Hossa sits, heads to Vancouver

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Marian Hossa didn't play in the Blackhawks' 5-4 win over the Blue Jackets, but he did take the charter flight to Vancouver following Sunday's game and is expected to be ready to go to battle for Slovakia in the Olympics.

Hossa was shaken up in Saturday's victory over Atlanta after being checked high and hard by Colby Armstrong.

"He looked really good today," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said Sunday. "I think he'll get there and have a different group working on him. I think he'll be fine."

Apparently Hossa's status is up to Slovakia's medical people, which is OK with the Hawks.

"He looked fine exiting today," Quenneville said. "We'll let them decide where he is at health-wise, but we really saw significant improvement from yesterday."

Quenneville, who didn't want to comment on Armstrong's hit after Saturday's game until he saw the replay, thought it was clean.

"He might have been a little off his feet, but in that type of area on the ice you've got to be careful," he said. "He didn't see him, so that's what compounded the hit."