Stalberg might replace Bollig for Blackhawks in Game 3
BY MARK LAZERUS mlazerus@suntimes.com June 16, 2013 9:32PM
2013 NHL Stanley Cup Final - Game Two
Updated: June 18, 2013 6:25PM
BOSTON — Brandon Bollig might have cost himself his spot in the lineup when he helped cost the Blackhawks Game 2 on Saturday night.
Coach Joel Quenneville said Sunday that benched winger Viktor Stalberg “could play” — which usually means “will play” — Monday night against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden.
Bollig’s turnover in the Hawks’ zone led to Daniel Paille’s game-winning goal in overtime. Bollig, who acquitted himself well in Game 1, played only 8:42 in Game 2 with two giveaways and no hits or shots. He played on the fourth line with Marcus Kruger and Michael Frolik.
“He was fine,” Quenneville said. “I thought he had two good games. That line, didn’t get them out there much in overtime. [But] every time they were out there, they were a threat to score. Had a lot of offensive zone time. They got the one shift [in overtime], around the wall, we didn’t get there in time — bang, bang.”
Stalberg was benched for the first two games of the second-round series against the Detroit Red Wings in favor of Daniel Carcillo but returned for Game 3.
Bickell cools off
The breakout star of the first three rounds, Hawks winger Bryan Bickell has been held in check by the Bruins. He had only one shot on goal in each of the first two games, though he did deliver nine hits in the marathon Game 1. Against the Los Angeles Kings, Bickell had three goals and four assists on 17 shots in five games.
“Everybody has stretches where things go well for you,” Quenneville said. “Everything seemed to go in for him there. . . . I still think he has to simplify it. It’s something we talked about earlier — keep the puck going forward, put it at the net. You don’t have to try to make plays. When you try to make plays, the other team takes advantage of it.”
Powerless
The Hawks’ power play continues to be a hot topic, as they’re 0-for-6 with the man advantage. The Hawks still don’t have much of an explanation, but the answer continues to be simple: Shoot the puck.
“You have to give [the Bruins] some credit — they’ve played good on the penalty kill,” defenseman Duncan Keith said. “I don’t know. The power play is an area we’re trying to get better at. . . . Sometimes it’s a fine line between scoring and not scoring. The more times we can get pucks at the net and keep it simple when things aren’t going well, the better off we’ll be.”
