Pisani earns spot with Sharp, Kane
DENVER -- Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville never hesitates to mix up his forward lines, but at least to start the season Fernando Pisani was at left wing with Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane on Thursday against the Avalanche.
“He gives us some reliability and defensive awareness, but he can score and make plays, Quenneville said. “He sees plays well and I think he can complement them at both ends of the rink.
Quenneville obviously remembers how well the line of Sharp, Kane and Andrew Ladd performed in the Stanley Cup Finals.
“Pisani is kind of a player like Ladd where he'll work hard in the corners and come up with a lot of pucks and play a physical game, Kane said.
He's got a pretty nice touch too around the net. I think he'll be easy to play with and hopefully it works out pretty good.
“Both (Ladd and Pisani) are very smart players, Sharp said. “They keep it simple and are very predictable out there.
Pisani doesn't need to be reminded that he's playing with two of the best offensive players in the NHL.
“My job is to get on the forecheck, create turnovers and get those guys the puck, Pisani said. “Obviously you want those guys to have the puck the majority of the time so they can do what they do best and make plays.
“When you get the opportunity to play with guys like that you want to take advantage of it and be prepared and ready to go.
Eyeing 100 points: Patrick Kane was jokingly asked Thursday morning if he did the math on what it would take for him to reach 100 points this season.It turns out he had.#8220;I think it's 10 (points) every eight games, Kane said. #8220;It's a long season and you have to be consistent through the whole season to get up there. We'll see what happens. I'm not going to make any predictions. We'll see where we start off and where we end up obviously.Kane set a career high for points last season with 88.Going fourth: The Hawks' fourth line was one of the best in the NHL the last two seasons, providing energy and offense whether it was John Madden, Ben Eager, Adam Burish or Colin Fraser playing on it.All four of those guys are gone with the new fourth line being comprised of Jake Dowell, Jack Skille and Viktor Stalberg.#8220;Every team has a different niche or role for that group, Joel Quenneville said. #8220;Jack give us speed, we've got Viktor's speed, and Jake gives us some presence in the middle and can do a lot of different things for us. Today's game is quick and you need speed. I think they can sustain momentum in games and that's what we're looking for.HKN15452244Colorado Avalanche center Paul Stastny celebrates a power-play goal against the Chicago Blackhawks during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Oct. 7, 2010, in Denver. At lower right is Milan Hejduk. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey) HKN