Hawks’ Olesz still waiting to get in the game
Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said of Rostislav Olesz before training camp that he was eager to see where the veteran forward fit in with the team.
That question remains unanswered a month into the season.
Olesz, acquired from Florida last June for Brian Campbell and earning $3.1 million, was a healthy scratch for the eighth straight game on Monday against Nashville.
Hawks coach Joel Quenneville elected to dress defenseman John Scott again as a forward over Olesz in the lineup spot opened up by Daniel Carcillo’s two-game suspension.
Why Scott over Olesz, when Scott played only three shifts in Saturday’s win over Columbus?
“He’s working hard,” Quenneville said. “He’s getting improvement in his skating and his game. That gives us some versatility that he can play some shifts on the back end as well. And some size and some toughness.”
Quenneville claimed there wasn’t anything in particular he hasn’t been seeing from Olesz that would lead to him not playing.
“Opportunity right now is what’s holding him back,” Quenneville said. “That’s kind of where we’re at. We had a winning lineup there and we wanted to get Johnny in last game without Danny.”
Quenneville said Olesz is not having any problems with his knee that was surgically repaired last February.
“He’s fine,” Quenneville said.
Carcillo can return from his suspension on Thursday at Florida.
Thumbs up:Nashville coach Barry Trotz was impressed by the roster changes the Hawks made over the summer.#147;I love the changes they made,#148; Trotz said. #147;I love the character they brought in. They brought in some #8212; I#146;ll say some grit and fire on some of their role players. I think they filled in very nicely.#147;Two teams in the summer that filled in best in terms of free agency and that have been the Blackhawks and San Jose. To me, I#146;m not around the Blackhawks or San Jose, but just from a hockey observer #8212; those two teams fit a lot of the right pieces. If I were doing it, those are the type of pieces I would#146;ve fit on both of those teams.#148;Get shorty:Dave Bolland#146;s 2 short-handed goals lead the NHL after the first month of the season.#147;He anticipates really well and has some quickness, some deceptiveness,#148; Joel Quenneville said. #147;At the same time he#146;s out there a lot of time and has a tendency to go a little more.#148;The Hawks have 3 short-handed goals as a team.#147;Those are huge lifts for you,#148; Quenneville said. #147;A lot of nights, you score short-handed or you kill a 5-on-3, a lot of nights you#146;re going to come out on the winning side of it. When you#146;re able to cash in it#146;s a huge bonus and it really deflates the other team.#148;Father#146;s day:The Hawks are leaving early for the two games in Florida because their dads are along for the trip.They#146;re heading out today despite not playing until Thursday against the Panthers.