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Hawks more boss with Hoss

The Blackhawks are a different team with Marian Hossa in the lineup — different as in better.

After playing three games without Hossa, two of which they lost, the Hawks had their veteran star back in the lineup on Thursday against Winnipeg.

Hossa snapped a 3-3 tie with a goal 3:11 into the third period as the Hawks beat the Jets 6-3 at MTS Centre.

Jonathan Toews had 4 points, including the assist on Hossa's go-ahead 10th goal of the season.

“He solidifies your team game,” Quenneville said of Hossa to reporters. “Defensively and offensively, he has the puck a lot. He plays important minutes for us and that time when he's on the ice, that effectiveness of how we want to play is really enhanced.”

Toews scored his 11th goal midway through the second period to put the Hawks ahead 3-2, but a power-play goal by Dustin Byfuglien with the Jets owning a two-man advantage tied it.

Ben Smith gave the Hawks some breathing room with a goal two minutes after Hossa scored.

The Hawks revealed before the game they would be without left wing Bryan Bickell for a 2-3 weeks because of a left leg injury, but they did get Hossa back after he missed three games with a lower body injury.

Bickell was hurt in Tuesday's loss at Colorado when he crashed into the net.

“Bick, he's likely out a couple weeks,” Quenneville said. “We'll know a little bit more as we progress, but likely that's the time frame.”

Jeremy Morin, recalled from Rockford on Wednesday, replaced Bickell on the third line with Andrew Shaw and Kris Versteeg.

“It gives Mo a chance to play a little more than the last time he was up,” Quenneville said. “He's been fine in the games. We didn't give him a ton of ice time. Offensively, we think he has real good skills. Progressing on both sides of the puck is what we're looking at.”

Hossa took his place on the first line with Toews and Patrick Sharp and set up Brandon Saad's goal in the second period that gave the Hawks a short-lived 2-0 lead.

The teams were playing 4-on-4 when Hossa took the puck from two Jets and found Saad in the slot for his fourth goal in six games.

Hossa hadn't played since last week.

“(Wednesday) was the best I've felt in the last few days so I'm ready to go,” Hossa told reporters. “I basically have to go back to the short shifts and feeling the game again. Hopefully, it won't be too bad. I expect a lot from myself so I hope to be back to normal. Lately my timing was back and our line was playing really well. These little injuries slow you down, but that's hockey.”

The 2-0 lead lasted 19 seconds before Andrew Ladd made it 2-1 with a wrist shot past Corey Crawford.

The Jets tied it 29 seconds after that when Keaton Ellerby scored on a power play with a 55-footer past Crawford on a feed from Byfuglien.

Patrick Kane's power-play goal in the first period had given the Hawks a 1-0 lead. Kane beat goalie Ondrej Pavelich from in the slot through a double screen by Shaw and the Jets' Byfuglien.

It extended Kane's points streak to nine games.

Meanwhile, center Michal Handzus will rejoin the team in Vancouver this weekend and could play Monday at Edmonton.

Ÿ Follow Tim's hockey reports on Twitter @TimSassone and check out his Between the Circles blog at dailyherald.com.

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