Huet OK with watching Niemi start in goal again

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Cristobal Huet has no issue with coach Joel Quenneville's decision to give Antti Niemi his second straight start and third in the last four games on Saturday against the Canucks.

"I'm not mad or anything," Huet said after Friday's practice at GM Place. "He's got the luxury to go with Antti when I'm not playing my 'A' game and it gives me time to recharge and come back strong."

Niemi gets back-to-back starts for the first time this season, but it's no changing of the guard when it comes to the Blackhawks' No. 1 goalie job. It still belongs to Huet, but for now coach Joel Quenneville going with his hot goalie while Huet takes some time to work out a few kinks in practice.

"Based on how well he's played, keep him going," Quenneville said of Niemi. "Everybody gets a chance to get some confidence, that's all part of it.

"(Huet) is a pro. It's all part of the season. Everybody has stretches where you feel great and (stretches) where you have to work on getting back on top of your game."

Huet admits he is has not played well of late.

"The last two games I give up 9 goals. I didn't play well, that's for sure," he said. "Some that went in, I couldn't do much. And some when I'm on, I think I would have saved it. But it's nothing very far away. It's just reaction and a little bit of hesitation, easy correct."

Huet was on the ice longer than usual on Friday with goalie coach Stephane Waite.

"I think it's more when you play two out of three or three out of four games, you can't really get back on the ice and practice," Huet said. "So now it's time maybe to work a little harder and a little longer and take a step back and try to recharge the battery mentally and physically to get that drive and continuity back."

Olympic fever: With the Olympic hockey tournament set to start here in three weeks, Jonathan Toews, Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith and Patrick Kane were surrounded by reporters already in town for the Games after practice.

"Everybody here is real excited and jacked up," said Seabrook, who grew up in Richmond, a suburb of Vancouver. "You can see people running around with Team Canada stuff on. I'm really looking forward to it, and I'm sure the city of Vancouver is as well."

"It's coming up fast and I'm sure it will be an experience I'll never forget," Kane said.

But for all the Hawks going to the Olympics, the most important thing is Saturday's game against the Canucks and the nine other games before the break.

"We've still got some games to play for the Blackhawks before we start thinking about the Olympics," Kane said.

Tip-ins: Defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson didn't practice Friday but is expected to play against the Canucks- Brent Sopel, who left the game in Calgary after blocking a shot, did practice- The line of John Madden, Kris Versteeg and Dustin Byfuglien doesn't have a point on the road trip after four games.