Thornton, Hawks all a twitter over chirping trash talk
The Blackhawks had more important things to worry about Thursday than Boston's Shawn Thornton – such as making sure they're ready for tonight's must-win game at Columbus.
It was Thornton who accused one of the Hawks of "chirping" at him from the bench during Tuesday's game after Thornton suffered a cut above hie left eye from Fernando Pisani's skate that required more than 40 stitches.
"I'm going to find out who was and deal with it in my own way," Thornton said.
It could have been any one of a number of Hawks who trash-talked Thornton since nobody was happy with the knee-to-knee hit he put on Niklas Hjalmarsson earlier in the game.
One thing for sure is it wasn't John Scott, who was a healthy scratch, but the Hawks' enforcer wasn't happy to hear Thornton making threats.
"Chirping's fair game," Scott said. "I talk a lot out there, try to get under the other guy's skin, try to get a fight going out there if we need one.
"I take some abuse, I give it out, you know it just goes with the business. Everyone makes fun of how I play, that I'm a terrible hockey player. I've been hearing that for years, but I just take it in stride. I don't really chirp, I just tell guys if they keep it up I'm going to handle things."
One of the Hawks allegedly told Thornton he "deserved" what happened.
"Thornton's a stand-up guy," Scott said. "I saw it. I don't know who said anything. He was kind of being cheap that game, so whatever. He gets what comes to him."
It wasn't the first time the Hawks have been accused of yapping at an injured player on the ice. Calgary's Brendan Morrison claimed somebody said something to him from the Hawks' bench during the March 2 game at the United Center after he hurt his knee.
Thornton said the Hawks are known to chirp a lot.
"That's fine, he can say all he wants," Scott said. "He's going after some of the littlest guys on our team and trying to fight them. He's trying to challenge Pisani to a fight – what does that say about him? He's Mr. Tough Guy trying to challenge Pisani.
"So if I'm in the lineup he's more than welcome to come and chirp me. I'll kick the (bleep) out of him."
Pisani dismissed the incident, saying the Hawks don't chirp more than any other team.
"It's an emotional game and guys get upset, guys get frustrated. That's part of the game," Pisani said. "Everybody does (it). Everybody talks. Everybody tries to get under each other's skin. It's that time of the year, emotions are high everybody knows what's at stake and guys are just trying to bring an edge to their game.
"Every team, there's always a few guys that do it and that's part of their game, to try to agitate and get under the skin. But to say that we do it more than any other team, I think every team does it."
Hawks coach Joel Quenneville wanted little to do with the whole discussion.
"Whatever was said, I didn't hear it," Quenneville said. "I would say we're pretty quiet on the bench. I probably yell, and I'm not yelling at the other players. That's the voice I hear a lot."