Struggling Bicks plans to stick to basic game
Bryan Bickell received Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville’s message loud and clear.
Bickell didn’t have much fun Sunday when he was benched for the entire third period and overtime in the Blackhawks’ loss to San Jose.
Bickell said he needed to go back to playing a more simple game.
“I know I have more,” Bickell said Wednesday. “For me, he’s (Quenneville) not confident putting me on the ice, so I’ve got to work extra at practice and try to get my game where it was.”
Bickell has struggled since returning from a sprained left knee he suffered in mid-November at Colorado.
“When the knee happened it takes time to get used to playing and skating with braces,” he said. “But I have to work around it, be smarter, make simpler plays and not make high-risk plays, which I’ve been doing. I need to simple my game down and not try to do too much.
“It’s not good (sitting). You want to be out there helping your team, especially in a close game like last game. You want to have that goal or hit to change the momentum, but I’ll learn from experience. And try to get my game back to where it needs to be.”
Quenneville hasn’t lost confidence in Bickell to the point where he thinks he can’t be the same player he was in the playoffs, when he scored key goal after key goal.
“We want to get him playing very direct and simple,” Quenneville said. “We want him to be physical and go to the net. The last couple games he’s gotten away from that.”
Oh, shoot:Patrick Kane is not dwelling on being 0-for-9 in shootouts this season.#147;First and foremost you want to have the confidence that you#146;re going to go down and score,#148; Kane said. #147;What#146;s happened in the past as far as this season, I#146;ve tried to put that in my back pocket and just forget about it.#147;I need to make sure that when I pick up the puck I have the confidence to score.#147;You don#146;t want to think it#146;s OK if I don#146;t score because Tazer (Jonathan Toews) or Sharpie (Patrick Sharp) will score. You want to take advantage of your opportunity.#148;Kane celebrated in practice Tuesday when he scored in a shootout drill.#147;I#146;ve actually been pretty good in practice scoring,#148; he said. #147;I#146;m just trying to transfer it over into the game.#148;Buffalo connection:Blizzard conditions in Buffalo on Wednesday forced the Sabres to postpone their game against Carolina. Patrick Kane#146;s family lives in Buffalo, and he checked in with them to make sure everyone was fine.#147;My sisters couldn#146;t go to work or school, but my dad was able to take the car out to Tim Horton#146;s and get coffee,#148; Kane said with a laugh. #147;As long as everyone is safe it#146;s all good.#148;