One game vs. Flyers a bad memory
The Blackhawks faced Philadelphia just once during the regular season, but that March 13 meeting sticks out in Joel Quenneville's mind.
"It was a game that at the end of it might have been the most frustrating loss all year long," the Hawks coach said. "Giving up a lead late and then giving up the goal to beat us without getting it to overtime - with a couple seconds on the clock - was a tough pill to swallow at the time."
If Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger doesn't beat Hawks goalie Cristobal Huet with 2.1 seconds left for the game-winning goal that day at the Wachovia Center, the Hawks earn at least 1 point and claim home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs.
Judging by the Hawks' superior road record in the postseason, it's just as well they lost.
"It turned out OK that we didn't have it, in hindsight," Quenneville said with a smile.
No Laddie: While the rest of the Hawks enjoyed a brisk 30-minute skate at Johnny's Ice House on Chicago's West Side, third-line forward Andrew Ladd stayed at United Center to undergo treatment for an unspecified injury.
Ladd played just 2 minutes, 14 seconds in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals on Sunday before being sidelined.
" 'Laddie' is day to day, and we're expecting him to play in the series," coach Joel Quenneville said.
Reading between the lines, though, Quenneville didn't specify at which point in the series the physical winger will take the ice.
Tomas Kopecky, a healthy scratch for the last five games despite providing 3 goals, 1 assist and a plus-2 in the Hawks' first 11 playoff contests, could fill Ladd's skates if he's not ready for Game 1 on Saturday.
" 'Kopi' was playing very well for us," Quenneville said. "I thought he was playing some of his best hockey late in the year and into the playoffs, so we've got some guys who can give us some options."
Quenneville suggested burly Bryan Bickell, who spent a few games of the Nashville series playing on the top line with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, could be in the mix as well.
Welcome home: Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti joined Hawks president John McDonough at the team's practice. The Chicago natives worked together for the Cubs for several years in the 1980s.
"Ned is a big, big Blackhawks fan," McDonough said.
Colletti benefited from fortunate scheduling. He's in town for the Dodgers' only trip to Wrigley Field this season.
Buckets for the lions: The Art Institute's bronze lions are to be fitted for Blackhawks helmets at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
The iconic lions, located outside the museum's Michigan Avenue entrance, will wear the helmets throughout the Stanley Cup Finals.
Hall of Famer Bobby Hull will attend Wednesday's ceremony.
He said it: If you think Duncan Keith receives much sympathy in the Hawks' dressing room for losing seven teeth Sunday, you've never been a 20-something male.
Here's 24-year-old forward Kris Versteeg's take on Keith's plight: "He couldn't talk before. But now with this it just adds to his great face and his terrible, terrible voice."