the players by June 27.

If the Hawks do not qualify a player, like they did not with defenseman Jordan Hendry a year ago, then that player becomes an unrestricted free agent but can still sign back with Chicago as Hendry did. Most players get qualifying offers; Hendry was the one exception last offseason.

Here’s a look at the 11 free agent Blackhawks and their chances of being back with the team:

Corey Crawford, G, Restricted: Signed on Thursday

The Blackhawks locked up their 26-year-old goaltender with a three-year deal on Thursday. General manager Stan Bowman declared him a priority, something he never said about Antti Niemi.

Michael Frolik, C, Restricted: 90 percent

This number may have been lower before the playoffs, but Frolik proved his potential at both ends of the ice. Assumed to be only a top 6 forward when acquired from Florida, Frolik showed he can play the third line as well. Expect a short, multi-year deal for the winger/center.

Chris Campoli, D, Restricted: 80 percent

Campoli proved a solid pick-up at the trade deadline and fits the Hawks system like a glove. His negotiations could be tricky. The Hawks have loads of money tied up in their defense and anything more than a slight raise off his $1.4 million contract probably isn’t in the offing. He is arbitration eligible and a one-year deal based on an arbitrator’s decision is always a possibility if the sides can’t agree on a salary. He missed being an unrestricted free agent this year by 10 days. He will be next summer if he signs for only one year. If things don’t go right monetarily, the Hawks could always trade him.

Viktor Stalberg, LW, Restricted: 75 percent

Also a candidate to be traded but barring a move, he should be back while trying to find his complete game. He showed flashes but not enough to know for certain he’ll be a long-term contributor. His salary shouldn’t be a major stumbling block to what the Hawks want to accomplish this offseason.

Ryan Johnson, C, Unrestricted: 60 percent

At first thought this number might be too low considering how much Johnson helped out this season but his stock rose not just in Chicago but around the NHL. As an unrestricted veteran negotiating with a cap-strapped team, he will likely test the market. He might only get a few hundred thousand more but it might be enough for him to move on. Then again, he might be happy getting a deal sooner rather than later since he had to wait until this past season started before signing. It’s not known if he’s even in the Hawks’ plans, though considering their lack of depth at center, it would be a surprise if he wasn’t.

Troy Brouwer, RW, Restricted: 50 percent

The Hawks won’t let him walk but his percentage isn’t higher because he is one of the most likely players to be moved in a trade. His ability to play all four lines is an asset, but with the emergence of Ben Smith and prospects Jeremy Morin and Marcus Kruger, it could get crowded among the top forwards. And the Hawks won’t want to pay him bigger bucks to be a third- or even fourth-line player. His size also gives him a reason to stay but his overall quiet career to this point might say otherwise. Tough call.

Jordan Hendry, D, Unrestricted: 50 percent

Coming off knee surgery and entering free agency isn’t the way any player wants to deal with a new contract. The Hawks didn’t qualify him last season, but he signed back with the club so there isn’t anything to say they don’t bring him back at the minimum again. They’re still thin at the blue line after their top 6, so Hendry could be valuable as a player that knows the system.

Tomas Kopecky, C, Unrestricted: 35 percent

Remember, 35 percent means not likely but still leaves a lot of room for a return. It all comes down to salary. The Hawks will undoubtedly want to pay him like a bottom 6 forward though he put up career numbers. He is one guy that will play with an edge, but he is basically a 20- to 25-point player. If he’s willing to make less than the $1.2 million he made the last couple years the Hawks would probably be interested, especially considering his close friendship with Marian Hossa. He most likely will test the market before there is any thought of re-signing with the Hawks, if they want him back.

Jake Dowell, C, Restricted: 25 percent

This number would be lower if not for the fact he is their property and plays center. Dowell had a decent first half but never played with the edge the Hawks needed on the fourth line, and then he lost his scoring touch. His willingness to drop the gloves is an asset, but with the additions of Ryan Johnson and Kruger plus Frolik’s ability to play center, his usefulness dropped as the season went on. Like Hendry a year ago, there is a good chance the Hawks will not give Dowell a “qualifying offer,” making him an unrestricted free agent.

