Busy weekend for Sharks GM Wilson

There are a couple interesting connections between the Blackhawks and Sharks with the biggest being in San Jose's front office, where Doug Wilson is the general manager.

Wilson is one of the greatest players in Hawks history, a Norris Trophy-winning defenseman whose 39 goals still stand as the club record for blue liners.

While Wilson has been on somewhat on the hot seat for his team's past playoff failures, there's little doubt he knows how to build a hockey club.

He's the guy, remember, who traded Marco Sturm, Brad Stuart and Wayne Primeau to Boston in 2005 for Joe Thornton and last summer dealt Jonathan Cheechoo and Milan Michalek to Ottawa for Dany Heatley.

The San Jose Mercury News reported it's going to be a memorable two weeks for Wilson, and not only because the Sharks are in the Western Conference finals.

Wilson's daughter, Lacey, will compete Sunday in the Miss USA beauty pageant in Las Vegas as Miss Massachusetts, the day after his other daughter, Chelsea, graduates from USC.

The following weekend Wilson's son, Doug, graduates from Tufts University.

The other noteworthy Hawks-Sharks connection regards Brian Campbell, who left San Jose to sign as a free agent in Chicago before last season.

The fans at HP Pavilion haven't forgotten that perceived betrayal and boo Campbell every time he touches the puck.

Good riddance: Adam Burish said he is happy to be done talking about Vancouver's Shane O'Brien and Alex Burrows, whom he called "clowns" last series.

There might not be a lot of trash talking in this series, so respectful of each other are the teams right now.

But that could change.

Burish and Sharks center Joe Pavelski are former linemates and roommates at the University of Wisconsin, with Burish promising in a joking way to dig up some dirt on his pal.

Difference of opinion: You have to wonder what it's going to take for Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo to realize the Hawks are the better team.

Apparently playoff series losses a year apart didn't do it.

"I don't think they're a better team than us, but maybe a smarter team," Luongo said after Tuesday's Game 6 loss.

At least Daniel Sedin gets it.

"We tried to stick with it, but we lost against a better team," Sedin said.

Canucks coach Alain Vigneault was asked if part of the organization's off-season work would be figuring out what it needs in order to beat the Hawks.

"Those are questions we are going to look at as an organization here in the next couple weeks and find out how we match up," Vigneault said. "We think we're a good team, but we've gotten to the final eight the last couple years and lost to the same team.

"Why are we losing? That's a question we're going to have to look at very seriously and come up with some answers."