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Quenneville back as 'Hawks visit Preds

Feb 24, 2011 - 4:06 PM (Sports Network) - Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews said posting consecutive victories for the first time in over a month has helped boost his club's confidence.

Chicago takes aim at that third straight triumph this evening when it wraps its season series against the Central Division-rival and current Western Conference-standing superior Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena.

After winning just three of its first eight games this month, the Blackhawks have bested the Penguins and Blues on back-to-back nights for their first winning streak since a three-game run from Jan. 7-12. That has Chicago tied with three other clubs for ninth place in the Western Conference with 68 points, two points out of a playoff spot.

After a big shootout win over Pittsburgh on Sunday, Chicago headed to St. Louis the following night and came away with a 5-3 victory thanks to a four- goal second period. Toews and Patrick Kane both had a goal and an assist in the frame, while Viktor Stalberg and Dave Bolland also lit the lamp.

"Anything less than two points is unacceptable. It's a confidence builder to get two in a row. These are games we need," said Toews, who has three goals and 14 assists in his last 11 games.

Corey Crawford made 31 saves for the Blackhawks, who have won three of four overall -- all without head coach Joel Quenneville, who was recovering after suffering from gastrointestinal bleeding caused by an ulcer. Mike Haviland had been serving as head coach in Quenneville's absence, which began after Quenneville was admitted into the hospital on Feb. 16.

Quenneville, who was released from the hospital three days later, returned to the club on Wednesday for practice and is expected to resume head coaching duties in this game.

"It feels great [to be back on the ice]. I was on IR for a week," Quenneville joked after practice. "We'll call it an upper-body injury. It's all good to go. The only pain I was in for the last week was sitting in the hospital watching games, but it was a great result the last couple of games."

Chicago, which won for just the second time in its last six road games, is 2-1-2 versus Nashville this season, losing a pair of shootout decisions at Bridgestone Arena.

The Blackhawks have lost six of their last nine overall in the Music City and Crawford is 1-1-1 with a 1.96 goals-against average in three starts versus the Predators this year.

Cal O'Reilly and Marcel Goc both own a shootout-winning tally over the Blackhawks, but neither found the back the net in Tuesday's 4-0 loss in Columbus.

Pekka Rinne stopped 26 shots and allowed all four goals in the third period for Nashville, which has dropped three of its last four. The Predators, though, remain two points up on the Blackhawks in the standings and tied with three other clubs for the fifth spot in the West.

Nashville was shut out for the sixth time this season, but could have defenseman Ryan Suter back tonight after he missed Tuesday's game with a lower-body injury. Forward Sergei Kostitsyn is also expected to return from an undisclosed injury that kept him out of Tuesday's loss.

Nashville is 14-6-7 at home this year, including 3-2-2 this month.

Rinne is 6-5-0 with a 2.35 GAA in his career when facing Chicago.