Fernando Pisani, RW, Unrestricted: 15 percent

He played for the minimum so it’s not like they have to give him a raise if they want to keep him. But he had a less than an impactful season, and there are players coming through the system who could easily take his place on the roster. The only scenario in which he returns is if the Hawks just need an extra veteran body.

Marty Turco, G, Unrestricted: 5 percent

A great teammate and mentor for Crawford is as good a reason as any to bring Turco back, but he would have to play for the minimum and know that he’s the back-up. The Hawks are probably moving on anyway as they will look for a bigger goalie, having had their troubles with smaller ones over the past two seasons.

An NHL spokesman on Wednesday refused to comment on a story that Chicago Blackhawks back-up goaltender Marty Turco placed a wager with a fan during Tuesday's game against the Canadiens in Montreal.

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DALLAS -- This was supposed to be another happy -- and considering the time of season, a dramatic -- homecoming for Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Marty Turco, who played for nine seasons with the Dallas Stars.

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SUNRISE, Fla. -- There is some good news, especially if you tuned into the final 40 minutes of the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 defeat to the Florida Panthers.

In fact, if you did, you saw the Hawks win the game, 2-0, and dominate in the third period. Of course, it didn’t make up for the three goals they gave up in the first, which was enough for the Panthers to break Chicago's eight-game winning streak.

“The way we played was unreal,” Turco said of the last two periods. “Sometimes that’s disappointing because, man, if we play like that all the time…”

He didn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t need to. It was classic Hawks hockey. Turn it on when they want to. We’ve seen it many times over the last two years. For the game, the Hawks outshot the Panthers 39 to 15. That shot differential, 24, was second most of the season and easily the most in a loss.

“The team, when I was in there, played about as good as we could. You’d like to say you deserved to win but when you have one period like that, that’s all it takes to make for a disappointing night.”

Turco didn’t face many shots in relief but the ones he saw were quality scoring chances, considering the Hawks were thinking offense most of the time. He did his job but the skaters in front of him couldn’t do theirs.

Quenneville's evaluation: There was a lot coach Joel Quenneville didn’t like about the opening period, starting with how the Hawks battled.

“They outworked us and we had lazy habits,” he said. “We probably extended our shifts and as a result all three goals were probably preventable goals.”

A cursory look at the time-on-ice confirms Quenneville’s assessment. Patrick Sharp had four shifts in the first period that were over a minute long. He had six the rest of the game, including a couple during the frantic finish, which doesn’t really count.

Jonathan Toews had five over a minute in the opening period then just three the rest of the game. There was a similar trend throughout the lineup.

It's probably one reason Quenneville pulled Corey Crawford after one period -- though the rookie wasn’t playing his best.

“Wake the team up for sure,” Quennville said. “It was an easy switch.”

Leddy struggles: Nick Leddy is going through a tough stretch, which can’t be a surprise to anyone. He’s 19, playing extended minutes and games for the first time in his young career. He’s made mistakes in the last few which have resulted directly in goals. That was the case on the Panthers first score when he mishandled a pass and couldn’t recover before David Booth scored on a rebound.

“It’s all about learning and improving and getting consistency on the back end,” Quenneville said. “I think he’s going to grow nicely in that role.”

Despite those sentiments, Leddy was benched for a portion of the first period, getting only two shifts in the final 10 minutes. He played just 13:42 for the entire game. He was minus-1.

Slappers

• The Hawks win streak of eight games ends as the second longest in the NHL this season and second longest in franchise history.

• Troy Brouwer was credited with nine hits in the game. No other Hawk had more than four.

• Patrick Kane scored his 22nd of the season to continue a point streak to six games. Marian Hossa has at least a point in eight straight after netting his 19th. Jonathan Toews’ league leading nine game point streak came to an end.

