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CHICAGO -- Marian Hossa skated as if he had been recharged during a five-game vacation -- not sidelined for five games with an upper-body injury. The Blackhawks 35-year-old forward celebrated his return to the lineup with plenty of energy -- resulting in a key goal and two assists -- and Chicago defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 on Sunday night to snap a two-game losing streak. "Its great to come back and try to help the team," Hossa said. "Its five games, so I dont know how much fresher Ill be than the other guys. But theres some benefit, maybe." Hossa was back in action for the first time in two weeks. He was knocked out in the Blackhawks 5-1 victory over Pittsburgh at Soldier Field on March 1. On Sunday, Chicago lead 2-1 after 40 minutes, then Hossa put the game away with two big plays in the third period. "He changes the look, the complexion of our line, of our team game," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "We seem to have the puck a lot more when hes out there. "He made some nice finished plays and he definitely had some nice jump to his game, as well. It made a big difference having him back tonight." Hossa used his speed to give Chicago a 3-1 lead at 6:33 of the third. After taking a feed from Patrick Sharp, Hossa raced down the right wing, cut in around Detroit defenceman Brendan Smith and beat Jimmy Howard from close range. "He was coming with so much speed, I thought he was going to try to drag me across (the crease)," Howard said. Hossas set up Jonathan Toews short-handed goal with 2:10 left that iced it. After stealing the puck from Johan Franzen near Chicagos blue line, Hossa skated down the right wing. He pulled up and then fed Toews, who cut to the net and tucked in a shot. Ben Smith had a goal and assist, and Nick Leddy also scored for defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago, which is struggling to keep up with the top contenders in the Western Conference. Despite the win, the Blackhawks are 11-8-7 in 2014 and remained fifth in the conference and third in the Central Division. Gustav Nyquist scored for the injury-depleted Red Wings, who are desperate for wins as they try to get into the playoffs for the 23rd straight time. Chicagos Corey Crawford made 19 saves and Detroits Jimmy Howard had 26. "We felt good going into the third, but obviously Hossas goal really made it a two-goal game and makes it tough for us," Detroit Daniel Alfredsson said. The banged-up Red Wings played without 10 injured players, including stars Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. Forward Todd Bertuzzi joined the list Sunday, sitting out after suffering a lower-body injury Friday against Edmonton. "Once the game got to 3-1, its not as good a spot for our team," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "We dont have enough goals in our lineup to play like that. We were set up (at 2-1) and we let it slip away." The Blackhawks faced Detroit for the second time since beating them in overtime in Game 7 of their second-round playoff series last year to complete a comeback from a 3-1 deficit. The Red Wings defeated Chicago 5-4 in a shootout on Jan. 22 at Joe Louis Arena. The Blackhawks and Red Wings were division rivals for the past 31 years until Detroit moved from the Western to Eastern Conference this season. The Original Six teams were grouped together in the Central Division for the previous 19 seasons and in the Norris Division for 12 years before that. The Blackhawks outshot the Red Wings 11-5 in the scoreless first, but neither team generated sustained pressure or many prime scoring chances. The Blackhawks turned up the pressure early in the second and outshot Detroit 14-7 in the period. Leddys power-play goal, on Chicagos 19th shot, finally opened the scoring at 8:44 of the second. Nyquist tied it at 1 with 4:50 left in the period with a power-play goal that deflected in off the skate of Blackhawks defenceman Brent Seabrook. Smith put Chicago back in front 2-1 on a rebound with 14 seconds left in the period. Hossa then helped Chicago put the game away in the third. NOTES: Chicago F Brandon Saad didnt return for the third period after playing a total of 11 shifts. Quenneville said he had an upper-body injury and is day-to-day. ... Detroit RW Jordin Tootoo, recalled from Grand Rapids of the AHL on Saturday, filled in for Bertuzzi. ... Red Wings D Jakub Kindl was a healthy scratch. ... Before the game, Quenneville hinted that C Teuvo Teravainen, one of the Blackhawks top prospects, might join the team soon. Teravainens team in Finland, Jokerit, was eliminated from the playoffs Sunday. That paves the way for the 19-year-old forward, drafted in the first round by Chicago in 2012 (18th overall), to sign an NHL contract. . Colorado came up big against Chicago last spring, and repeated that performance Tuesday night. Varlamov stopped 36 shots and Paul Stastny had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche in a 5-1 victory over the Blackhawks. .C. -- Unable to get much lift off his sore right ankle, Bobcats centre Al Jefferson figured it was time to make an adjustment. .com) - John Wall had 15 points, 12 assists and four steals as the Washington Wizards defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 92-85 on Monday night. . -- Down to 10 men and behind on the scoreboard, Toronto FC