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CHICAGO -- Here's a quick look at the Chicago Blackhawks' 6-4 win over the Washington Capitals in the season opener at the United Center on Tuesday.

How it happened: If a banner-raising ceremony wasn't enough entertainment on opening night in Chicago, the Blackhawks and Capitals followed that up with an offensive display on the ice. After squandering a 3-2 lead in the third period and going down 4-3, the Blackhawks answered with three goals in the final 13 minutes. Blackhawks forward Brandon Saad tied the score off a pass from Michal Handzus at 7:55 of the third period, and Johnny Oduya put the Blackhawks ahead at 13:53. Marian Hossa added an empty-net goal in the final minute. Brandon Bollig, Patrick Kane and Brent Seabrook also scored for the Blackhawks. Mikhail Grabovski scored three goals for the Capitals. Alex Ovechkin had the other goal. The Capitals scored three times on the power play. Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford had 28 saves.

What it means: The Blackhawks became only the second team in the past six years to win on their banner-raising night. The Blackhawks' penalty kill was a strength all of last season but that unit struggled Tuesday. The Hawks didn't allow their third power-play goal of the season until the 11th game last season.

Player of the game: Oduya scored the winner and had a plus-4 rating in the win.

What's next: The Blackhawks get three days off before their second game of the season. They host the Tampa Bay Lightning at the United Center on Saturday.

CHICAGO -- Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford and forwards Marian Hossa and Michal Handzus will play in the season opener on Tuesday after being held out of the final preseason game for precautionary reasons, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said on Monday.

Crawford missed the final preseason game on Saturday due to lower-body stiffness after playing in two preseason games. Hossa (upper body) and Handzus (lower body) did not appear in any preseason games.

The Blackhawks had all 23 roster players participate in practice at the Johnny’s IceHouse West on Monday.

“Everybody who was on the ice is able to play,” Quenneville said. “[Crawford] is starting. Handzus and Hossa are ready to play.”

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Here are six observations from the Chicago Blackhawks' training camp and preseason games:

1. The durability of the Blackhawks’ older players has to be a concern. Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville has been very cautious with players’ injuries in the preseason. There is no reason to risk anything. Yet, the fact 34-year-old Marian Hossa and 36-year-old Michal Handzus didn’t play in a single preseason game and haven’t been 100 percent healthy in the preseason has to be somewhat alarming. Both players are getting up in age, and both are coming off a season where they suffered severe injuries. With Hossa, there’s a lot at stake for the present, but even more so for the future. Back injuries aren’t anything to mess with, and the Blackhawks are depending on Hossa for years to come. As for Handzus, his injury wouldn’t be as much of an immediate concern if Brandon Saad or Brandon Pirri had worked out at the second-line center. But with Handzus being that option now, the Blackhawks are looking for him to duplicate what he did in the playoffs.

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CHICAGO -- Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville has known throughout training camp what he has in Michal Handzus as a second-line center.

Handzus showed during the team’s Stanley Cup run last season he could be reliable and produce in that role. He had three goals, eight assists and a plus-7 rating in 23 playoff games.

But heading into this season, Quenneville was open to experimenting with Brandon Saad in that spot to keep him a top-6 forward, and also to giving Brandon Pirri, who led the AHL in scoring last season, a shot there. After two weeks of training camp, the Saad experiment failed and Pirri missed four preseason games due to injury.

And now, Quenneville is again turning to Handzus to be the Blackhawks’ second-line center.

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CHICAGO -- Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa is expected to return to the ice Thursday after sitting out practice Wednesday because of an upper-body injury, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said.

Hossa has not played in any of the Blackhawks’ five preseason games. Quenneville said on Sept. 19 that Hossa had aggravated an injury and would miss the team’s last four preseason games. Hossa could still play in the team’s final preseason game Saturday. The Blackhawks’ season opener is on Oct. 1.

“He’s likely to get on the ice [Thursday],” Quenneville said after practice at Johnny’s IceHouse West on Wednesday. “He’s feeling better every day, so we like the progress. He’s excited about getting on the ice.”

Blackhawks forwards Andrew Shaw and Michal Handzus participated in Wednesday's practice. Neither has played in the preseason.

Hossa suffered a back injury during the Stanley Cup finals last season. He said one of the discs in his back was shooting into his nerves and he couldn't feel his right foot. He was scratched from Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals and returned for the remainder of the series, but he wasn’t as effective in the final three games. Hossa said surgery was a possibility after the season, but he was able to avoid it.

