Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks have won eight consecutive games and can match the franchise record for most wins in a row by beating the Ducks on Friday at Anaheim.

Right wing Marian Hossa, in his Blackhawks debut after four months of recuperation from shoulder surgery, scored two goals on four shots and played more than 16 minutes Wednesday night in a 7-2 romp over the Western Conference-leading San Jose Sharks.

Chicago has four wins to start a six-game road trip; the Hawks were only 2-3-1 in their first six road encounters.

With Hossa on a line with Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, the Hawks could have one of the most potent top lines in the league. Time will tell if this young, promising team can keep it up.

BLACKHAWKS 7, SHARKS 2: The Blackhawks tied a franchise record with three shorthanded goals and had San Jose down 7-0 before the Sharks got two meaningless late goals. It was San Jose's first regulation loss on home ice this season.

• Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville notched his 499th NHL coaching victory on Wednesday and could hit the 500 mark before this road trip is over. Games at Anaheim on Saturday and Los Angeles on Sunday remain. Quenneville is 14th on the NHL's all-time win list and sixth among current head coaches.

• RW Patrick Kane inevitably was asked by out-of-town media during this road trip about his summer arrest following an incident with a Buffalo, N.Y., cab driver. "I still feel like a kid at heart," he said, "but a situation like that opens your eyes. You never want to go through that. The only story you (media) guys heard was what the cab driver said, but maybe it was better that this came out sooner rather than later so you can make a positive from a bad situation. Every time I go out to dinner or walk down the street, I treat it like it's going to be publicized. It was a situation you wish didn't happen, but at the same time it can help you grow as a person."

• Mike Aldrich, father of Hawks video coach Brad Aldrich, was honored by the Sharks before Wednesday's game. Mike Aldrich recently worked his 1,000th game as San Jose's equipment manager.

• The Hawks' power play, in the bottom third of the league for most of this young season, cracked the top 10 after converting on 5-of-8 opportunities in the first three games of this road trip. While the Blackhawks are converting at 22.5 percent for the season, they are the best in the NHL on the road at 32.4 percent The Hawks were 0-for-3 with the man advantage at San Jose.

• Some Hawks draftees are putting up impressive numbers while working their way toward the NHL. Kyle Beach, the first-round pick in 2008, has 27 points and is a plus-10 in 21 games for Spokane of the Western Hockey League. Bill Sweatt, a second-round pick in 2007, has 19 points in 12 games and is a plus-4 for Colorado College.

• The numbers at Rockford aren't so good for Jack Skille and Corey Crawford, both late cuts in their bid to make the Hawks in training camp. Skille, who had several early season call-ups to Chicago, has just six points in 12 games and is a minus-3 for the IceHogs. Crawford's goaltending numbers aren't spectacular, either—a 5-7-0 record and 2.74 goals-against average.

Quote To Note:

"My target is to win the next game. We're in the winning business, and I've been in good situations around the league with good people."

—Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville, as he closes in on his 500th NHL coaching victory. He has 499.

Goaltenders:

Cristobal Huet, Antti Niemi.

Defensemen:

Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Brian Campbell, Cam Barker, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Brent Sopel.

First Line:

Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa.

Second Line:

Andrew Ladd, John Madden, Troy Brouwer.

Third Line:

Dustin Byfuglien. Patrick Sharp, Kris Versteeg.

Fourth Line:

Ben Eager, Colin Fraser, Tomas Kopecky.

Player Notes:

• RW Marian Hossa, in his Hawks debut after four months of recuperation from shoulder surgery, scored two goals on four shots and played more than 16 minutes against San Jose.

• D Duncan Keith was a plus-4 with three assists, four shots and two blocked shots. He continues to add offensive spark to his always-energetic defensive game.

• LW Troy Brouwer had the first of three shorthanded goals by the Hawks, which tied a franchise record. He also added two assists and was a plus-3.

Medical Watch:

• RW Adam Burish suffered a right torn ACL in a preseason game at Minnesota on Sept. 20. The Hawks expect his rehab from surgery to take six months, meaning he could rejoin the team in March.

• C Dave Bolland underwent back surgery on Nov. 10 to repair a herniated disk. His recovery period was listed as 12-16 weeks.