• The quote: “If you’re looking for an easy game you’re not going to find it in this league. That might have been the case tonight.”- Joel Quenneville.

SUNRISE, Fla. -- School was in session in South Florida on Tuesday night and learning was at a maximum.

“I’ve been around a while and I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a bigger lesson to be learned than I did tonight,” goalie Marty Turco said after the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 defeat to the Florida Panthers. “Whatever we thought to ourselves or did, changed after one period. It was one heck of a wake-up call.”

The Hawks came out flat, and disinterested, and it showed on the scoreboard. Three goals on eight shots in the opening 20 minutes was all Florida needed to win this game. So what was the lesson learned?

“You have to be ready to play,” Joel Quenneville said answering that question. “You have to be respectful of the opposition and you can’t get outworked. You have to be simple.”

“Trap game” was a common phrase used before the contest. Despite an eight-game winning streak on the line, anyone that knows anything about team sports knew this would be a tough contest.

A couple of sunny days spent in non-hockey weather may have contributed to the early malaise or maybe it was the less the intense atmosphere, in a less than full building, that brought the Hawks down.

One thing it wasn’t, according to several, was skipping the morning practice, though it was a twist on their “normal” routine.

“It was a 45 minute drive for a 20 minute skate, one way,” Quenneville said. “It was an hour and a half on the bus. Last year and this year we had success doing it. [It had] nothing to do with that.”

Marian Hossa agreed.

“You can say that but I don’t think that was it,” he said. “We are professionals and it doesn’t matter if you skate or not. We just thought it was going to be easier.”

At least Hossa was honest in his assessment of what went wrong.

“That was our worst period of the season,” he stated. “You have to play 60 minutes no matter who you play against. We got a good lesson in the first period.”

Corey Crawford might need to stay after school for a while. He was pulled after one period, looking ordinary, compared to his recent stellar play. He didn’t quite see it the same way though.

“I didn’t feel that bad,” he said. “I gave up a bad rebound on the first one. The second one I didn’t see through the traffic. The third one he got a pretty good wrister off. I felt good. I felt good yesterday. It’s just one of those game that’s not going your way.

“I don’t think we were that bad. We turned it on and showed how good a team we can be. I don’t even think that first one was that bad.”

He’s about the only one, but he gets an incomplete grade for those comments since he’s been at the head of the class for most of the year.

There was some good news, the Hawks dominated the final 40 minutes. In fact they gave up just seven shots in the second and third periods combined. But goalie Tomas Vokoun, and probably the hockey gods, reiterated the lesson: the Hawks were not going to get away with such a bad opening 20 minutes.

But finals aren’t for another month. That’s when Crawford and the Hawks need to shine. Though Wednesday against Tampa Bay wouldn’t be a bad place to go for a better grade.

That’s if the lessons were truly learned.

DALLAS -- It would be hard to write a more heartbreaking script for Marty Turco in his return to Dallas, where he wore a Stars uniform for a decade.

The Chicago Blackhawks' goaltender had everything going his way, stopping all five shots he faced and enjoying a 3-0 first intermission lead.

The next 45 minutes, plus about 10 more for an embarrassing shootout, were a disaster.

“He deserved a win in his big homecoming,” Jonathan Toews said after it was over.

With the spotlight on him, and the game on the line, Turco faced three of his old friends in the shootout to decide the game.

“You just trust your instincts, other than [Brendan] Morrow’s where I knew where he was shooting,” Turco said. “The other ones, you get beat, you get beat.”

And beat he got. Morrow, Brad Richards, and Mike Ribeiro all scored rather easy goals, and the Stars' comeback was complete.

“I’m sure there is some familiarity there,” Joel Quennville said of the shooters and Turco. “It would have been nice to have a win.”

The outcome of the game might be a microcosm of Turco’s season: No clutch play when its needed most. Turco tried to keep an upbeat nature despite the loss.

