Marian Hossa is expected to play Wednesday night in Game 4 despite missing the Blackhawks' morning skate.
Coach Joel Quenneville said "He's fine." Jamal Mayars practiced on the second line during the session, but he also expects Hossa to play. Hossa has seven goals and 15 points in 19 playoff games, so he'll be a welcome addition to the lineup as Chicago searches for more offense against Boston.

Marian Hossa didn't take part in Wednesday's morning skate.
Coach Joel Quenneville said Tuesday that it was "likely" that Hossa would play, so he may have just received the morning off to rest up prior to Game 4. He sat out Monday's contest due to an upper-body injury.

Marian Hossa was criticized by former Chicago Blackhawks star Tony Amonte Tuesday on WEEI-FM 93.7 in Boston.
"I think you play until you can't play anymore," said Amonte who used Nathan Horton, who is playing through a shoulder injury, as an example. Amonte said he heard that Hossa told the training staff he couldn't play after testing his upper-body injury during the warmup and it clearly irked him. "You just don't see guys do things like that in the NHL," he said. "It sounds like it came out of nowhere." Hossa is considered "likely" to play in Game 4 though, according to Hawks coach Joel Quenneville.

Marian Hossa is "likely to play" in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup final Wednesday night, according to Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville.
Hossa was a last-minute scratch Monday night, but judging by Quenneville's comments after the game and this afternoon it sounds like he was doubtful to suit up in Game 3. Ben Smith, who took Hossa's place in the lineup, didn't warmup because Quenneville didn't want to tip his hand. If Hossa returns for Game 4, expect Smith to find himself in the press box again.

Marian Hossa was scratched due to an upper-body injury and was considered a game-time decision entering warmups Monday night.
Hossa was a last-minute scratch after going through warmups and there had been some thought he was injured during the pregame skate. However, Jonathan Toews said the Hawks were prepared all day for Hossa to possibly sit, so it's obviously something that was lingering from at least Game 2. Coach Joel Quenneville said Hossa is officially day-to-day and is hopeful the veteran winger will be able to suit up for Wednesday's Game 4. We'd like to say we'll know more after Tuesday's morning skate, but chances are Hossa will be a game-time call again Wednesday night.

Marian Hossa was a last-minute scratch for Monday's Game 3 vs. the Boston Bruins.
There was no reason given for the scratch, but the timing of it certainly was stunning. Hossa's absence will make a big impact on Chicago's lineup and could give Boston the leg up it needs in an otherwise dead-even series. Ben Smith will take Hossa's spot in the lineup, but coach Joel Quenneville will likely have to do some juggling to make up for Hossa's absence.

Even though the Blackhawks are a dangerous offensive team, they are mired in a slump on the power play.
Chicago hasn't scored in six chances against the Bruins, and it is 0-for-its-last-15 in the playoffs. The Blackhawks obviously made due with an underwhelming power play in the regular season (ranked 19th at 16.6 percent), but they are only 12.3 percent in the playoffs. It's under the microscope now because goals don't come easy.

Marian Hossa didn't get much sleep after Chicago's triple-overtime victory on Wednesday.
After logging 34:18 minutes of playing time in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, Hossa didn't end up getting to sleep until 3 am. Unfortunately, he was also forced to wake up early. "I think my neighbor decided he was going to drill in the morning. That was unpleasant," Marian Hossa said. "You know, hopefully he's going to get his message for next time and he 
won't drill." Game 2 is scheduled for Saturday, so the Bruins and Blackhawks have plenty of time to rest after their grueling match.

Marian Hossa has played in four of the last six Stanley Cup Finals.
Of course, he was a member of the Blackhawks' championship team in 2010. "Somebody said I was choosing good teams when I was a free agent," Hossa said. "But now I've signed long term. We have a great group of guys. We find a way after a couple years to go to the finals again." Hossa has seven goals and seven assists in 17 postseason contests this spring.

