Toews news better than game result for Hawks

It could have been a lot worse.

The Blackhawks received the news they were hoping for Thursday when the results of the MRI taken on Jonathan Toews' left knee showed only a sprain.

Toews is expected to miss the next 3-4 weeks, according to general manager Dale Tallon.

The news wasn't as good on the ice, however, as the Hawks saw their losing streak reach three games with a 4-2 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes in Glendale, Ariz.

Minus Toews, Martin Havlat and Jason Williams, the Hawks couldn't muster a consistent offense on a night when minor league call-ups Kris Versteeg and Jack Skille were among their best forwards, while veterans Robert Lang, Tuomo Ruutu and Patrick Sharp were mostly invisible.

Cam Barker got the Hawks on the scoreboard with a late goal after it was 3-0. Versteeg scored his first NHL goal with 1:27 to play with goalie Nikolai Khabibulin pulled for a sixth attacker, but the Coyotes got an empty-net goal in the final minute.

Toews was injured in Tuesday's loss at Los Angeles and became the eighth Hawks regular to go out of the lineup with an injury, joining Havlat, Williams, James Wisniewski, Brent Sopel, Ben Eager, Kevyn Adams and Dave Bolland.

Toews didn't remember exactly how he got hurt until watching video of the play.

"I went after the puck and thought I was skating alone and changed directions and my knee kind of gave in," Toews said during an interview with Comcast SportsNet.

"I watched the video and I guess there was a guy (Lubomir Visnovski) right on me on the boards there who kind of put some pressure on my leg."

Toews will do a lot of icing the next few days and keep the knee stable before getting the OK to begin rehab.

"It's part of the game, it happens," Toews said. "It was kind of a freak accident. I'll just rehab it and get my knee stronger."

The Hawks were a better team Thursday than the one that got blown out 9-2 in Los Angeles, but the Coyotes had more jump early despite playing in Colorado on Wednesday.

The Coyotes got first period goals from Martin Hanzal and Craig Weller against Khabibulin, who got the start after a shaky outing against the Kings where he was pulled in the first period.

Hanzal's goal came after Khabibulin made an outstanding stop only to knock in the rebound with his glove.

After a scoreless second period, the Coyotes made it 3-0 on Radim Vrbata's power-play goal at 7:45 of the third.

Vrbata got his 18th goal of the season with the Coyotes enjoying a two-man advantage. Adam Burish and Martin Lapointe were serving penalties as a result of an incident that occurred at 6:13.

A hit by Coyotes defenseman Keith Ballard that appeared to injure Hawks winger Skille was answered by Burish, who jumped Ballard and earned a minor penalty for instigating, a major for fighting and a game misconduct.

Lapointe was hit with a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Skille limped to the bench favoring his left let leg but was able to finish the game. Replays showed Ballard did not catch Skille with his knee on the open ice hit.

The Coyotes had 8 power plays to the Hawks' 3.