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Blackhawks set for rematch with Sharks

Dec 11, 2010 - 3:51 PM (Sports Network) - The surging Chicago Blackhawks will aim for a third straight victory when they visit the San Jose Sharks for tonight's battle at HP Pavilion.

This is the second meeting of the year between the Blackhawks and Sharks, who were swept by Chicago in last spring's Western Conference finals. Chicago, of course, went on to win its first Stanley Cup title since 1961.

The Sharks notched a 5-2 victory over Chicago when the clubs met in San Jose on Nov. 24. Antti Niemi, who backstopped the Blackhawks to their title last year, made 30 saves in that contest, which was his first matchup against his former club.

Chicago has still won five out of seven in the series, but the Sharks have taken 15 of the last 20 regular-season encounters overall. The Blackhawks had a three-game road winning streak in the series snapped in the meeting on Nov. 24.

The Blackhawks have played some of their best hockey of the season lately, winning two straight and five of their last six games. Chicago will try to keep heading in the right direction despite the fact that key forwards Patrick Kane (ankle) and Marian Hossa (lower body) are currently sidelined with injuries.

Chicago went 3-1-0 on a recent four-game homestand and closed that residency with Wednesday's 5-3 victory over Dallas. Bryan Bickell and Jonathan Toews each had a goal and an assist to help the Blackhawks down the Stars.

Patrick Sharp, Jeremy Morin and Troy Brouwer each had a goal for the Blackhawks, while Corey Crawford stopped 28 shots in the win.

Chicago held leads of 3-0 and 4-1 against the Stars, but Dallas scored twice late in the second period to make it a 4-3 game. Chicago would hold on to that one-goal lead before Sharp made it 5-3 with an empty-net goal just before the final horn.

"This has been a trend around here for at least a year or two. We get up by three or four and we lose our concentration," Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville said. "We were better in the third period and we had to be."

Chicago is 8-4-2 as the guest this year and will wrap a two-game road trip when it visits Colorado on Monday.

San Jose, meanwhile, is back home for a two-game residency after recently completing a five-game road trip with a 3-2-0 record. The Sharks lost the final test on the swing, dropping a 6-3 decision in Buffalo on Thursday.

Logan Couture had a goal and an assist for the Sharks, while Niemi allowed five goals on 36 shots.

"We wanted to finish this one right, and we fell short," San Jose forward Patrick Marleau said of the trip.

Couture enters tonight riding a five-game point streak and the rookie has six goals and two assists during the run. The ninth overall pick of the 2007 draft is leading all NHL rookies with 14 goals and 21 points.

The Sharks are 7-4-2 as the host this year, but have lost two of their last three home games.

San Jose defenseman Kent Huskins has missed six consecutive games with an upper-body injury and is questionable for tonight's tilt.