Quenneville sends clear message to Saad, Stalberg

Rookie left wing Brandon Saad got the message Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville apparently was delivering Saturday at practice.

Both Saad and Viktor Stalberg had white practice jerseys hanging in their locker stalls when they arrived at the rink that meant they would be skating with the extras.

Ben Smith was on the first line with Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa, while Dave Bolland was centering the third line for Bryan Bickell and Andrew Shaw.

“With a couple of the guys, we wanted to have a look-see,” Quenneville said. “We’ll see how it goes.”

Saad had 1 assist in five games in the first round against Minnesota.

“I think he needs to keep it simple: advance the puck, don’t always feel like you have to make a play, use your speed, put it in areas sometimes for races, try to keep the puck and have some offensive zone shifts,” Quenneville said.

Stalberg likewise had 1 assist. “(He’s) kind of comparable,” Quenneville said.

“Even without him saying anything, I know my play wasn’t at my best,” Saad said. “I think it’s the little things. It’s a tough game and you have to win the little battles against the boards. It’s something I have to work on every day in practice.

“It motivates me for sure. Not playing my best is something to use as motivation. Now’s not the time to get frustrated. We’re still playing hockey and still winning.”

The second and fourth lines were the same, meaning Michal Handzus was between Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp with Marcus Kruger skating between Michael Frolik and Daniel Carcillo.

Bolland, Emery ready:Joel Quenneville pronounced center Dave Bolland and backup goalie Ray Emery healthy enough to start the second round.Both participated in Saturday#146;s practice that was one of the toughest of the season and included a full-team scrimmage.#147;I#146;ll be ready,#148; Bolland said. #147;Having a few extra days off is always nice.#147;This was great for me today. It#146;s nice to sort of get back in that game mode with a little scrimmage.#148;While Bolland was at center on the third line Saturday, Quenneville wouldn#146;t commit to playing him there.#147;He could start there, but we#146;ll see,#148; Quenneville said. #147;We#146;ll likely start him comparable to where he was today and go from there.#147;We love tough decisions and having Bolly back is a nice option to have. We#146;ll visit with that over the next couple days, but we look forward to having him back in the lineup.#148;Hart reaction:Patrick Kane was disappointed the Presidents#146; Trophy-winning Hawks didn#146;t have anyone among the three finalists for the Hart Trophy as the league#146;s MVP.Instead it was Pittsburgh#146;s Sidney Crosby, Washington#146;s Alex Ovechkin and the Islanders John Tavares #151; all from the Eastern Conference #151; getting the most votes from the media.#147;I don#146;t know if I feel disrespected,#148; Kane said. #147;Everyone that got named is very deserving of the award. I think maybe a little bit more recognition for the team would have been nice if myself or Johnny (Toews) had got nominated.#148;Joel Quenneville felt either Toews or Kane should have been a finalist.#147;Three guys from the other side, so it#146;s tough to comment,#148; Quenneville said. #147;On our side those two guys (Toews and Kane) had outstanding seasons and were a big part of our success and definitely should have got consideration.#147;Did one maybe take away from the other? You probably could put that in the equation, but both guys were definitely worthy of consideration in my eyes.#148;Fun and games:Joel Quenneville will watch Game 7 between Detroit and Anaheim on Sunday for the entertainment value and with a scouting eye.#147;You#146;ve got ideas,#148; Quenneville said. #147;Sometimes you watch it from an entertainment type of thing at the same time when you get down to the nitty-gritty of it, you watch from a technical aspect.#147;We#146;re probably watching it from a little bit of both, a little entertainment and at the same time technically fine tuning.#148;