Right winger Marian Hossa scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period, and the Chicago Blackhawks moved to the brink of the Stanley Cup final with a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals.
Hossa's goal was his seventh in the postseason. Bryan Bickell (eight) and Patrick Kane (third) also scored goals for the Hawks. The high-scoring Kane ending his seven-game goal drought in a quiet postseason by charging into the crease to tap home the tying goal on a rebound of Niklas Hjalmarsson's shot and Bickell's deflection late in the second period. Hjalmarsson finished with two assists. The Kings' goal producers were Slava Voynov (sixth) and Dustin Penner (third). The Kings' loss Thursday was their first in 16 home games. ''It is always fun when you win,'' Hossa said. ''I thought we battled, found a way to score goals. We are glad we got a win in this building.'' Chicago needs just one win in the next three games to advance to its second Stanley Cup finals appearance since 1992.

Marian Hossa netted Chicago's game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory Saturday.
Patrick Sharp accounted for the Blackhawks' other goal. Johnny Oduya, Michal Handzus, Duncan Keith, and Bryan Bickell each registered an assist for the Blackhawks. Handzus also won eight of his 14 faceoff attempts. Niklas Hjalmarsson recorded a team-high three blocked shots. Brent Seabrook had six hits and a plus-one rating in 21:57 minutes of ice time.

The Chicago Blackhawks are putting a lot of emphasis on getting off to a great start in Game 4 on Thursday.
"It's going to be huge," Marian Hossa said. "It's going to be a big difference after Game 4: it's either going to be 2-2 or 3-1. We know the stakes and we have to prepare. We did a lot of good things in Game 3, but they still found a way to be better than us. In Game 4 we have to be better than them." Chicago is 3-1 in the postseason when leading after 20 minutes and they haven't lost a 2013 playoff game when they held the lead going into the third period.

Chicago has just three power-play goals in 22 opportunities.
"We need to get our power play going," Marian Hossa said. "We need a big goal from the power play." Chicago certainly needs something after scoring just two goals in their last two games. They haven't scored a power-play goal on the road in the 2013 playoffs, so that's something to keep in mind as they get ready for Game 4 in Detroit.

Marian Hossa scored a power-play goal in Chicago's 4-1 victory on Wednesday.
Hossa is now on a four-game point streak. He's been one of the Blackhawks' best players in the playoffs so far with four goals and seven points in six games.

Marian Hossa is expecting a "tough series" against the Detroit Red Wings in Round 2.
"Maybe we had their number during the season but they were all tight games except one," he said. "They're playing extremely well from what I saw in the game in the playoffs against Anaheim. We're going to need to elevate our game." The Blackhawks defeated the Wings all four times during the regular season, but three of them were decided after regulation.

Right winger Marian Hossa scored two goals and picked up an assist to lead the Chicago Blackhawks to a 5-1 rout of the visiting Minnesota Wild Thursday night.
The victory enabled the Blackhawks to win their opening-round playoff series 4-1 over the Wild and they advanced to the second round of the post-season for the first time since they captured the Stanley Cup championship in 2010. Thursday's game was never close. Hossa gave Chicago a 1-0 lead in the first period with his second playoff goal this season. Marcus Kruger made it 2-0 early in the second period with his first post-season goal before Hossa stretched the lead to 3-0 at 6:26 of the second. Andrew Shaw connected on his first goal of the playoffs to give the Hawks a 4-1 lead after two periods. In the third period, Patrick Sharp continued his hot post-season with his fifth goal of the playoffs. It was a power play goal on which Hossa drew his assist. Toews also collected an assist on Sharp's goal, his second assist on the night. The assists also were Toews' first two in the post-season. Defenseman Duncan Keith also had two assists (third and fourth) for the winners.

Marian Hossa says the Blackhawks' top line has to do a better job of going to the net in Game 4.
Chicago's top unit of Hossa, Jonathan Toews and rookie Brandon Saad only has one goal through three games in the series. Sometimes, despite the talent level, it's the "ugly" goal that gets skilled players going, which is something both Hossa and Saad pointed out Monday. "There are stints in the game where we're having good zone time and playing well, but most of (the shots) are on the perimeter. We have to get in the dirty areas, get to the net and shoot some pucks," Saad said.

Marian Hossa netted a power-play goal in Chicago's postseason opener.
Hossa is now technically on a three-game point streak dating back to the regular season. That was his 131th career postseason contest, which puts him in a tie for sixth place among active players. He has 37 goals and 98 career points in the playoffs.

