Now the puck stops here: Do the Hawks have the right goalie

While winning the Stanley Cup is a legitimate goal for the Blackhawks, fans packing this weekend's convention at the Hilton Chicago can't help but have one serious concern.

Do the Hawks have the goalie to help bring them their first championship since John F. Kennedy was in the White House?

Enter Cristobal Huet, now thrust into the spotlight as the Hawks' No. 1 goaltender with Nikolai Khabibulin gone to Edmonton as a free agent.

Huet split the goaltending duties right down the middle with Khabibulin last season - 40 starts each - until the playoffs, when he was relegated to the backup role until the final two games of the Western Conference finals against Detroit when Khabibulin got hurt and couldn't play.

Huet is confident he can get the job done on his own this season, and he has the backing of coach Joel Quenneville and general manager Stan Bowman.

"He's an excellent goaltender, so that's not a concern of mine," Bowman said.

Huet went 20-15-4 last season with solid 2.53 goals-against average and .909 save percentage. He struggled with his consistency at times, mostly in the form of soft goals.

"I think I can play better," Huet said. "I want to be more consistent for sure."

He will need to be if the Hawks are to live up to lofty expectations that would seem to make them one of the teams to beat in the Western Conference.

"Last year was kind of a weird situation for me and Nik," Huet said. "I think this year a lot of things are going to be different for me. Last year, I didn't like the way I played most of the time, or sometimes, and I want to rebound.

"It's a good chance for me to show, especially here in Chicago, that I can play and respond. I look forward to that, playing more games and competing every night. I can't wait for the season to start."

Quenneville was reluctant to say how many starts Huet might get, guessing 55 to 60, depending on injuries and how either Corey Crawford or Antti Niemi perform in the backup role.

Quenneville gave Huet a vote of confidence.

"Consistency is probably the best measuring stick for a goalie throughout the year," Quenneville said. "I think he had some really good games and won some games for us outright for us. Consistency is something we're looking for him to achieve. Certainly it's a great opportunity for him to grab the ball."

Huet seemed uncomfortable in the situation with Khabibulin last season, possibly knowing that as the perceived No. 2 goalie he might not play for a week or more if he had a shaky outing.

With Khabibulin's formidable shadow now out of the picture, Quenneville is eager to see how Huet responds.

"Hopefully he gets some confidence in his game that he's the guy and goes with it," Quenneville said. "Whether it gives him confidence or comfort, I still think there will be a push there (from either Crawford or Niemi) that will be healthy for everybody.

"As a goalie you're pushing to play, you want to be the guy. Goalies want the net."

Huet said he wouldn't prepare for the season any differently with Khabibulin no longer around.

"We want to try to accomplish something bigger than what we did last year," Huet said. "It's a tough task, but I think we have a good team."