Hossa said on Sept. 12 that his back was feeling better. He played in three days of scrimmages at Notre Dame but hasn’t played since Sept. 15.

Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said last week he wasn’t concerned that Hossa’s injury would be a lingering problem.

“I think injuries are part of the game,” Bowman said. “Marian’s been a very durable player over the years. Things come up now and then, but I’m not worried long term for that.”

Hossa has dealt with a variety of injuries since joining the Blackhawks in 2009. He had lower-body injuries in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons, suffered a severe head injury during the 2012 playoffs and missed time with upper- and lower-body injuries last season.

Hossa had 17 goals and 14 assists in 40 regular-season games and seven goals and nine assists in 22 playoff games last season.

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Blackhawks completed a 3-1 series comeback and eliminated the Detroit Red Wings on an overtime game-winner in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup conference semifinals when the teams last met at the United Center.

Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane expected that to be on players’ minds when the two teams face each other again in a preseason game at the United Center on Tuesday.

“I haven’t seen their lineup, but I’m sure they have some players who were here last year that aren’t too happy with the way things went down, so they’ll probably be trying to get a little revenge,” Kane said. “I’m sure memories will fly if they have the same lineup as last year. …. I’m sure they’ll be thinking about the last time they were here and what happened in that Game 7.”

Last season’s playoffs and the fact it’s the Red Wings may add some flare to the Blackhawks’ preseason opener, but Chicago coach Joel Quenneville was more concerned about his players getting off to a good start and continuing to evaluate players.

“Guys like playing,” Quenneville said. “Whether it’s the first exhibition game, first regular-season game, I think there’s always that excitement in the air. I think the guys get a little nervous going into these type of games. I look forward to it. Detroit, I’m sure they’re excited about playing in it as well. It’ll be a good measuring stick for some guys as well. It’ll be a good part of our evaluation process watching a number of guys tonight.”

After four days of scrimmages, Kane was looking forward to playing against someone who wasn’t wearing a Blackhawks jersey, too.

“Just play the right way to start,” Kane said. “The big thing is you want to get used back to that game pace, especially you play some scrimmages and get used to it a little bit. Now you play some preseason games, so it’ll be ramped up a little bit more. You know you’re playing different players than on your own team. It’ll be fun.

"I think it’s always a fun game when you’re playing against Detroit, no matter the time of year. It’ll be nice to get back out in front of the ice in front of the United Center, get the season under way.”

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CHICAGO -- Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews is improving, but he will sit out a scrimmage on Monday and the first preseason game on Tuesday due to a lower-body injury, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said on Monday.

Quenneville said Toews skated at the United Center on Monday, and Toews gave him encouraging news afterward.

“He said he felt great,” Quenneville said. “That’s a good sign. No aggravation.”

Toews was kept out of the team’s scrimmages on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Notre Dame. Quenneville said Friday that Toews’ injury was minor and it was something he suffered prior to the training camp.

Quenneville said Toews would participate in future preseason games. The Blackhawks have six preseason games before their season opener on Oct. 1.

“He’ll definitely be playing in preseason games,” Quenneville said. “We’ll be keeping an eye on him this week.”

Michal Handzus, Michal Rozsival and Brandon Pirri will also not play in Monday’s scrimmage due to injuries. Quenneville described Pirri as being “OK,” and he said Handzus and Rozsival were improving.

“Handzus and [Rozsival] have been skating a lot over the past few days,” Quenneville said. “They’re both progressing well. We see them both being ready to start the season.”

Quenneville said Marian Hossa will sit out Monday’s scrimmage to give other players more ice time.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Nick Leddy isn’t sure where all the time went.

Leddy may only be 22 years old, but he’s already played in 212 NHL regular-season and playoff games and is about to enter his fourth season with the Blackhawks.

“It flew by,” Leddy said on Sunday. “I think I feel more and more comfortable every year. Just feels weird to me this being my fourth year.”

Leddy is becoming an NHL veteran on paper, but he doesn’t feel that way on the ice. He and Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville think he still has room to grow.

Quenneville especially spoke positively of Leddy after Saturday’s scrimmages.

“I thought he’s had a strong start to our season,” Quenneville said on Saturday. “I thought last year he got off to a really good start to our team. I thought he was a big part to our season. I thought he used that speed and quickness regularly [during Saturday’s scrimmages.] Looked like he had more pace to it. I think he’s a young kid. We expect him to keep improving offensively and defensively. But [Saturday] he showed he’s ready to take another step.”

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SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The Chicago Blackhawks' experiment with Brandon Saad as the second-line center completed its third day Saturday.