displayed its perseverance. .com) - Quarterback Cardale Jones will return to Ohio State next season. Bill OBrien inherited a Penn State program rocked by scandal, on the cusp of crippling sanctions, and staring at a murky future. All he ever really cared about was making the Nittany Lions winners. OBrien succeeded against heavy odds, overcoming a lack of scholarships, a bowl ban, and player defections. He leaves the program on stable ground after bolting Happy Valley for the NFL and the Houston Texans. Penn State planned to act fast to find his successor. "Our anticipation is that well be counting this in a matter of days rather than weeks," Penn State athletic director Dave Joyner said Thursday. OBrien left the Nittany Lions less than two years after replacing Joe Paterno, returning to the NFL to coach the team with the leagues worst record this season. Naturally, Joyner said there has been tremendous interest already in the vacancy, which should be more appetizing than in 2012. A former offensive co-ordinator for the Patriots, OBrien took on perhaps college footballs toughest job in January 2012, joining a school rattled by the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal. "I think its a lot more attractive at this point, although we had tremendous interest even in spite of everything two years ago," Joyner said. "From a scholarship standpoint, were going to be very competitive right out of the gate. Watching whats happened here the last two years, if I was a head coach candidate, would make me very excited." Defensive line coach Larry Johnson is interim head coach while the search for a replacement goes on. "Im humbled by the confidence that Penn State has bestowed upon me during this critical time for the football program and honoured to do my part to help Penn State," Johnson said. OBrien will become the third coach in Texans history, following Dom Capers, who led the team from its expansion season in 2002, and Gary Kubiak. OBrien was set to be introduced Friday in Houston. Kubiak took over when Capers was fired after a 2-14 season in 2005. Kubiak went 61-64 and led the Texans to their first two playoff appearances and two AFC South titles before being fired in early December. Houston was expected to contend for the Super Bowl this season, but instead lost nine games by a touchdown or less to end up 2-14. "In your lifetime, you only get certain opportunities so many times," OBrien told reporters at a Houston airport. "This is a great opportunity to work with an owner like Mr. (Bob) McNair and an organization like the Texans. It is a very exciting time for myself and my family." OBrien was proud of his time at Penn State. "They gave me my first opportunity to be a head coach, and Ill always tthank them for that," he said.dddddddddddd. "Theyre great kids at Penn State; lot of great people there." OBrien was the first major defection this week. Third-team All-American wide receiver Allen Robinson decided Thursday to forgo his final year of eligibility and enter the NFL draft. Robinson set Penn State season records in receptions (97) and yards receiving (1,432) for the second consecutive year. He wrote on Twitter: "It was a honour to wear a penn state uniform for 3 years. I will miss my teammates and coaches, blessed for the opportunity and experience." Robinson at least gave the program three years. OBrien only lasted two. "I believe that Bill OBrien came here with the intent to be here for a long haul," Joyner said. OBrien, who helped lead the Patriots to the Super Bowl for the 2011 season, arrived in Happy Valley after apprenticeships coaching at Brown, Georgia Tech, Maryland and Duke, followed by five years as an NFL assistant on Bill Belichicks staff. He won games and won over players with a stern look on his face. OBrien did it all in Paternos shadow. Over the course of his 61 years at Penn State, Paterno became not just the face, but the cantankerous soul and benefactor of a school that was transformed from a "cow college" into a top-shelf public university. Joyner said OBrien never seemed affected by the Paterno loyalists who were slow to warm to an outsider running the program. "Bill handled that very well, with grace and style," he said. "I really believe that he loved it here. From the get-go, he looked at himself as a long-termer. But I think a tremendous opportunity came up for him." While some scholarships have been restored, Penn State lacks the full allotment other Big Ten schools -- including new members Rutgers and Maryland -- have at their disposal. As for candidates to replace OBrien, Greg Schiano has Penn State ties and may want to return to college after two forgettable seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While at Rutgers, Schiano was viewed as an Eastern recruiting expert who built the Scarlet Knights into a consistent bowl team by landing players from New Jersey to Miami. Vanderbilts James Franklin and Miami coach Al Golden, a former Penn State captain under Paterno, could both be at the top of the list. Joyner said school ties arent a must for the new coach. "People that have been affiliated with Penn State understand and are part of that great tradition," he said. "Its not a requirement going forward, but its something that will be in the thought process in the selection of the next great football coach at Penn State." ' ' '
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