Quenneville shows confidence in Huet

COLUMBUS, Ohio - With Nikolai Khabibulin playing so well lately, coach Joel Quenneville's decision to start Cristobal Huet in net Saturday night probably wasn't the most popular decisions among Blackhawks fans.

In the end, though, it turned out OK.

"Our goaltending has been great; very consistent for us," Quenneville said following Saturday's victory over the Blue Jackets.. "We all know the value and the importance of strong goaltending, and to get back-to-back real good games ... the team gets excited and it's tough to penetrate."

Inexplicably, somehow Huet was not named one of the stars of the game.

Late shooter: While his teammates are a combined 0-for-10 in shootouts, Jonahtan Toews is a perfect 3-for-3; all this despite not scoring a regular season goal.

What's the deal?

"He's got the hot stick," teammate Patrick Sharp cackled as Toews met with the media.

"Johnny has been great in shootouts," said Hawks coach Joel Quenneville.

Try again: A local online poll asked Blue Jackets fans if the referees were being too harsh on them this season. Ninety percent of respondents answered yes.

Look for those results to change after Columbus was awarded 10 power plays while the Hawks had four.

Those eyes: Team chairman Rocky Wirtz, in town for a family function, took in Saturday night's game. Wirtz admitted it'll be one of the few road games he'll attend due to his hectic schedule.

Increased circulation: Every seat in Nationwide Arena was draped with a special pullout section of the Columbus Dispatch featuring a big "Let's Go Jackets" sign on the front.

Big shots: Columbus' 51 shots on goal Saturday were the second most in franchise history. The Blue Jackets' record was set in 2005 when they put up 53 shots against Minnesota.