It'll be rookie Antti Niemi in the Blackhawks' net rather than Cristobal Huet when the Edmonton Oilers and ex-Hawk Nikolai Khabibulin make their first appearance of the season at the United Center. In bypassing Huet, Quenneville nixed a matchup of the Hawks' two goaltenders of last season. Huet struggled mightily, allowing three goals in the first five shots he faced in Monday's 6-5 overtime win over Calgary but Quenneville said that was only part of the reason he went with Niemi. He noted that Niemi had a shutout in Finland and a win in relief against Calgary and deserved to make his first start on home ice. Huet figures to be between the pipes Thursday at Nashville.
It's Niemi vs. Khabby
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Len Ziehm just completed his 40th year as a member of the Sun-Times sports department. He has been the beat writer for the Chicago Blackhawks since the 2001-02 season and he covered the minor league Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League as part of his writing duties before that, starting with the Wolves' creation in time for the 1994-95 season.
In addition to covering hockey Ziehm has been the Sun-Times golf writer for the past 39 years, during which he covered 25 U.S. Opens, 15 Masters and 17 PGA Championships.
Prior to assuming Blackhawks' duties he was the beat writer for Northwestern sports for 11 years, which encompassed the Wildcats' run to the 1995 Rose Bowl, and beat man on soccer from 1984 through 2008. He was selected into the Illinois Soccer Hall of Fame in 2004.
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