The Blackhawks' week off leads to a change in fortunes, and possibly a change in minor-league affiliations in this week's Pucks in Five. Plus, we also find out what happens when there's a game scheduled but no ice to play on.

One: Ding Dong, the Streak Is Dead
Finally. The Hawks managed to earn their first points since Oct. 18 this past week. Although losing in New Jersey Thursday night, the team gained a point for the shootout defeat. They followed up that effort with a 3-1 home win against St. Louis Friday night, breaking their eight-game losing streak. On Sunday, the team started a new streak with a 1-0 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, their second straight win. While the week of "training camp" that coach Trent Yawney put the team through before the Devils game showed in the team's effort in New Jersey, the two wins were much more important, coming against key division rivals on home ice. If the Hawks want to be competitive, these are the kind of games they need to prevail in.

Despite the past week, many of the issues that have plagued the team lately still remain. All three goals the team scored Friday were on the power play, which had been absolutely abysmal of late. However, the offense is still a liability, and the team is consistently outshot and needs their goalies and defense to keep them in games. After some early season struggles, the defense has started to shore up and the play of goaltending tandem Sebastian Caron and Brian Boucher enabled the Hawks to earn their victories, helping to stop the bleeding for now.

Two: Rehab Report
Despite initial projections after Martin Havlat's and Nicolai Khabibulin's injuries three weeks ago, neither player has returned to the Hawks lineup. Havlat's high ankle sprain has been healing slowly, and the Blackhawks sniper just started skating on it this weekend. With the Hawks offense as anemic as it has been since Havlat went down, most would think the team would want to get him back onto the ice as quickly as possible. However, rushing him back before the ankle is 100 percent can make him more susceptible to re-injury, and the focus is on making sure Havlat is healthy for as many games as possible.

Meanwhile, Khabibulin returned to practice last week and is now slated to be back between the pipes Thursday night in Phoenix. Habby had struggled some at the beginning of the year but led the Hawks to a 4-2 record before the broken finger. While Khabibulin is the undisputed starter, Boucher's play in his absence has shown the Hawks that unlike last year, there is a dependable and skilled backup if Khabibulin struggles or is hurt again.

Unfortunately, more Hawks have fallen by the wayside in the meantime. Speedy winger Tony Salmelainen has missed the last five games with a separated shoulder, and there is no word on when he'll be able to return. In Sunday's game, Rene Bourque suffered a scary injury when a flipping Blue Jacket's skate cut him across the neck late in the second period. Bourque was taken to the hospital, where he was reported to be in stable condition and had surgery to repair the laceration. While thankfully it doesn't seem to be serious, it's definitely a frightening thing to experience. Latest reports Monday have Bourque being released from the hospital in the next day or two, but he is expected to miss anywhere from three to six weeks.

Three: Send in the Clowns
In an annual November tradition, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus descends on the United Center today, which means the Hawks are homeless until the circus pulls up its tent stakes November 26. The circus trip to the West Coast is a make-or-break time of year for the Blackhawks, as they usually face a number of top-tier teams. This year is no different. They'll play the top team in the Western Conference, the Anaheim Ducks, along with the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers, who currently hold the seventh through ninth seeds in the conference (the top eight teams make the playoffs). They open the trip Thursday against the lowly Coyotes of Phoenix. With their current win streak, the Hawks sit four points outside of the eighth playoff seed. While it's entirely too early to be discussing playoffs, the fact remains that if the Blackhawks are in contention come springtime, they will most likely be battling the three Canadian teams for one of the final spots. Earning some tough road wins against these teams now could be the difference come April. Likewise, if the team continues their offensive struggles, they could return to the United Center November 29 against Dallas already focusing on next year.

Four: The Road to the United Center Heads through Rockford?
Reports surfaced over the weekend that the Blackhawks are in negotiations to move their AHL affiliation from Norfolk to Rockford next year. The city, 70 miles down the highway from Chicago, is currently home to the Icehogs, who play in the UHL with the Chicago Hounds. The move makes a lot of sense on paper — many teams try to keep their minor-league teams somewhat close by in order to more easily facilitate player movements and enable the front office to keep track of the progress of some of the young prospects. It would not be the first time the Hawks affiliate was in the Midwest. In the days of the old International Hockey League, the team had an affiliation with the Indianapolis Ice before shifting to Norfolk when the IHL folded.

There are some complex issues regarding the move, however. First, the ownership group in Rockford would either need to purchase the Norfolk team and move the entire operation to Rockford with approval from the AHL, or find another franchise to move, as the AHL is unlikely to have a one-team expansion. There are currently 27 teams playing in the AHL, with three teams currently dormant, and all teams need to have an NHL affiliation. Most likely to happen is Rockford purchases the dormant Edmonton franchise, and the Admirals affiliation shifts to Carolina, who currently share an AHL team.

Once a team is found, the question remains how an AHL franchise would function in Rockford with two other franchises already in the nearby markets of Chicago and Milwaukee. I'm assuming that if the team has been negotiating with Rockford, there are no problems with regards to territorial claims, but the current Icehogs team, which is currently affiliated with the NHL's Nashville Predators, would need to find a new location for their players and management. While nothing regarding the deal has been finalized, here's hoping that a deal can be struck. Being in close proximity to the front office staff should help keep tabs on the young prospects and foster their further development, and the synchronicity of having teams in the same geographic area can help build a larger fan base as people are able to see a player develop throughout the years.