Lalime ready, willing when Hawks call

As well as Nikolai Khabibulin played in Sunday's victory over Detroit, Patrick Lalime will be in goal tonight when the Blackhawks start their six-game road trip in Columbus against the Blue Jackets.

"Lalime has been good against Columbus and he has played well for us," said Hawks assistant coach Mark Hardy.

Lalime has won four of five starts and owns a 2.31 goals-against average and .904 save percentage. He was in goal last Wednesday when the Hawks beat the Blue Jackets 5-2 at the United Center.

"My job is to try and be ready whenever I get the call," Lalime said.

With the Hawks playing back-to-back games, the chances are good that Khabibulin will start Thursday in Nashville.

Khabibulin tweaked his knee in Sunday's win over Detroit, and he also needed to be given fluids after the game to fight off dehydration.

"He's healthy," Hardy said. "He looked great out there (at practice Tuesday). What an effort he came back with against Detroit. Right off the bat he was sharp, and it was nice to see him bounce back the way he did."

Up in the air: It looked as if Martin Havlat might return to the lineup this week, but that might not be the case now.

"We're not sure," said Mark Hardy, who spoke for Denis Savard on Tuesday with the head coach away attending the funeral of his father-in-law.

"He's probably a couple weeks away," Hardy said. "We've got to make sure he's 100 percent. We have a certain level we like to play at, and we've got to make sure he's able to play at that level.

"Marty will know when he's ready, and Savvy will put him in when he feels he's ready."

Hot goalie: The Hawks can expect to get their first look at Columbus goalie Pascal Leclaire tonight.

Leclaire is 7-4 with 5 shutouts and a 1.56 goals-against average, but backup Fredrik Norrena has played against the Hawks in the first two games of the season series.

"The biggest thing when a goalie is playing well is to get traffic in front of him and make it hard for him to see the puck," Mark Hardy said. "We've been doing a much better job, but obviously we have to get better as a team and score more goals 5-on-5."

Tip-ins: Defenseman Brent Sopel didn't practice Tuesday because of the flu but is expected to play. … Defenseman Andrei Zyuzin was taken off the injury reserve list. He has been sidelined since Oct. 25 with a groin strain.

Scouting report

Blackhawks vs. Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena, 6 p.m.

TV: Comcast SportsNet

Radio: WSCR 670-AM

The skinny: After an 8-3-2 start, the Blue Jackets have hit a bump in the road. Their 4-1 loss to Nashville on Monday was their fourth in a row and fifth in the last six games. Left wing Fredrik Modin (back spasms) is out, and center Mike Peca (groin) is questionable. The season series is tied at 1-1, with both teams winning at the United Center. The Hawks downed the Blue Jackets 5-2 last week behind goalie Patrick Lalime, who starts again tonight.

Player to watch: Yanic Perreault. The Hawks' veteran has 3 goals in the last four games.

Next: Nashville Predators at Gaylord Entertainment Center, 7 p.m. Thursday

-- Tim Sassone