Saad found the results to be more pleasing this time around.

“I felt better today than yesterday,” Saad said. “[Friday’s scrimmage] was a new experience. Talking with the coaches positionally-wise and being able to play today, I felt much better today than I did yesterday.”

Saad, who hadn’t previously played center prior to training camp, has noticed there are a couple of areas that have been especially difficult in making the transition.

“Faceoffs are going to be something I’m going to need to work at, for sure,” Saad said. “But that is something you can work on to improve. Just not getting ahead of the play, coming to get the puck and supporting the wingers, it’s something new and something I’ll have to adjust to.

“With the wing, you’re usually more ahead of the play. You kind of have to slow yourself down and think a little bit more just because it’s a new experience for me. Like I said, it’s getting better each day.”

Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville gave Saad a favorable review Saturday.

“He looks alright,” Quenneville said. “It seems like he has the puck. Play recognition is there. Defensively, I think that continues to be a work in progress. But I like him right now, but we’ll see.”

Saad will get his first taste of center in a preseason game against the Detroit Red Wings at the United Center on Tuesday.

Toews still out: Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews sat out Saturday’s practices and scrimmages due to a lower-body injury. Toews participated in a practice Friday, but he missed the scrimmages. Quenneville said Toews would likely rest again Sunday.

“Toews, [he’s] much better today,” Quenneville said. “He wanted to skate today, but make sure we’re more than ready with him.”

Handzus, Rozsival improving: Blackhawks forward Michal Handzus and defenseman Michal Rozsival participated in two practices Saturday, but they were kept out of the scrimmages. Quenneville said both were progressing.

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SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa described his back as “much stronger” and “better” following the first day of training camp at Notre Dame on Thursday, but he thought Friday’s scrimmage would be the true test.

Hossa suffered a back injury during the Stanley Cup finals last season. He said one of the discs in his back was shooting into his nerves, and he couldn’t feel his right foot. He was scratched from Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals and returned for Game 4, but he wasn’t as effective the last three games. Hossa was able to avoid surgery in the offseason.

Hossa participated fully in Thursday’s practice and was hopeful he’d be cleared to participate in Friday’s scrimmage.

“I would like to be,” Hossa said. “I got to talk to the coaches and staff, but I believe I will be. I really want to be because I want to test myself whether it’s OK or not.”

Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said later Thursday that Hossa would play in the scrimmage. Quenneville also said Michal Rozsival and Michal Handzus will be held out of scrimmages for a few days, but they will participate in practices.

Hossa, who will turn 35 in January, said he’s learned how to take care of his body better after a variety of injuries over the years. He played in 40 games last season (not counting playoffs) and had 31 points.

“What I found is everybody’s body is a little bit different,” Hossa said. “But for myself, you have to take the time to really heal yourself. I think that’s really important. I know the summer wasn’t too long, but I had lots of time off, and I started slowly again. Like when I had the concussion, I took my time. So I feel like on the ice my back is much, much stronger and better. For me, that’s the key. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be skating or having contact if I had a little doubt in my head.”

Quenneville also thought he may have to watch Hossa's minutes.

“I think that’s something we’re always aware of -- health and in different situations and backing off guys, whether it’d being practice days, ice time in games,” Quenneville said. “Hossa, I don’t want to say he’s getting older, but if you’re not ready to play, you’re not ready to play. I think that’s something we’ll watch. It’s nice to see he’s started here and he’s ready to go. But that … works itself out. We have a pretty good feel on our training staff, doctors, players and coach.”

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The Chicago Blackhawks obviously want to repeat as Stanley Cup champions.

Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews just didn't think Wednesday, the first day of training camp, was the time to be focused on that.

"When you win the Stanley Cup and you come in the following season, it's happened to us twice now, the talk is always going to be about repeating," Toews said at a news conference at the University of Notre Dame. "We kind of understand that. But we know that we don't really want to be talking about that yet. It's a long ways away. Like we said, we got to focus on the start of the season and not making the mistakes we made last time.

"Once we get to building ourselves up as a team the way we did last year and preparing ourselves for the playoff run, we want to put ourselves in a position come playoff time to be that team that can compete for it again. But we know with what happened last year, we know there's a lot of pressures, a lot of things that play into that. That's our goal for now. We believe that we can be that team that has a chance to [repeat] and can be one of those motivating factors."

Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp also said he thought he and his teammates had moved on from last season's success and the trophy that accompanied it.