Marian Hossa potted a goal and also registered two assists in the Blackhawks' 5-2 win over the Stars Monday night.
With the three-point night Monday, Hossa now has 28 points in 35 games in this 48-game shortened season. The injury prone winger should be started in every format when healthy.

Bryan Bickell and Marian Hossa were Sunday's only goal scorers in the Chicago Blackhawks' 2-0 win against the St. Louis Blues.
Bickell ended Brian Elliott's shutout streak while Hossa scored off of a faceoff for a shorthanded tally. It was a tight game, but the Blackhawks have to be happy that they can win both low and high-scoring affairs.

Marian Hossa scored the lone goal in Tuesday's 1-0 win against Minnesota.
The unassisted tally came late in the second period and it was Hossa's 14th of the year. It also marked the first time that Hossa recorded a point since his return from an upper-body injury on April 4.

Marian Hossa (upper body) will return to the lineup on Thursday night when Chicago hosts St. Louis.
Coach Joel Quenneville said, "He's going to play and we're looking forward to that." Hossa has been sidelined since March 18 with what was suspected to be shoulder injury. Feel free to activate him if you normally would.

Marian Hossa (upper body) might return on Thursday.
That being said, Hossa will miss Monday's contest against Nashville. He hasn't played since March 18.

Marian Hossa (upper body) has been placed on the injured reserve list.
This move is just a technicality, so it's nothing to worry about as he can be removed at any point. Hossa, who has returned to practice in a non-contact jersey, hasn't played since March 18. The winger has 13 goals and 23 points on the year.

Marian Hossa (upper body) and Patrick Sharp (shoulder) have been ruled out of playing on Friday.
However, both of them did participate in Thursday's practice in non-contract capacities. "They're out for tomorrow, I don't want to go much farther than that," coach Joel Quenneville said after the session. "But it was nice to see them out in practice. They didn't have contact yet. But we're going to make sure they're more than ready, give them maybe even extra time. They'll be ready."

Marian Hossa (upper body) will not play Tuesday night but could return to the lineup Friday.
Coach Joel Quenneville said Hossa is close but wouldn't commit to anything firm regarding Friday's game against the Ducks. Hossa has been sidelined since suffering what's believed to be a shoulder injury March 18.

Marian Hossa (upper body) skated Tuesday but is unlikely to return to the lineup against the Calgary Flames.
Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville on Monday called Hossa "doubtful" for Tuesday's game against the Flames, so we don't expect him to be in the lineup. Still, it's clear that Hossa is progressing and getting closer to a return. He hasn't played since suffering what many believe to be a shoulder injury March 18.

Marian Hossa (upper body) won't play Monday and he's "probably doubtful" to suit up Tuesday as well, according to coach Joel Quenneville.
"Hopefully by the weekend (Hossa) will be playing," Quenneville said. "Hossa hasn't been on the ice the last couple of days but he's progressing." The Chicago bench boss also added that there isn't a concern that the injury is a long-term issue. Hossa has sidelined with what may be a shoulder injury since March 18th.

Marian Hossa (upper body) didn't skate Friday morning and is "not likely" to play against the Los Angeles Kings next Monday night when the Blackhawks return to action.
"(Hossa's) doing alright," coach Joel Quenneville said. "Hopefully he'll get on the ice on Sunday. He's progressing." Hossa was injured in the first period on Mar. 18 against Colorado and he sat out Wednesday's tilt versus Anaheim.

Marian Hossa (upper body) won't play Wednesday versus Anaheim.
He is considered to be day-to-day after he suffered an upper-body injury Monday night in Colorado. Hossa has 13 goals and 23 points in 28 games.

Marian Hossa suffered an upper body injury in the first period Monday and did not return.
Hossa was hit into the boards by the Avs Ryan O'Byrne after giving up the puck. It was thought that Hossa could return but he never did and his status is up in the air for Wednesday's game against the high-flying Ducks. Stay tuned.

Marian Hossa, for one, is hoping the NHL commits to playing in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi Russia.
The Slovak has already played in three Olympic games for his country but would relish the opportunity to play in a fourth. "Players enjoy once every four years to represent their country," Hossa said. "It's always an honor when the best players are playing this top tournament in the world. It's a great idea. Every four years, I don't think it's going to hurt anybody. "If I'm healthy I'd definitely like to [play]," Hossa said.

