Shaw 'questionable' for Blackhawks in Game 2
Ok, now we know why Kris Versteeg, who looked ready to go against Minnesota, was a late scratch for the series opener. We also kind of know the prognosis on injured forward Andrew Shaw.
Despite not giving out too many details, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville made it sound as if Shaw, who appeared to suffer a knee injury early in Friday's game, won't be sidelined too long.
"Shawzie's questionable for (Sunday)," Quenneville said.
Is it a long-term injury? "No," he said, "Short term."
As for the reason Versteeg - who was set to return to the lineup after being benched for Game 6 against St. Louis - was a very late scratch Friday night?
"Steeger was going to play," Quenneville said. "He was under the weather, so after warm-up we made the change."
Getting close:
Just from watching him swarm the net late in the St. Louis series, it looks as if it's only a matter of time before Brandon Saad snaps his 19-game streak of being held without a goal.
"Yeah, I think I'm playing well," said Saad, who had a sweet assist on Marian Hossa's power-play goal Friday. "It's only a matter of time before I get one."
But still, fighting to get off the schneid can be a tough thing.
"Since we're winning it's easy not to think about," Saad said, "but when the chances happen in a game you want to score, and when the puck doesn't seem to find a way in it's something that is frustrating at the time. I just have to keep at it and keep working hard."
His teammates have confidence it will come sooner rather than later considering the way the 21-year-old forward has been playing.
"He's an unbelievable player," Nick Leddy said. "We call him the man-child for a reason. He's just a beast out there. For being so young he just dominates."
Turning it up:
Since allowing 4 goals in Game 2 against St. Louis, goalie Corey Crawford has a .951 save percentage in five games, not surprisingly all Hawks wins.
At the other end of the spectrum, Minnesota's Ilya Bryzgalov has an .821 save percentage in the playoffs.
He said it:
"Lower body."
- Joel Quenneville, explaining why his injured horse, Midnight Hawk, won't run in the Preakness