Hawks' Scott, Boynton ready to serve and protect

When the Blackhawks said goodbye to Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, Ben Eager and Adam Burish during the off-season, they lost a good chunk of their abrasiveness.

Now it's going to be up to a new group to provide some jam and be there to protect the skill guys when the time is right.

Defensemen John Scott and Nick Boynton for certain will be counted on to stand up when the going gets rough.

"John Scott is going to bring that style of play we probably haven't had here in a while," general manager Stan Bowman said. "He's an intimidating guy. We're certainly not going to be pushed around.

"We're going to have Nick Boynton here all season long and he's another guy that plays a rugged style and I think our fans are going to identify with that."

The Hawks list Scott at 6-feet-7 and 247 pounds, and he comes to Chicago knowing what's expected of him.

"It's a tight group in there, so I'm just going to stick up for them like you would a family," Scott said. "I'm not going to shy away from it, but I'm not going to go looking for it.

"I know it's part of my job, but I'm not going to go out there and run around and try to fight people every time I'm on the ice. I'm going to go out there and try to make us better, be physical, and if it happens, it happens."

Boynton doesn't need to prove his toughness to anyone in the dressing room. His teammates remember his first game as a Hawk last March when he fought James Wisniewski in Anaheim in retaliation for Wisniewski's dirty hit on Brent Seabrook.

Boynton understands there's a new group that needs to emerge to supply a lot of the toughness and protection that left the club.

"It's definitely a different team and there's definitely spots for guys to do that," Boynton said. "Hockey is a physical sport, and in order for this team to be successful we're going to need some guys to step up and fill those spots for sure.

"If you get pushed around you don't win hockey games - that's the way the game is. Even though there's not as much fighting anymore you still have to be team tough. Judging from the guys we've got here, I don't think that will be an issue."

At forward there's a huge opportunity for Jake Dowell to be a fourth-line shift disturber and the kind of pain in the neck every team needs.

Dowell racked up 96 penalty minutes at Rockford last season to go with 23 points.

"Last year I came (to training camp) really trying to prove a point, and I was fighting quite a bit and I wanted to show I was willing to do that," Dowell said. "I still want to play intense and play with an edge and be gritty, but this is a skilled team and I really want to show I can play up to their speed and up to their pace and handle the puck as well."

Hawks coach Joel Quenneville mentions forwards Dowell and Bryan Bickell when discussing replacing some of the toughness that was lost during the off-season.

"I think Jake Dowell gives us some abrasiveness and Bickell has some of that in his game as well. I think that's the role those guys will be bringing."

Rookie left wing Kyle Beach had 186 penalty minutes in juniors last season along with 52 goals and would add muscle should he make the team.

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