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By Chris Kuc

With center Dave Bolland sidelined with a concussion, the Blackhawks have dipped into their talent pool to add Marcus Kruger to the lineup.

According to a source, Kruger will arrive in Chicago later Tuesday and is expected to be in the lineup when the Hawks face the Panthers on Wednesday night at the United Center.

Kruger, the Hawks' fifth-round draft pick (149th overall) in 2009, was signed to a three-year contract in June but decided to play the first year of it with Djurgården of the Swedish League to develop his game. With that season having just ended, Kruger, 20, was available to join the Hawks.

By Chris Kuc

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Blackhawks got exactly what they did and didn't need over the course of 60 minutes in the desert.

The Hawks rebounded from their worst loss of the season with a much-needed 2-1 victory over the Coyotes on Sunday night at Jobing.com Arena, but they might have lost one of their top players in the process.

Chris Campoli scored the winning goal with 6 minutes, 34 seconds remaining, and goaltender Corey Crawford was on top of his game to lift the Hawks to the key Western Conference victory. Duncan Keith also scored as the Hawks got both goals on the power play to win for just the second time in six games. They moved into fifth place and pulled within three points of fourth-place Phoenix.

"As of late we've kind of stumbled and teams have caught us and are breathing down our necks," Campoli said. "To get those two points in regulation was crucial coming down the stretch. We knew how big of a game it was. We had a defense-first mentality."

On the negative side, the Hawks lost leading goal scorer Patrick Sharp to an apparent left knee injury late in the first period. The extent of Sharp's injury will be assessed Monday in Chicago, coach Joel Quenneville said.

Photo: Blackhawks winger Patrick Sharp lies on the ice after injuring his leg during the first period. (Christian Peterson/Getty Images)

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville talks about the mood of the team during Saturday's practice at Jobing.com Arena, rebounding from Thursday's loss to the Stars, injuries, playing short-handed and facing a red-hot Coyotes team on Sunday night.

Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews in front of the Stars' net. (US Presswire)

By Chris Kuc

DALLAS -- The bad news started before the Blackhawks took the ice and just got worse from there.

Forced to play a man short after winger Bryan Bickell was a late scratch with an illness, the Hawks then looked even more out-manned as they wilted under the Stars' pressure in a a dud of a 5-0 losing performance Thursday night at American Airlines Center.

In the first of a crucial two-game trip against Western Conference opponents, the Hawks were manhandled every which way as they fell for the fourth time in their last five contests.

"It looks like we all picked the same night to crap the bed," Hawks captain Jonathan Toews said. "It could have been the worst night of the year to do that. We can all be pretty disappointed in ourselves, for sure.

"Those are two points we pretty much gave away. We knew going into this one it could be one of the toughest games of the year and we had one of our worst performances. It's pretty unacceptable."

By Chris Kuc

DALLAS -- The Blackhawks still have some work to do to secure a postseason berth, but the team announced Thursday that single-game tickets for the first two rounds of potential 2011 Stanley Cup playoff home games will go on sale to the general public on Monday at 11 a.m.

The tickets will be available for purchase exclusively at ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.

By Chris Kuc

The Blackhawks will begin a crucial two-game road trip against Western Conference opponents without two key players.

Defenseman Brian Campbell and center Dave Bolland won't accompany the team to Dallas for the Hawks' game against the Stars on Thursday night. Campbell, who has missed Monday night's victory over the San Jose Sharks with a left leg injury, could join the team in the Phoenix area for Sunday night's game against the Coyotes.

The news on Bolland doesn't sound as encouraging as the center remains sidelined with a concussion and Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said following Wednesday's practice there's been no progress in the recovery.

By Chris Kuc

WASHINGTON -- The Chicago Blackhawks lost their third consecutive game Sunday when they fell 4-3 in overtime to the Washington Capitals at the Verizon Center.

Mike Knuble scored the game-winner while Jason Arnott, Boyd Gordon and Brooks Laich had goals in regulation for Washington.

The Hawks' Jonathan Toews had tied the game with :38.5 remaing in regulation. Nick Leddy and Tomas Kopecky also had regulation goals.

PHOTO GALLERY: Blackhawks lose in overtime

By Chris Kuc

WASHINGTON -- Center Dave Bolland will not be in the lineup for the Chicago Blackhawks when they face the Washington Capitals on Sunday at Verizon Center.

Bolland suffered a concussion during the first period of the Hawks' game against the Lightning on Wednesday night when he took a flagrant elbow from Tampa Bay's Pavel Kubina, who was suspended three games for the hit.

"We'll say (Bolland's) day-to-day but it's tough to forecast," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said following Saturday's practice. "We're seeing a little progress."

Team President John McDonough presents President Barack Obama with a Blackhawks sweater and mini Stanley Cup. (Jim Young/Reuters)

By Chris Kuc

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama helped cap the celebraton of the Chicago Blackhawks' 2010 Stanley Cup championship Friday on the South Lawn of the White House.

Hawks players and front-office personnel were given a private tour before Obama feted members of the team that won its first Cup in 49 years when it defeated the Philadelphia Flyers in six games back in June.

