Hossa’s game encouraging sign for Blackhawks

Maybe the most encouraging part of Wednesday’s win over Minnesota for the Blackhawks was Marian Hossa’s performance.

Hossa gave the Hawks the kind of game they need from him with 2 assists, 5 shots on goal and 3 hits. Hossa controlled the puck much the same way he did early in the season when he got off to such a dominant start.

“I think it’s confidence,” assistant coach Mike Haviland said. “You see him carry and puck and possess the puck; he’s one of the better guys in the league at holding on to the puck and protecting it and taking it to the net.

“To see what he did last night and in Phoenix, that’s a good sign for this hockey team. He’s gaining confidence when you talk to him, and that’s great for us.”

Hossa and Duncan Keith were given Thursday’s practice off to rest.

“The games are more important this time of the year in February,” Haviland said. “(Hossa) knows the systems and knows what we want so if he’s rested and he can play a 60-minute game like last night and in Phoenix, we need him to play like he did the last two games down the stretch.”

Back at it:Mike Haviland said the toughest part of filling in for ailing head coach Joel Quenneville on Wednesday was the pregame talk.

Haviland spent seven seasons as a head coach in the minor leagues but hadn#146;t run a bench in several seasons.

#147;I don#146;t think I was nervous,#148; he said. #147;I was a little more nervous doing the speech before the game. I hadn#146;t done that in a couple years.

#147;Once you get on the bench you kind of get back at it. Guys are so professional. They were very attentive and listened. We#146;ve got a great group here, so it was a pleasure and easy to work that bench with them.#148;

Rumor mill:According to a Comcast SportsNet New England report Thursday, the Hawks and the Boston Bruins may be moving closer to a trade that would bring rugged defenseman Mark Stuart to the Hawks for a draft pick.

With the Bruins in hot pursuit of Toronto Maple Leafs all-star defenseman Tomas Kaberle, they would need to dump salary to make that acquisition work. Stuart is the likely odd man out with a cap hit of $1.675 million.

Hawks general manager Stan Bowman has made no secret of his desire to add another defenseman before the Feb. 28 trade deadline.

The Hawks would need to dump some salary themselves in order to take on a player for draft picks.