“It was a lot of fun,” Turco sighed. “I enjoyed most of it. It was an intense game.”

Walking wounded

The Hawks lost three players to injury in the second period. All took hard hits to the upper body, including a scary moment for Fernando Pisani. His head snapped back as he was hit at the Stars bench by Mark Fristric. Viktor Stalberg and Ryan Johnson also left the game. Quenneville declared them all day to day. The possibility exists one or more have concussion like symptoms. Each will be re-evaluated on Saturday.

Quenneville said the Hawks would not call up anyone from Rockford for the road trip finale in Phoenix. John Scott and Nick Boynton were healthy scratches on Friday and Marian Hossa is “hopeful’ to be back in the lineup on Saturday, as well, after missing the Dallas game with the flu.

Video reviews

There were two video reviews of goals and both went against the Hawks. The tying goal by Dallas in the third period could have been knocked in by a hi-stick but the review said it was a good goal.

In the first period, with the Hawks already leading 3-0, and with a two-man advantage, Brent Seabrook put a shot on an open left side of the net. Kari Lehtonen went post to post to make the glove save just as the puck was going in. Did his glove cross the line with the puck in it? The review looked inconclusive so the call on the ice stood: no goal.

“I thought I got good wood on it,” Brent Seabrook said. “He came across and made a great save. It’s a judgment. If I’m a referee on the ice I’m probably calling that no goal.”

Joel Quenneville was a little less understanding of the call.

“The picture we saw, it looked like it had to be in,” he said.

Slappers

• Michael Frolik’s Hawks’ debut was started slow but he became more noticeable with the extra ice time due to the injuries. He played 17:20 of even hockey, getting off 5 shots. Three more attempts were blocked. He didn’t register a point.

• Joel Quenneville called it “different” coaching down three players due to injury. Matchups were less important than just rolling the lines, he said.

• Niklas Hjalmarsson blocked a shot in the ribs just before the end of the second period. Moments later, with just 4.2 seconds left, Brad Richards scored to cut the Hawks lead to one. Hjalmarsson was slow to get off the ice but finished the game.

• Patrick Kane had points on all three Hawks’ goals, all coming in the first period.

DALLAS -- So which reoccurring problem hurt the Chicago Blackhawks this time in their 4-3 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars on Friday night?

Flat start or bad finish?

Try the latter, and it’s come to the point where even in blowing a 3-0 lead, the Hawks have to find a positive.

“At least we got a point,” Joel Quenneville said after the game.

At least there’s that. Too many times they’ve lost the close ones in regulation but at 3-0 after one, and even 3-2 after two, there is no “positive” to this result.

“I don’t have anything new to say to you guys,” a disgusted Jonathan Toews said. “Every time we lose it’s the same thing that happens. We don’t change it.

“We get comfortable with a lead. That’s what you see there. Us giving the other team a chance to come back every time. I don’t understand what’s going on.”

No one does. If this was October or November, you might chalk it up to a bad stretch. But after 55 games, the Hawks have some serious issues closing out teams. The Hawks are 21-4-2 now when leading after two periods. That might sound pretty good until you know that Dallas hasn’t lost in regulation when leading after 40 minutes. Think if the Hawks had four less 60 minute losses on their ledger.

“That’s our problem,” Toews said. “We get satisfied and give teams a chance to come back.”

The Hawks had an opportunity to make it 4-0 in the first but couldn’t convert on a 49-second 5-on-3 power play. Who knew that would come back to haunt them? And then there was the power-play attempt after Fernando Pisani was knocked out cold by a Mark Fistric hit in the second period. The Hawks did nothing on that man advantage either.

“We can go back and work our [butts] off on that power play and really try and show them up and get them back for hurting one of our players and we don’t,” Toews stated. “We were satisfied. That was a terrible power play.”