"We've hosted a lot of teams at the White House over the last two years, but this one is a little sweeter," Obama said while standing next to the Stanley Cup. "It's pretty special. That's because it is the first time as President I get to say congratulations on bringing a world championship to my hometown, the city of Chicago."

During the ceremony, team president John McDonough presented the 44th president with a No. 44 Blackhawks sweater.

PHOTO GALLERY: Blackhawks at the White House

By Chris Kuc

WASHINGTON -- The celebration of the Chicago Blackhawks' 2010 Stanley Cup championship officially ends Friday with the team scheduled to visit the White House.

"It's just exciting to go," said winger Patrick Kane, one of three Americans on the Hawks. "It kind of gives us a reminder of what went on and makes us even hungrier for the rest of the season to try and do it again."

The team is scheduled to tour the White House and meet President Barack Obama before a ceremony honoring the Cup champs. Later in the day, First Lady Michelle Obama is scheduled to preside over a street hockey workout and clinic on a rink set up on the South Lawn of the White House.

PHOTO GALLERY: Hawks lose in shootout | Wednesday's box score

By Chris Kuc

TAMPA, Fla. -- Martin St. Louis scored the winner in the shootout as the Lightning defeated the Blackhawks 4-3 on Wednesday night at St. Pete Times Forum.

In regulation, Jonathan Toews had a goal and two assists and Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp each had a goal and an assist for the Hawks, who lost for the second consecutive night.

Steven Stamkos and St. Louis each had a goal and an assist for Tampa while Teddy Purcell also scored in regulation.

PHOTO GALLERY: Hawks lose in shootout | Wednesday's box score

Tribune News Services

BROSSARD, Quebec -- Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty has a severe concussion and a fractured vertebra from a frightening hit by Boston's Zdeno Chara that will not draw further discipline from the NHL.

Pacioretty fractured the fourth cervical vertebra and is in a hospital under observation, Canadiens coach Jacques Martin said Wednesday.

"There is no other prognosis at this time," Martin said after practice. Martin said Pacioretty will "obviously be out indefinitely."

Pacioretty was wheeled off the ice with 15.8 seconds left in the second period of the Canadiens' 4-1 victory Tuesday night.

Linesman Scott Driscoll gets between the Panthers' Mike Weaver and the Hawks' Patrick Sharp during the second period. (Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)

By Chris Kuc

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Over the course of 60 minutes Tuesday night, the Blackhawks played some of their worst hockey of the season and then some of their best.

In this instance, bad outweighed good as the Hawks couldn't recover from a disastrous first period and lost to the Panthers 3-2 at Bank Atlantic Center as their season-high, eight-game winning streak was snapped.

The Hawks came out flat and paid for it as the Panthers scored all of their goals on Corey Crawford in the opening period for a big lead and then depended on Tomas Vokoun's sensational effort in net in the third to stymie a relentless offensive attack from the Stanley Cup champions.

"It just seemed like everything they were shooting was going in," said Crawford, who allowed three goals on eight Panthers shots before Marty Turco replaced him to start the second. "It was just one of those nights where it wasn't going my way."

By Chris Kuc

SUNRISE, Fla. -- The Chicago Blackhawks appear to have dodged a major bullet as defenseman Duncan Keith is expected to be in the lineup Tuesday night against the Florida Panthers.

The veteran didn't play in the final 15 minutes of the Hawks' 5-3 victory Satureday in Toronto after being hit by a shot on his right hand. Keith, along with fellow blueliner Niklas Hjalmarsson (also a hand injury), didn't practice with teammates Monday at Bank Atlantic Center, but afterward Joel Quenneville said they are good to go.

"Both are expected to play," Quenneville said. "They should be fine."

Photo: The Hawks' Duncan Keith upends Toronto's Darryl Boyce during Saturday's game. (Reuters)

By Chris Kuc

TORONTO -- The Blackhawks cruised to their eighth consecutive victory Saturday night when they defeated the Maple Leafs 5-3 on Saturday night at Air Canada Center.

Marian Hossa had a goal and an assist while Michael Frolik, Jonathan Toews, Tomas Kopecky and Bryan Bickell also scored as the Hawks cooled off a Leafs team that had gained points in nine consecutive games before the Stanley Cup champions hit town.

Joffrey Lupul, Joey Crabb and Luke Schenn had Toronto's goals. Corey Crawford picked up another win as he's been in goal for the Hawks for every game of the winning streak.

The Hawks have earned points in 12 of their last 13 games and now sport a 37-23-6 record on the season. The Leafs dropped to 29-27-9.

PHOTO GALLERY: Blackhawks win 8th straight | Saturday's box score

By Chris Kuc

The Blackhawks will watch the Western Conference playoff race from a distance the next couple of weeks as they will take on teams from the East in their next five games.

That stretch kicks off Friday night at the United Center when the defending Stanley Cup champions face the Carolina Hurricanes.

"We have five games in a row against teams we haven't faced all year," coach Joel Quenneville said after Friday's morning skate. All important and meaningful games.

"If you look at where we're at, (the Hurricanes) are kind of in the same boat we are. They're a fast team and they've got some guys who can make plays and score goals for them. We know the other teams have a lot at stake as well."