Dec. 05--Marian Hossa, he of the 467 career goals -- many of them of the highlight-reel variety -- is getting desperate to put the puck in the net.
How desperate?
"You just hope something hits you and goes into the net, or you get an empty-net goal," the Blackhawks winger said with a slight grin.
With just three goals in 25 games, Hossa is baffled and frustration is setting in. After the Ducks' Frederik Andersen robbed him while down and seemingly out during a game last week, the usually unflappable Hossa flipped his stick -- which had been broken trying to stuff in the rebound -- casually over his head and skated toward the Hawks bench.
"Just having ... three goals is not good enough," said Hossa, who has one goal in the last 15 games. "You get a bit frustrated but I try to focus on the other side of the game and hopefully things will come."
At 35 and a veteran of 1,115 career NHL games, Hossa admitted that his confidence has taken a hit during his goal-scoring drought.
"It doesn't matter how old you are," Hossa said. "Even at my age when you're used to scoring goals and all of a sudden they don't come as you would like -- even if the chances are there -- definitely a player needs a little bit of confidence from a goal or two to get things settled down.
"You try to stay positive. You're getting great chances ... (but) there's a bit of confidence missing maybe at the touch when you try to score. I'm feeling good and the line is producing lots of chances, we just can't put the puck in the net.
"I try to not blow something up in my head, focus on my game and try to help with a two-way game."
He has done just that as his level of play remains high at both ends of the ice.
"(Hossa) is in the right spots offensively and defensively," coach Joel Quenneville said. "He's still getting some good looks. Some games are a little bit higher quality than others. But, certainly, we like the way he plays whether he's scoring or not."
Hossa leads the Hawks with 14 assists while skating with linemates Jonathan Toews and Brandon Saad and the trio usually draws the opponents' top defensive assignments. That has opened things up for the second line of Patrick Kane, Brad Richards and Kris Versteeg to flourish.
'We're in a good position (because that top) line is playing really well," Kane said. "It's just a matter of time for them to start scoring. We have to be happy with the way they're playing and with what they're drawing as matchups defensively."
Sharp next week: Winger Patrick Sharp, who has been sidelined with a right knee injury suffered Nov. 4 against the Canadiens, continues to practice with the Hawks but likely won't return until next week's trip to New Jersey, Boston and New York.
"We want him to be more than ready," Quenneville said. "... Where he's comfortable in all areas (and) he feels that strength underneath him for pushing and the shoving in the tight areas. We have time -- let's make sure he's more than ready."
Dahlbeck for defense: Rookie defenseman Klas Dahlbeck was on the ice for practice Thursday after being recalled from Rockford on Wednesday night.
Dahlbeck, whom the Hawks drafted in the third round in 2011, spent much of his time with Rockford adjusting to the North American style of play after arriving from Sweden in '12.
"Especially defensively," Dahlbeck said. "I'm trying to learn the smaller ice and be more comfortable in all those situations because it's tight around the net."
Fellow blueliner Adam Clendening was reassigned to make room for Dahlbeck. Clendening had a goal and an assist in four games with the Hawks but was a healthy scratch the last three games.
"We want (Clendening) playing," Quenneville said. "We'll get him back playing bigger minutes and getting his game going."
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