"The Blackhawks need their best and most skilled players to play like it right now. But Marian Hossa and Patrick Kane have said it has been a struggle to regain and maintain their form since returning from injuries.

"To tell you the truth, I feel like the month off and not playing games, I'm missing the timing," said Hossa, who missed 10 consecutive games after suffering an undisclosed lower-body injury after colliding with Nick Boynton during a Nov. 29 practice session. During the Hawks' 4-3 victory over the Kings on Monday night, Hossa scored his first goal in five games since returning from the injury.

"Right now, I'm not at the spots where I like to be," he said. "I feel like sometimes I should be in the right spot, but I'm not there. I feel like I can play my game, but I need to play an extra couple more games to get everything back and be where I want to be.""