Huet's confidence 'not very high'

COLUMBUS, Ohio - It's going to be up to Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville to decide if Cristobal Huet gets another start with only nine games left in the regular season.

Huet had a chance to keep himself in the competition to be the starting goalie for the playoffs Thursday night, but he allowed 7 goals on 27 shots in the Hawks' 8-3 loss to the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena.

Huet was pulled in the second period after giving up his fifth goal on 20 shots, but Quenneville put him back in the net to start the third period to give him the extra work.

Huet is hoping to get a chance to redeem himself, although he admitted his confidence is at a low point.

"After a game like that it's not very high, obviously," Huet said. "Maybe it's time to look back on what I've done in my career and focus on that and work hard, obviously.

"I can definitely use that game as a point where I need to go back in the net when I'm asked to and avoid to repeat that and work my way out of that."

Huet showed rust in his first start since March 13. He missed a practice and two games last week with the flu.

"I'm not going to look for any excuses or anything," Huet said. "It was just bad, really."

Different opinions: While Patrick Sharp felt Thursday's blowout loss was something that had been building because of the Hawks' poor play since the Olympic break, Joel Quenneville didn't see it that way.

"I don't know about that," Quenneville said. "I don't know if it was bound to happen because I couldn't see this one coming."

It was the Hawks' worst loss of the season by far.

"You shouldn't have a night like that, but at the same time through an 82-game season it was probably the first time we really stunk it up," Adam Burish said. "You can't lose a game 8-3 in this league.

"It's embarrassing a little bit, to be honest with you, to lose to this team that's probably not going to make the playoffs. That's not to disrespect them because every team has good players, but it's embarrassing to lose 8-3."

Tip-ins: The power play was 1-for-5 and is now 4-for-34 in the last nine games. - Marian Hossa was at the left point again on the power play. - Dave Bolland was a late scratch because of the flu. Colin Fraser replaced Bolland, making his first appearance in five games. - Brent Sopel was a healthy scratch for the second straight game.