Timonen admits conditioning has been an issue
Kimmo Timonen knew his comeback would be difficult.
He just didn't know it would be as difficult as it's been through his first four games with the Blackhawks.
"It is a little harder," said Timonen, who hadn't played since last season's playoffs prior to joining the Hawks in a recent trade. "I didn't expect to be this sore maybe, but I can't lie to myself. I'm 40 years old."
Timonen actually won't turn 40 until March 18, but who's counting?
Certainly not him. He doesn't have time in the midst of a rare comeback attempt. Since last season, Timonen went through a six-month battle to eliminate blood clots, missed the Flyers' training camp and preseason, and then sat out the first five months of the season.
Reality has now set in that he's still in preseason mode, which isn't easy to accept for a guy with 117 goals and 454 assists in 1,096 career regular-season games.
"I put a lot of pressure on myself to be at that certain standard, and I'm not even close to there," said Timonen, who hasn't recorded a point. "It kind of (ticks) me off, but at the same time, I've got to be realistic. When you haven't skated in nine months and you jump into the game right away, it can't be there right away."
Timonen's main goal is to win the Stanley Cup. That hasn't changed, but his outlook has regarding the time it could take to get his skating legs back.
"I'm not there yet, I can tell you that," Timonen said earlier this week. "The way that I feel and the way my body feels, it's just in my early days of training camp. Let's put it that way."
After logging 17:29 in his Blackhawks debut on March 2, Timonen's ice time has diminished in the past three games. He played just 9:21 on Thursday. The biggest issue is lingering soreness, particularly in his groins.
"I've got to be realistic," Timonen said. "These guys have already played six months. They're up to speed. I've just got to get up there by the playoffs."
The Hawks are banking on it. Despite what his ice time might reflect, Hawks coach Joel Quenneville noticed an uptick in Timonen's energy in practice this week.
"I know what he was going through initially definitely limited a lot of his movement and he wasn't as comfortable getting involved in the games," Quenneville said. "He's probably a lot more of himself here (lately) and getting involved in the attack and getting to pucks quicker. It helps with your gap as well."
Adjusting to the Hawks' defensive system has also been a process, but the biggest issue remains physical.
"My main focus here is to get some games underneath me and get my body feeling good," Timonen said. "That's the key. When I'm feeling good, I can help the team. When I'm sore, I can't really do (much) out there."
Nordstrom suspended:
The NHL suspended Joakim Nordstrom for two games for an illegal hit Thursday on Arizona defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The play occurred at 19:22 of the third period of the Hawks' 2-1 win at Arizona. Nordstrom received a minor penalty for boarding.
• The Associated Press contributed to this report