Marian Hossa (upper body) will return on Friday.
Hossa was a late scratch from Wednesday's game. Given that he has a recent concussion history and he was the victim of a high hit on Feb. 19, the news was obviously concerning. However, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville was quick to downplay the injury and it looks like the worst case scenario didn't prove to be true.

Marian Hossa (upper body) might be able to return Friday.
Hossa was a late scratch on Wednesday due to the ailment. However, coach Joel Quenneville said on Wednesday that Hossa was "close to playing tonight."

Marian Hossa is out Wednesday night with an upper-body injury.
Hossa has been a big contributor to the Hawks' record-setting start with eight goals and 10 assists on the year. There was no indication of such an injury before this game, so this remains one worth keeping a close eye on. Jamal Mayers has been inserted into the lineup, with Daniel Carcillo playing on the top line.

Sunday's game against the Red Wings will be the 1000th contest of Marian Hossa's career.
It's a testament to Hossa's skill and his durability that he will reach the milestone at only 34 years of age. ``When I was younger, I looked at somebody with 1,000 games, and the first thing that came to my mind was, `That's a great accomplishment, a long time in this top league,' '' Hossa said. ``Also, back then, I thought those guys were probably going to retire pretty soon. A thousand games, that's so much. Now I'm coming to that point, but so far I feel pretty good. Hopefully I can play many more years.'' The talented winger has amassed 921 points - 426 of which have been goals - thus far and is still one of the league's top players.

Marian Hossa's ninth goal of the season was the overtime winner in the Blackhawks 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers.
Even at 34, the Blackhawks winger keeps producing at a high level. He has slowed down this month, but with the team's depth and how they have performed, he will always be a threat to perform. He's a must start in every format.

Marian Hossa logged 17:24 minutes in his first game since absorbing a high hit on Tuesday.
The initial fear was that Hossa might have a concussion given his recent history. He was the victim of a high hit by Phoenix's Raffi Torres during the 2012 playoffs and suffered a severe concussion as a result. Fortunately, it looks like Tuesday's incident won't slow him down.

Marian Hossa is expected to play on Friday after absorbing a hit to the head on Tuesday.
Hossa emphasized that he didn't sustain a concussion. "I feel good, otherwise I wouldn't be playing," Hossa said. He suffered a severe concussion during the 2012 playoffs, so the hit courtesy of Vancouver's Jannik Hansen naturally raised plenty of concerns.

Marian Hossa is hoping to get back into Chicago's lineup on Friday.
However, he will have to get the green light from some more testing first. He passed some concussion tests Thursday and will undergo more on Friday to determine his availability against San Jose. Hossa skated at practice on Thursday after being hit in the back of the head Tuesday night.

Marian Hossa (head) participated in Thursday's practice.
He received a hit to the back of the head from Vancouver's Jannik Hansen on Tuesday night. Hossa suffered a concussion during the playoffs last year, so it's good to see that he was able to return to the ice quickly after taking another shot to his head. It wasn't mentioned when he might be ready to return to the lineup though.

There is no update on the status of Marian Hossa who suffered a hit to the head Tuesday.
Hossa was hit by the Canucks Jannik Hansen who received a one game suspension for the hit. Coach Joel Quenneville said that Hossa seemed ok after the game and an update is expected on Thursday. Stay tuned.

The sight of Marian Hossa prone on the United Center ice following a hit to the head is a sickening and all too familiar sight for the Blackhawks.
The veteran was injured during the third period of the Hawks' 4-3 shootout victory over the Canucks on Tuesday night at the United Center after taking a forearm to the back of his head from Jannik Hansen. Last season, Hossa suffered a severe, season-ending concussion following an illegal hit from the Coyotes' Raffi Torres during the first round of the playoffs. "I saw him after the game (and) he seems okay but we'll know more (Wednesday)," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said following Tuesday's game. "It's a major concern. Hopefully, he's okay." After the hit from Hansen, Hossa was down on the ice for several moments before he was helped to the bench and then into the dressing room. "That's ugly and very unfortunate," Hawks captain Jonathan Toews said. "You never want to see that. I don't know the situation yet but we hope that it's just a minor scare for now and he'll be back soon."

