Inexperienced Hawks say they will be just fine
The Blackhawks get it.
They're young.
So when it comes to their lack of Stanley Cup playoff experience, the Hawks are letting it be an issue outside their dressing room and not in it.
When the Hawks open their first-round series with the Calgary Flames on Thursday at the United Center, 12 of them will be making their playoff debuts, including Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Kris Versteeg, Dustin Byfuglien, Dave Bolland, Adam Burish and Cam Barker.
"I think the me- dia makes more out of it than what it really is, but then again I haven't played in the NHL playoffs so I can't speak to it," Burish said. "You watch the sports shows and everyone says Chicago's too young, that we don't have the experience, but all year we haven't had experience, and that kind of naive, young attitude has made it fun.
"We don't know any different. We don't know what we're supposed to do or how we're supposed to feel or how we're supposed to act. We just kind of act how we think we should and we have fun with it. I'm not worried about that I've never played there or Johnny Toews or Kaner. Those guys are world-class players and I'm not worried about them one bit."
Toews and Kane say they are ready for the challenge of playoff hockey, when emotions and the intensity are at a fever pitch on every shift.
Andrew Ladd won a Stanley Cup with Carolina in 2006 and has experienced it all, right through a Game 7 of the Finals. While many of his teammates think they know what to expect when the puck drops Thursday, Ladd believes they need to experience it to truly understand what the playoffs are all about.
"It's just a whole new level, but at the same time I don't think it's hard to get up to that level," Ladd said. "The intensity and the speed, just everything is ramped up, physical play and things like blocking shots. I'm sure they'll pick it up right away."
Brian Campbell, who has 47 games of playoff experience, agrees with Ladd that his young teammates will learn quickly that the postseason is like nothing else.
"I've played in world juniors when it's crazy loud, and I know a lot of guys in this locker have played in that, but I do find it a little bit different," Campbell said. "It's a city rallying. It's the biggest prize that everybody wants to play for.
"We have a team that we feel is capable of doing a lot damage, but for guys it might take a little while to get into it. It could be your first shift or it could take five or 10 minutes, but I think they'll be well aware of it early on."
Hawks coach Joel Quenneville isn't concerned that some of his key players are inexperienced in playoff hockey.
"We've got to get experience as we go along here," Quenneville said. "We've got to make our history from game to game and from day to day.
"We've got some guys in key positions that can help us along the way and coaches that can help us all. I think immediately we'll get a test of how competitive playoff hockey is and respond in kind."
Toews on Tuesday had the look of someone who couldn't wait to get his first taste of the playoffs.
"I think with this group in this locker room, to a certain extent we don't know our own limitations, which is a good thing," Toews said. "We're there to dream big and it starts this week at home. We'll get our first taste of it, get our feet wet and go from there."
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