"It's approaching a month since the last time Blackhawks goalie Cristobal Huet played in a game, and it's unlikely he'll be back in net unless starter Antti Niemi completely falters or gets injured.

But Huet is doing his best to stay prepared. Last year, he was called upon in the Western Conference finals against the Detroit Red Wings when starter Nikolai Khabibulin suffered a lower-body injury.

''Just practicing and try to stay sharp mentally and see where it goes,'' Huet said of his thought process. ''That's pretty much all I can do.''

Huet last played March 25 in Columbus against the Blue Jackets, allowing seven goals on 27 shots in an 8-3 loss, arguably the ugliest of the season. Coach Joel Quenneville turned to Niemi for the rest of the regular season and into the playoffs. "