Quenneville's goals more immediate than long range
For coach Joel Quenneville, it's way too early to start predicting how far the Blackhawks will go this season.
It's first things first: get through training camp, have a strong start to the regular season, and focus on trying to win what is going to be a very good Central Division.
"We'll talk about goals as we go along," Quenneville said. "Right now I'm thinking about training camp and the competition internally. When we transition to the regular season, I think that will be one of our realistic goals this year of trying to win the division. After that everything will sort itself out."
Quenneville thinks the Central will be the toughest division in the NHL. Last year the Hawks, Detroit, Columbus and St. Louis made the playoffs with only Nashville missing.
If the Hawks are going to win the Central they will need to outlast a Red Wings team that has captured the last eight division titles.
"We shouldn't be focusing on the Red Wings," said Tomas Kopecky, the former Wing. "We should focus on our team, and whatever the Red Wings are doing, that's their business. We want to take care of business in our locker room.
"Teams like the Sharks, the Bruins, they're all going to be good, but what matters most is taking care of our own business."
It's a wrap: The four-game, training-camp round robin ended Tuesday with Team Black taking the championship.
The Black team featured Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp, Brian Campbell, Cam Barker, Andrew Ladd, Troy Brouwer and Jake Dowell, with Antti Niemi and Alec Richards the goalies.
There will be two practice sessions Wednesday, one scrimmage Thursday and another practice Friday. Some cuts, likely several junior eligible players, could happen today.
Tuesday's scrimmages were the first played on the bigger ice at the United Center.
"It was heavy out there today," Joel Quenneville said. "I always find the third day is kind of a hump day, and we got over it today. I just like the competitiveness we've had."
No blood: After three days of scrimmages Joel Quenneville still sees Antti Niemi and Corey Crawford dead even for the backup job.
"That will sort out as we get a longer exposure to, not just exhibition games, but every day in practice and seeing them a little bit more," Quenneville said. "It's still very early."
Tip-ins: Dave Bolland missed his third straight day of scrimmages with a sore lower back. - There was more grabbing than punching during a scrimmage scrap between Kyle Beach and Jack Skille. - Winger Matt Keith, a third-round pick by the Hawks in 2001, is back from a year in Germany trying to win a job on the Rockford roster.