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Oilers-Blackhawks Preview

Oct 29, 2010 - 3:40 AM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Edmonton (2-4-1) at Chicago (6-4-1), 8:30 p.m. EDT

The Chicago Blackhawks are going to be without second-leading scorer Marian Hossa for a few weeks.

The Blackhawks will take the ice for the first time without Hossa on Friday night at home as they try to hand the Edmonton Oilers a seventh straight loss.

Hossa was injured in the second period Wednesday in a 3-1 win over Los Angeles. Chicago (6-4-1) described it as an upper-body injury, and said it won't require surgery.

"It's not a serious nature, but it's likely a couple weeks," coach Joel Quenneville said.

Hossa had gone four straight games without a point after opening the season with seven goals and four assists in the first seven games.

"We need him back," top scorer Patrick Sharp said. "He's a big part of our team. Even if he's not scoring goals, he draws a lot of the tough checkers and does so much to help our team."

The Blackhawks plan to call up a forward from the minors before this game.

"Certainly he has been playing well," said Quenneville about Hossa. "I think we gotta tighten up defensively, it's probably the best way and everybody accept their responsibility for a stronger team game."

Sharp has scored in six of seven games, totaling eight goals in that span. He started off strong last season, with five goals in his first six games.

"We've only played 11 of 82 games, there is a lot that can go wrong but hopefully not," Sharp said. "So I'm just trying to get better every day and keep things going."

Patrick Kane is tied for third on the team with eight points, and he and the Blackhawks will get their first look at the player taken first overall in the draft three years after Kane was by Chicago.

Taylor Hall finally scored his first goal Thursday for Edmonton (2-4-2) in a 3-2 shootout loss at Columbus. Hall had one assist through seven games before he deflected in the tying goal in the third period.

"Definitely not the prettiest goal of my life, but I'll take it for sure," Hall said. "It was a big goal for our team as well. I've been waiting a long time and I've been asked about it a million times.

"I put a lot of pressure on myself just because it's out there. I definitely wanted to score tonight and I had a feeling before the game that this was going to be the night."

The Oilers have dropped consecutive games in shootouts after four straight regulation losses. They rallied in the third period of the last two games to force overtime.

"The kids are just playing," coach Tom Renney said. "They understand they are getting an opportunity here and they certainly don't want to let anybody down. This is a good point in time to have them."

Chicago is 7-0-1 against Edmonton over the last two seasons. The Blackhawks won all four meetings in 2009-10, with Kane amassing six points and Sharp five.