"That first matchup between Nikolai Khabibulin and Cristobal Huet -- the Blackhawks' well-paid goaltending tandem of last season -- still hasn't materialized.

Only Huet played Saturday as the Hawks took a 5-2 win over Khabibulin's Edmonton Oilers in the second game of their six-game road trip. The Hawks are 2-0 on their journey, which resumes tonight at Vancouver.

''We've had a good start to our trip,'' coach Joel Quenneville said. ''Huet was rock-solid again, but we got contributions across the board. We did a lot of good things.''

Khabibulin developed a sore back after the Oilers' morning skate and was unable to dress, even as the backup, for the Hawks' first visit of the season to Rexall Place. Huet, who was the backup for rookie Antti Niemi when the Hawks handed Khabibulin and his new team a 4-3 loss at the United Center on Oct. 14, started his sixth straight game, and both he and the Hawks stretched their winning streaks to six games.

With Khabibulin out, the Oilers, beset with injuries, went with little-used Jeff Deslauriers between the pipes. He made his fifth game appearance, coming off a 5-3 win over the visiting Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday. Torri Jung of the Edmonton Oil Kings, a Western Hockey League team, was signed to a one-day amateur tryout contract as the backup.

The Hawks made it tough on Deslauriers from the outset, scoring on him twice in the first 7:20. Jonathan Toews scored the first goal 3:50 into the game, and Kris Versteeg's rebound went in off the arm of Edmonton's Sheldon Souray. In between those two scores, Souray had a tap-in goal for the Oilers."