Niemi shines, shuts out Panthers

Finnish goalie Antti Niemi looked strong in the Blackhawks' 4-0 victory over Florida this morning in Helsinki.

Niemi has been locked in a battle with Corey Crawford, another rookie, for the Hawks' backup job behind Cristobel Huet. Reports are that he's won the battle; he certainly didn't do himself any harm today.

Goal is the Hawks' Achilles heel, if they have one, and Niemi's strong performance is going to have to be the first of many if they're going to make a run at a conference title and a Stanley Cup this year.