"If you ask the players, the three of us [Duncan Keith, Toews and himself], we're certainly done with [the Stanley Cup]," Sharp said. "We enjoyed it. We had our fun with it. But we're focused on starting a new season and kind of turning the page on what happened last year. Personally, I'm done with it. I had a great time; my family and friends enjoyed it. But I'm ready to go and try to win it again."

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ESPNChicago.com's Blackhawks reporter Scott Powers is counting down this season's top-50 storylines leading into this week's training camp. Here's the fourth installment:

20. Getting Leddy back to form
Blackhawks defenseman Nick Leddy had a postseason to forget with a minus-8 rating in 23 games and was limited to a career-low 2:37 of ice time in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals. Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville's lack of confidence in Leddy isn't expected to carry over into this season, but it would help both sides for Leddy to have a strong start to the season. He is still just 22, but he's now entering his fourth NHL season and will be expected to be more consistent. He signed a two-year, $5.4 million deal in the offseason.

19. Keeping Shaw on the right side of the line
Andrew Shaw thrived last season in the role of agitator and third-line center for the Blackhawks. On the third line, he was reliable enough defensively, was able to set up his wingers and could chip in the occasional goal. He has also been known to mix it up with opposing players and get under their skin. His post-whistle activities have at times worked against the Blackhawks and led to unnecessary penalties. Michal Handzus had a talk with Shaw during the playoffs about utilizing that additional energy, but also being smart about it. Shaw did a better job of doing that as the playoffs progressed. It will be important again for Shaw to find the right side of that line this season.

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ESPNChicago.com's Blackhawks reporter Scott Powers is counting down this season's top-50 storylines over the next week leading into training camp. Here's the second installment:

40. Kane and Toews extensions
Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews aren't unrestricted free agents until after the 2014-15 season and can't negotiate contract extensions until after the 2013-14 season, but still expect this to be a storyline throughout this season. Those deals are Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman's priorities, and he's been planning for them for a long time. Everything Bowman has done -- the extensions he gave Bryan Bickell, Corey Crawford and Niklas Hjalmarsson, signing restricted free agents, etc. -- has been with Kane's and Toews' contracts in mind. The salary cap is expected to be raised in the future, which will help the Blackhawks. Kane and Toews have implied they'd like to remain in Chicago and may be willing to give the Blackhawks a hometown deal. To put both among the top-15 paid players in the NHL, the Blackhawks would have to give them around $7.5 million each.

39. The No. 3 shootout shooter
The Blackhawks were slightly above .500 in shootouts last season with a 6-5 record. Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville turned to Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews in every shootout last season, and the pair scored 11 of the team's 16 shootout goals. But Quenneville couldn't consistently decide on a No. 3 shooter and used a number of different players there. Marian Hossa, Michal Rozsival, Brandon Saad, Andrew Shaw and Patrick Sharp were among the players to get multiple shootout attempts last season. Of the group, Hossa was the only player to score more than one goal. He had two goals in three attempts. It will be interesting to see whether Quenneville sticks with Hossa as the No. 3 shooter this season or goes a different route.

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The Chicago Blackhawks have their team and they’re making a run at becoming a dynasty with it.

After having to dissolve a large portion of the 2010 Stanley Cup team due to salary cap restraints, Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman is doing his best to keep nearly everyone together for years to come after their latest Cup win.

The Blackhawks will now have at least 14 players, including seven forwards, six defensemen and one goaltender, from last season’s Stanley Cup roster together over the next two seasons, and that number will likely grow with Andrew Shaw and Ben Smith among the group of upcoming restricted free agents.

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CHICAGO -- Changes are likely coming for the Chicago Blackhawks in the not-so-distant future.

Don't worry, the core will likely stay intact. There isn't expected to be much turnover in the team's wingers and defensemen. Wings Bryan Bickell, Marian Hossa, Patrick Kane, Brandon Saad and Patrick Sharp and defensemen Duncan Keith, Nick Leddy, Johnny Oduya, Michal Rozsival and Brent Seabrook are all signed through at least the 2014-2015 season.

Where change may occur, though, is at center. Aside from Jonathan Toews, there's plenty of uncertainty over which players will fill the team's centermen roles in the future.

Some center changes will arrive next season. Most notably, the second-line center is up for grabs again.

Brandon Pirri, Andrew Shaw, Marcus Kruger and Michal Handzus, all of whom have played center in the past, were thought to be the logical choices for the spot. But Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville did away with that assumption when he recently said Saad, who has mostly played left wing in his career, will be given first crack at the second-line center opening.

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