Hawks: Hossa's injury not serious

Marian Hossa missed Sunday's 3-1 loss to Anaheim with a lower body injury, but Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville doesn't believe the problem is serious.

There's a good chance Hossa can play in the Hawks' next game on Thursday against Columbus.

"I'm going to say hopeful, likely," Quenneville said.

Hossa apparently was hurt in Saturday's 6-5 loss at Minnesota, although he was well enough to participate at the end in the shootout.

It was the first game Hossa missed since he returned from shoulder surgery on Nov. 25.

Jack Skille was recalled from Rockford to take Hossa's spot in the lineup. Skilled played nine minutes and was minus-1 with 4 hits.

"Skille was playing very well down there and sometimes merit and their performance down there is a criteria," Quenneville said. "I thought Jack worked tonight and gave us some energy."

Time for rest: The Hawks ended a grueling stretch Sunday of 10 games in 16 days since Christmas.

They played 18 games in 33 days since they enjoyed their last three-day break in the schedule on Dec. 6-8. The Hawks now are off for three days for the first time since then.

"This is the busiest stretch probably I've ever had to deal with," Joel Quenneville said. "As a team you can't get any busier than we've been and keeping yourself fresh is the whole motivation through this period."

Quenneville has given his team frequent days off such as Friday in Minnesota and again today.

"Being away from it sometimes can be more productive than having a practice," Quenneville said. "You have to find that balance. We've responded to the next day off and playing that game the following day.

Every team in the NHL has played a schedule crammed with games to this point because of the 15-day Olympic break that starts Feb. 15.

"That's the way it is," Quenneville said. "Everybody is having the same scheduling. Going into (the break) and coming out of it is everybody's challenge."

Finding a positive: Lost amid the third period collapse in Saturday's loss at Minnesota was the fact the Hawks got at least 1 goal from their top three lines

"We've found a pretty good balance with our lines," Patrick Sharp said. "You can't really point the finger at one particular guy or line that's scoring."

Tip-ins: The Hawks have been shut out only twice this season and never at home. - The Hawks had scored 4 goals or more in their last nine games before Sunday. - Patrick Kane's 11-game points scoring streak came to an end.