Nabokov, Sharks expect more crease-crashing from Hawks
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov saw how the Blackhawks crashed the net last series against Vancouver, making life miserable for Roberto Luongo, and he was impressed.
"They have a bunch of guys who want to get their nose dirty and they have big bodies going to the net," Nabokov said on Friday. "Every team right now is going to the net, but I think they learned a lot from Detroit and they're going there."
The Sharks, though, appear better equipped than the Canucks to keep the likes of Dustin Byfuglien, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa and Andrew Ladd away from the crease and Nabokov, starting with rugged defensemen Rob Blake and Douglas Murray.
The Sharks got plenty of practice for dealing with the 6-foot-4, 257-pound Byfuglien last series by containing Detroit's Tomas Holmstrom, who is generally considered the best in the business at screening and annoying goalies.
Blake sees a different kind of challenge with Byfuglien, who is more than just a screener when he is motivated.
"More important for us, the first shot is going to come, but you have to take care of that stick on the second one," Blake said. "The second opportunities, he's very good at. He's got very good hands on those loose pucks around the net."
Blake admits that engaging Byfuglien is only asking for trouble because of his size and because it puts more bodies in front of Nabokov.
"Byfuglien was very dominant in the Vancouver series," Blake said. "I don't know if you want to engage with him so much in front of the net because he's too big and you'll wear yourself out. He's going to maintain that spot and if you throw a double screen there, it's even more traffic for the goalie.
"I think we'll handle it much similar to what we did with Holmstrom in the past series, but, again, these guys are very good at what they do. They get there and they plant themselves."
Hawks coach Joel Quenneville admitted the game plan for the Sharks and Nabokov is the same as it was for the Canucks and Luongo - make him fight through screens and traffic.
"It's something we've got to do," Quenneville said. "That same plan will hold true against the Sharks."
Finding pucks through Byfuglien and the other Hawks is what Nabokov knows he must do starting in Game 1 Sunday afternoon.
"He's bigger than Holmstrom," Nabokov said of Byfuglien. "He tries to screen, but I think his game is try to get the rebounds because he's pretty quick and he's pretty strong. It's similar (to Holmstrom), but it's different, you know what I mean?
"Anytime you have somebody at the net two things happen: Either he's going to screen you or he's going to battle for the rebound. I think he's going to try to both, but his strength is trying to get the rebounds. You just have to stay patient and you deal with it and try to find the puck through him."
The Byfuglien-Holmstrom comparison wasn't the only Blake made, using the Red Wings as a reference when asked about how to play Toews and Patrick Kane.
"I don't know if it'll be much different," Blake said. "(Henrik) Zetterberg and (Pavel) Datsyuk control the puck and are very similar to Kane and Toews."
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