All of this added up to a heartbreaking loss for Marty Turco, in his return to Dallas after spending nine years here as a starter. His demeanor was calm after the game despite the way it went down.

“Anything that I really have to say is going to be said in here,” Turco stated. “It’s not going to be any value to say it to anyone else but my teammates. We have a big hill to climb, period.”

That they do. And with injuries piling up -- the Hawks lost three players in the second period -- and another game on Saturday night in Phoenix, that hill just got a little higher.

At this point, sadly, how they’re going win becomes less interesting of a question than, how are they going to lose?

DALLAS -- The decision to start Marty Turco in his first return to Dallas after nearly a decade as a Dallas Star was about as easy a decision as Joel Quenneville will face this season.

I guarantee you there was no hesitation on his part. And why should there be?

Forget the fact that the Hawks play back-to-back games with some decent travel in between. That alone would be a reason to split up the netminders.

But this isn’t about strategy or even wins and losses. It’s about one word: Respect.

Turco has earned it, not just because of his years in Dallas but because of how he’s handled himself with the Hawks this season. His situation is different than Cristobal Huet last season. Huet had a great defense in front of him but still let in soft goal after soft goal.

A glass half-full perspective on Turco could say his defense has let him down more than not, and his goals-against could be classified only as weak, which is one step up from soft. But Turco has been the good soldier, just as Huet was before him. I’m sure most fans think he’s supposed to be a good teammate.

And they would be right, but the converse is true as well. They need to be good to him. That’s why starting him is actually good strategically as well. The Hawks should put on a solid effort in front of him. It’s the least they can do.

It’s the same strategy Todd McLellan of the San Jose Sharks -- and countless other coaches -- employed when deciding on Antti Niemi to start the first time his team played the Hawks this season. Niemi was struggling but McLellan knew, not only would he rise to the occasion, but so would his teammates. The result? Niemi is 3-0 against the Hawks this season.

Quenneville has been through these kind of situations countless times before, and there are no guarantees. It famously backfired on him in Montreal the first time former Vezina and Hart Trophy winner (with the Canadiens) Jose Theodore played there as a member of the Colorado Avalanche. Theodore got bombed, and Quenneville didn’t pull him because most of the damage was done in the third period, and Theodore’s night was an embarrassment.

More than likely after Friday’s game, Turco will fade into the background as he did in the first half of the season. There will be no guarantee of another start in Dallas when the Hawks return in March.

But for this one night, it’s all about Turco, his contribution to the Stars, and his new teammates’ willingness to get him a win.

DALLAS -- After spending nine years in a Dallas Stars uniform, Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Marty Turco will start against his former team for the first time on Friday.

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CALGARY -- The Chicago Blackhawks hit the practice ice on Sunday before a team party to watch the Super Bowl.

Coming off a solid game in a loss to the Vancouver Canucks Friday that produced nothing positive in the standings, the Hawks are looking for a repeat effort Monday against the Calgary Flames -- with better results.

“These next few games are important,” Dave Bolland said. “Really, every game is important from this point on. We can’t take games lightly. Every night we go out there it’s business.”

Without playing on Saturday, the Hawks dropped a couple places, to 11th, in the ever-tight Western Conference.

“We need to win hockey games,” Marian Hossa said. “It doesn’t matter if you play well but lose by one goal. That doesn’t count.”

Joel Quenneville and his coaching staff was able to scout the Flames up close, as they hosted the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night, losing in a shootout.
“Disappointed it was a three-point game,” Quenneville said. “They’re playing well. They seem like there is a lot more energy.”

Calgary, left for dead just a few weeks ago, is 12-3-4 in their past 19 games, one point ahead of the Hawks in the standings, but they’ve played two more games than the Hawks.

Crawford starts: After giving Marty Turco the nod in net for the first two games after the All-Star break, Quenneville announced Corey Crawford his starter for Monday night.

“He’s got the net back,” Quenneville said. “He had maybe one game over a long stretch where he wasn’t great, but he’s been really good.”