Marian Hossa tallied two goals before leaving Tuesday's game in the third period after taking an elbow to the head from the Canucks Jannik Hansen.
Hossa laid motionless on the ice for a few minutes before hobbling off to the locker room. The incident was reminiscent of last year's Stanley Cup playoffs when Raffi Torres leveled Hossa knocking him out of the series with a concussion. The Blackhawks have yet to release any information about the extent of the injury, but hopefully he won't experience similar symptoms as last year. As for Hansen, the NHL will likely look into the hit tomorrow and determine whether disciplinary action is needed. We'll give an update on the situation as soon as we hear more.

Marian Hossa doesn't plan to pick a fight with Raffi Torres on Thursday.
It will be the first time the two have played against each other since Torres concussed and hospitalized Hossa. Torres served a 21-game suspension as punishment and vowed to change the way he plays hockey. "Obviously, it's a thing you don't forget," Hossa said. "But I'm not that type of player who will drop the gloves and fight. I'll try to play my best and just play my regular game."

Marian Hossa thinks the Blackhawks' upcoming six-game road trip will be a big test for them.
Chicago is 6-0-0, but they will travel to Minnesota, Vancouver, Calgary, San Jose, Phoenix, and Nashville over the next week and a half. "We're pleased with how we started but this is going to be a great challenge starting in Minnesota, which is going to be a huge game," Hossa said. "They're a strong team with new additions. When we come back after these six games, we'll really know where our team is." After their hot start to the season, Chicago should be able to feel good about themselves if they even simply split this six-game set.

Marian Hossa scored the game-winning goal in Thursday's 3-2 overtime victory.
Hossa already has five goals and six points in just four games. Any fears about him getting off to a slow start after spending the summer and much of the lockout dealing with a concussion have been put to rest. Although Hossa will obviously slow down in terms of goal production, it wouldn't be surprising to see him finish the season with about a point-per-game.

Marian Hossa scored a pair of goals for the second straight game on Sunday.
Hossa did it on Sunday against the Phoenix Coyotes, the first time he has played against the Coyotes since he was injured in Game 3 of the Western Conference semi-finals last season when Raffi Torres hit him from behind, concussing Hossa. "It's always nice to get a great start, but he's taking it to another level in the first two games," captain Jonathan Toews said about Hossa. "He'll say the same thing: he just wants to keep playing well. But to get that confidence early on is a huge thing." Kudos if you took Hossa in fantasy pools this season as he is off to a tremendous start.

Marian Hossa says he's still not back to feeling 100 percent on the ice.
You wouldn't know it by the one-goal, two-assist day. He suffered a concussion in the playoffs on a hit by Coyotes' Raffi Torres. "I tried to keep it simple, especially in the beginning," said Hossa. "Nothing too fancy. Keep it to short shifts [and] try to get into it. I hadn't played in a long time . after the concussion. The timing isn't there yet but it's going to come with the games."

Marian Hossa said he is ready for Saturday's opener following the second day of Chicago's training camp on Monday.
"It's been a long time without hockey for me," said Hossa, who suffered a concussion in the first round of the 2012 postseason last April. "I tried to stay in the best shape I could (during the lockout) and so far I feel good." He has received some contact, which is a good sign after he took an accidental big hit from teammate Brandon Bollig during practice three days ago. Hossa appears to be all systems go, which is great news for the Blackhawks and potential fantasy owners.

Marian Hossa says he is 100 percent recovered after suffering a concussion during the 2012 playoffs.
Hossa was concussed on a controversial hit by Raffi Torres in Game 3 of the first round of the playoffs, a hit that originally cost Torres a 25 game suspension that was later reduced to 21 games. Hossa thought he would be ready to go at the start of October but he wasn't. "There was a lot of time off," Hossa said. "And I had lots of time to work on my conditioning. When I came back in the beginning, I thought I was ready, but I wasn't. The conditioning coach [Paul Goodman], the skating coach [Kevin Delaney] and the whole training staff did an excellent job with me when I was training here in September for four or five weeks or so. I'm thankful for them." Look for Hossa to have a big year in Chicago with 40-45 points in a 48 game schedule, if he is able to remain healthy.