Split decision: Niemi gets to face Caps, Ovechkin
In announcing his goalie rotation for the weekend on Friday, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville provided more proof that the No. 1 job is Antti Niemi's to lose with 16 games left before the playoffs.
While Cristobal Huet starts on Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia against the Flyers, Niemi gets the marquee start of the weekend on Sunday when Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals - the NHL's top player and top team - come to the United Center for a nationally televised game.
Quenneville likely won't commit to a playoff starter until the regular season ends on April 11, but actions speak louder than words. Niemi has started six of the last nine games since before the Olympic break, going 5-0 in those starts with a no-decision.
"I don't want to say a date or how many games we mightmake a decision," Quenneville said. "Hopefully we've got a tough decision to make."
It's been a back-and-forth battle for playing time since the middle of the season for Niemi and Huet.
"Right off the bat Huey was OK to start the year and Antti didn't get much of a chance to start or play much early and Huey really improved his game," Quenneville said. "Antti has been biding his time looking for more of an opportunity as we've gone along here, and has taken advantage of the chance to get more playing time.
"At the same time Huey's game hasn't been as great as it was for a great stretch of the year there. Recently he looks like he's recapturing that feeling. I think both guys want to play and are supporting of one another, and that competitiveness is healthy."
Quenneville didn't deny the coaching staff was monitoring Niemi closely as the season winds down to see how the first-year goalie handles the pressure of being the No. 1 guy.
"He's a really good pro and you can appreciate his composure and the way he comes in on a daily basis," Quenneville said. "His focus is in the right place. I don't think the distraction of getting a little bit more responsibility has changed him at all.
"I think the best way to measure that is see how he's playing in the net because you're not going to get that read because he's pretty consistent in his mannerisms and how he approaches games. We are getting to see a little more out of him now to get a better read, but we like what we see. For a young kid in the net, it's been a good year for him."
Huet will face a Flyers team likely to be ornery following Thursday's 5-1 loss to Boston on home ice when they were completely outplayed by the Bruins.
"After playing like that they're going to be ready for us," Quenneville said.
"Our defense was porous," Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said. "We breezed in and breezed out."
The Flyers are another one of those teams the Hawks will see a lot of down the stretch that are desperate to make the playoffs. The Flyers are sixth in the Eastern Conference, but only 2 points out of eighth.
The Hawks will look to keep the momentum they got from Wednesday's 3-2 win over Los Angeles when they worked out a lot of their defensive issues.
"The playoffs are coming quickly and we want to get in a mode where we pick up our game," defenseman Duncan Keith said.
Hawks @ FlyersTime: noon SaturdayTV: Channel 9Radio: WGN 720-AMWhat to watch: The Flyers' 5-1 loss to Boston on Thursday snapped a five-game home winning streak. Center Jeff Carter has 10 goals in the last 10 games. Ex-Hawk Michael Leighton is expected to start in goal. The Hawks haven't won in Philadelphia since 1996.Last meeting: The Hawks beat the Flyers 5-1 on Dec. 26, 2008Next: Washington Capitals at the United Center, 11:30 a.m. Sunday <div class="infoBox"><h1>More Coverage</h1><div class="infoBoxContent"><div class="infoArea"><h2>Stories</h2><ul class="links"><li><a href="/story/?id=365661">Hawks' third-line forwards impressing Quenneville<span class="date"> [3/12/10]</span></a></li></ul></div></div></div>