Faceoff issues: The Hawks lost 62 percent of their faceoffs Friday against the Canucks, including some crucial draws during power play time for Vancouver. On Tuesday in Columbus, they won only 44 percent. They’ve dropped below 50 percent on the season, ranking 19th in the NHL. Last year, they finished the season third in the league.

No one represents their struggles in the circle more than Bolland. A key defensive player, he’s a 44 percent winner for the year. Friday, he hit rock bottom, winning just 5 of 22.

“Sometimes things go your way, sometimes things don’t go your way so you just keep working hard at faceoffs,” he said after practice on Sunday.

Bolland downplayed his struggles but said he works on it every day. His coach didn’t hesitate when asked if he needs to be better.

“Certainly, yes,” Quenneville said. “Over time he needs to be getting stronger and more educated, technique wise or [about] the guy he’s going against. We’d like to see a trend where we’re seeing some improvement, but he’s coming off a couple tough games.

“I still think we put him out there on faceoffs on the left side probably more than we should but sometimes that’s the matchup. At the end of the day, that should be an area where he should be getting better.”
Even with Toews on the ice, the Hawks like the right-handed Bolland to take faceoffs in the circle to the right of their goaltender. They may have to re-think that strategy if Bolland continues to struggle.

Slappers

Ryan Johnson returned to full practice on Sunday and declared himself ready to play, if needed. Johnson hurt his right knee in a collision against Minnesota, the last game before the All-Star break. “It was my first full skate with a brace on,” Johnson said of Sunday’s practice. “It happened in the first period when Mikko Koivu kind of rolled on it. I finished the game but as it went on it tightened up on me. I could hardly walk the first couple days of the [All-Star] break.”

John Scott is joining the team in Calgary. He missed Friday’s game against Vancouver due to illness.

Native cheesehead Jake Dowell is excited to watch his Packers in the Super Bowl but admits he’s torn if he’s in a pool and needs the Steelers to score for him to win.“Depends what it is to win,” Dowell said with a laugh. “It depends on how bad I need whatever it is I’m going to win.

Quenneville was aware of the news that Peter Forsberg was signing with the Colorado Avalanche. Quenneville coached Forsberg in Colorado for nine games in the regular season and seven more in the playoffs in the 2007-2008 season. “He does things that no one else can do,” Quenneville said. “Forsberg, on a regular basis, does things that you’ve never seen before. He’s fun to watch.”

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Most professional locker rooms are the same. After a win, there’s loud music and celebrating. Post defeat, it’s quiet and somber.

The dressing room after the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 loss to the Vancouver Canucks Friday night fell somewhere in between.

There certainly wasn’t any jubilation -- not after the Hawks failed to get a point for the 13th time this season when tied in the third period. But it wasn’t a down place, either. Far from it. Maybe the Hawks know something we don’t or maybe they just showed it to us.

They can still play with anyone.

The Hawks outplayed the Canucks. They know it, the Canucks know it and most anyone that watched the game knows it. Yes, you can outplay a team, and still lose the game. It happens often in the NHL.

The 45 shots the Hawks sent towards Roberto Luongo were just one off the most the Canucks have given up all season. Even more impressive was the 35 shots they had in about 45 minutes of even strength time. The pace the Hawks set was frenetic and reminiscent of some of the great games of a year ago.

Of course, the great equalizers in hockey are goaltending and special teams. The Canucks won those battles. Luongo flashed his glove like a gold glove first baseman. And the Canucks power play was deadly.

So what does this all mean?

It means the Hawks are indeed closer to being the team everyone wants them to be, but they still aren’t quite there yet. Just closer.

Friday morning Jonathan Toews talked of his team playing up and down to its competition. If that’s true, it should bode well down the stretch, considering just about everyone in the conference, save Edmonton, is in the thick of the playoff race. They should be “up” more than down. If they play with the same pace they showed Friday night, even poor penalty killing might not stop them.

