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Blackhawks minus Toews for playoff rematch with Sharks

Dec 30, 2010 - 3:57 PM (Sports Network) - With all three of its star players back on the ice at the same time on Monday, the Blackhawks figured to be set up for a run up the Western Conference standings. An injury to their captain may have altered those plans.

Chicago will be without Jonathan Toews this evening as it takes on the Sharks in San Jose goaltender Antti Niemi's return to the United Center.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks are tied with the Avalanche, Blues and Sharks for the fifth spot in the Western Conference as all four clubs have 43 points. Chicago used a four-game winning streak to move up the standings, but that run came to an end in Tuesday's 3-1 setback in St. Louis.

The Blackhawks got Patrick Kane back into the lineup in that game after he had missed the last eight contests with a left ankle injury, while Marian Hossa was skating in his second contest since missing 10 in a row due to a lower- body injury suffered in practice on Nov. 29.

Skating at close to full strength, Toews left the game in the first period due to an upper-body injury and is expected to miss about two weeks. He has 15 goals and 18 assists in 38 games this year.

Playing most of the game without its captain, Chicago's lone goal came by Jake Dowell, while Marty Turco made 40 saves in the loss.

"Maybe you get Kane and Hossa back, you think it's going to be easy again," Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville said. "What made us effective is we played hard and simple and played for each other. We've got to get rid of the cutesy stuff."

With Corey Crawford still battling flu-like symptoms, Turco is expected to get the start again tonight. He took a loss to the Sharks in San Jose on Nov. 24, yielding four goals on 28 shots. Turco has lost three of his last four outings versus San Jose and is 24-15-4 with a tie and 2.30 goals-against average when facing them lifetime.

Both meetings between the two clubs this year have taken place in San Jose, with the Sharks winning both. They have now won three of four and 16 of the past 21 regular-season meetings versus Chicago, but was swept by the Blackhawks in four games in last year's Western Conference finals.

Niemi was key in Chicago winning that series, posting a 1.67 GAA in the four- game sweep. He notched a 2.63 GAA in 22 playoff games on the way to a Stanley Cup championship.

Niemi has started both of San Jose's games this year against his former club, posting a 1.45 GAA in the two victories. He could get the call tonight with San Jose playing on back-to-back nights and Antero Niittymaki allowing five goals on 24 shots in Wednesday's 5-3 loss in Minnesota.

Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Devin Setoguchi lit the lamp for the Sharks, who allowed three goals in the third period one game after yielding all four tallies of a 4-0 setback to the Kings in the final frame on Monday.

San Jose, which had won four straight prior to consecutive losses, skated without Joe Pavelski and Torrey Mitchell due to illness.

The Sharks lost the opener of a three-game road trip, while the 'Hawks have won four straight at home.