SoCal NHL Preview

Chicago (19-17-3) at Anaheim (20-17-5), 7:00 pm
ANAHEIM, California (Ticker) - The Chicago Blackhawks have been losing more than just games recently. With a stunning eight players on injured reserve, the Blackhawks will try to snap a three-game losing streak when they visit the Anaheim Ducks on Friday.

Defenseman Cam Barker scored his first goal of the season and Kris Versteeg netted his first career NHL tally Thursday, but Chicago suffered a 4-2 setback to the Phoenix Coyotes. The Blackhawks limped into Phoenix after getting crushed by the Los Angeles Kings, 9-2, on Tuesday. It was their worst defeat since Dallas handed them a 9-1 setback on November 4, 2005. To add injury to insult in Tuesday's game, Chicago lost talented rookie Jonathan Toews, who sprained his medial collateral ligament and will be sidelined for three to four weeks. Toews, who joins both Martin Havlat and Justin Williams on the IR, is the league leader among rookies with 15 goals and a top candidate for the Calder Trophy.

The Ducks avoided their third straight loss Wednesday with a 2-1 triumph over the Columbus Blue Jackets. With time winding down in the second period and Anaheim on a power play, blue-liner Chris Pronger wristed a shot toward the net from the left point. Columbus defenseman Ron Hainsey attempted to snag the rising puck with his hand but instead deflected past goaltender Pascal Leclaire with 15 seconds remaining, providing the final margin. Ryan Getzlaf leads the club this season with 27 assists and 42 points.