And don’t forget about two bad calls by the officials that went against the Hawks. Add one goal to the Hawks' total and subtract one from the Canucks, and you can see why the Hawks’ dressing room wasn’t in hysterics.

Joel Quenneville has made much of the now 13 times they’ve failed to get a point when tied in the third as well as the 11 times they’ve led in the final period and lost the game.

Take the equation one step further, and it can sound like a positive. Including their wins and four overtime losses, the Hawks have led or been tied in the third period in 44 of their 52 games. That’s impressive but equally un-impressive is, despite that fact, they woke up Saturday morning in ninth place in the conference.

Turco start

Overshadowed a little, by a great game with a playoff atmosphere, was the controversial decision by Joel Quenneville to start Marty Turco in net instead of Corey Crawford.

As has been the case most of the season, Turco didn’t lose the game for the Hawks but he didn’t win it either. Once again, his size -- or lack thereof --came into play. It could be argued three of the four Vancouver goals could have been stopped by a bigger netminder—like Crawford.

Anything that goes through screens, like Christian Ehrhoff’s goal to open the scoring or Mikael Samuelsson’s power-play score, can be scrutinized. Even without seeing the puck, a big goaltender has a chance at letting it hit him better than a small one. That’s not even a criticism of Turco, it’s a simple fact.

Could Crawford have stopped those shots? No one will ever know. But he would have had a better chance.

And on the winning goal, does Crawford get his right shoulder on the puck Daniel Sedin so adeptly re-directed? Maybe.

But that’s what sports are all about. Putting your best people in the best position to succeed. No one is claiming the Hawks can’t win that game with Turco in net. For all practical purposes, they did. But when fortune, or this the case the referees, turns against you, overcoming the adversity is the truest sign of a champion.

The Hawks, with Turco in net, have been unable to do that more times than not, and in the most crucial of moments in games.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- A quick look at the Chicago Blackhawks' 4-3 loss to the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on Friday.

How it happened: A playoff atmosphere surrounded this game from start to finish and the play on the ice didn’t disappoint. The Sedin twins broke a 3-3 tie late in the third period with a beautiful rush that resulted in a Daniel Sedin tally. The Hawks must have felt they were playing two opponents: the Canucks and referees. Several questionable calls went against them that led to Vancouver goals, and in one case, a non-goal by Dave Bolland. Despite that notion, the Hawks played up to their competition, beating them in five-on-five play but not on special teams. A 5-on-3 power play with the Hawks leading 2-1 could have put the game away but instead, moments later, on their own man-advantage, the Canucks tied it up. The Hawks had a chance with 3:00 remaining and a man-advantage but could not convert. Jonathan Toews was very good again, getting a goal and assist in the second period.

What it means: The Hawks proved they can play elite hockey when they want to. From the drop of the puck they had a pace to their game they rarely had early in the season. Toews has five points in his last two second periods combined and seems to have come out of the All-Star break on a mission. Marty Turco held his own for a while, but allowed four goals against the top scoring team in the conference. The Canucks stayed in the game thanks to their top-ranked power-play and penalty-killing units and prevailed, despite giving up 45 shots.

Bad calls: The referees made at least two calls that clearly had an effect on the game, both went against the Hawks. Dave Bolland thought he scored a goal in the opening period until the refs waved it off, claiming Troy Brouwer was in the crease impeding Roberto Luongo. Replays showed that wasn’t the case. Late in the first, Christian Ehrhoff scored on a shot from the blue line after the puck barely crossed, creating offsides, but the referees didn’t see it that way. Other penalty calls against the Hawks were questionable as well.

What’s next: The Hawks will stay in Vancouver before travelling to Calgary on Saturday to take on the Flames Monday night. Last time in Calgary, the Hawks fell 7-2, in one of their worst defeats of the season. The Flames are one of the hottest teams in the league, putting themselves back in the playoff race.