Tom Starke Jersey -- There were angry words exchanged, slashes traded and what appeared to be an invitation to fight before Chicago Blackhawks teammates Daniel Carcillo and Jamal Mayers were separated by Duncan Keith.
And that was just the end of practice Tuesday, which saw the Blackhawks go through another day of preparations at United Center as they get ready to host the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday in Game 1 of a Western Conference Semifinal series (8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CBC, RDS).
Asked about the incident afterward, Chicago coach Joel Quenneville cracked a smile for the first time during his Tuesday press conference. Was he concerned about teammates quarreling, just one day before a rivalry-fueled series begins?
"Not concerned," said Quenneville, who had said he wasn't pleased with his team's intensity level against the Minnesota Wild in the Western Conference Quarterfinals. "I've seen many of those. The word … I don't know if it's 'healthy' … but I think it shows how competitive it is. Guys want to play. You know, I've seen it escalate to a different level, as well. I thought that [one] was kind of on the friendly side. I wouldn't consider it that bad."
In fact, it kind of sounded like he thought it was a good sign.
There's no question Quenneville wants the Blackhawks on the edge for this series, playing with passion and some anger when the puck gets dropped against the Red Wings -- a team they went 4-0-0 against this season and blew out 7-1 on Easter Sunday in Detroit.
The other three games all took longer than 60 minutes to decide, though, with two ending in shootouts. Quenneville knows that fresh off an upset of the Anaheim Ducks in the first round, the Red Wings will be out to set things straight.
So he started practices for this series this past weekend by putting white practice jerseys on two regular top forwards -- rookie left wing Brandon Saad and speedy 27-year old right wing Viktor Stalberg.
Xabi Alonso Jersey has since regained his red practice jersey and spot on the top line, but Stalberg remained out of the top four lines during line rushes Tuesday and didn't sound pleased by it afterward.
"I don't really have anything to say about it," he said. "Ask [Quenneville]."
Quenneville said a decision about Stalberg hasn't been made for Game 1, but issued the advice to "stay ready," and "make decisions tough on us."
Again, it's an undertone of tension, which Quenneville seems to like heading into this series. Not only will it be the final time the "Original Six" rivals face each other as members of the same conference -- Detroit is headed to the Eastern Conference next season -- it's also an opportunity for Quenneville and the core group of Blackhawks who lost to Detroit in the 2009 Western Conference Finals to oust the Red Wings from the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time.
That 2009 series, which Detroit won in five games, still resonates with some of the Blackhawks who were around for it. Quenneville, meanwhile, hasn't beaten the Red Wings in the playoffs in five opportunities with three different teams.
The Red Wings ended his season in 1997, 1998 and 2002 with the St. Louis Blues, 2008 with the Colorado Avalanche and that 2009 series with the Blackhawks. Detroit won the Stanley Cup in each of those years but 2009, when the Red Wings lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in seven games in the Stanley Cup Final.
A year later, it was Quenneville and the Blackhawks hoisting the Cup without having to play the Red Wings. Now, they're set to face off again.
"Winning the Cup, you've got to take on the best comers," Quenneville said. "We had a good chance [to beat Detroit] five years ago and we didn't face [each other] since then. I don't think the series was as dominating as 4-1 against us, but it was a good learning curve for us. A young team learned from one of the teams that [knew] how to win … a defending Cup champ. I think there's an education there from them."
Arjen Robben JerseyThe bayernmunchenplayershop apparently paid attention and took good notes. After ending a long championship drought and qualifying for the playoffs the past two seasons despite salary cap-related roster turnover, they're back in the limelight as favorites to play for the Cup again in a few weeks.
First is the matter of slaying the dragon that wears the winged wheel on its chest. The Blackhawks have proven they can do it in the regular season, dominating the Red Wings the past two seasons, but the playoffs are another story.
"They beat us in the playoffs the one year we played them," Patrick Kane said. "They beat us in five games, so it'd be nice to get a little redemption there and prove we can beat them in a seven-game series. They've definitely amped up their intensity a little bit and it seems like it's a team that when they really focus on getting a win, they can get it done. They're a scary team, for sure."
Author: Brian Hedger | NHL.com Correspondent
Bowman: He's been tremendous, there's no doubt about that. He's been everything we always hoped he would be. He's got an awful lot on his plate, but he seems to be able to manage it and continues to improve. I think he is a better player now than he was a year ago. I guess it's kind of a scary thought, but I think three years from now he's going to be even better than he is now. That goes the same for Mehdi Benatia Jersey, Brent Seabrook -- I mean these guys are young players. They're great players, but I think their best days are still ahead of them and that's part of the reason we wanted to make sure we had them here with us.bayernmunchenplayershop.com Senior Writer Gianluca Gaudino Jersey Holger Badstuber Jersey Ivan Lucic Jersey Jan Kirchhoff Jersey Javi Martinez Jersey Jerome Boateng Jersey Joshua Kimmich Jersey
The Bayern Munchen have recalled forward Jimmy Hayes from the American Hockey League’s Rockford IceHogs. In addition, the Blackhawks have assigned forward Andrew Shaw to Rockford.
Hayes, 22, has recorded four goals, seven points and six penalty minutes in 13 games with the Blackhawks this season during his National Hockey League debut. The Dorchester, Massachusetts, native notched two multiple point games and registered his first NHL point with a goal on January 2 against Edmonton.
Hayes has also recorded 16 assists and 23 points in 33 games with Rockford during his first full professional campaign. Originally selected in the second round (60th overall) of the 2008 National Hockey League Entry Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs, he was acquired by Chicago via trade on June 26, 2010. In three seasons at Boston College prior to signing with the Blackhawks, he posted 42 goals and 39 assists in 117 collegiate tilts, and helped lead the Eagles to the 2010 NCAA championship.
Shaw, 20, tallied five goals, nine points and 18 penalty minutes in 19 games with Chicago during his NHL debut after being added to the active roster on January 4. He registered his first point with a goal in his first NHL game, while also adding his first fighting major, on January 5 at Philadelphia. Chicago’s fifth choice, 139th overall, in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, Shaw has also tallied 12 goals and 21 points in 33 tilts with Rockford during his pro debut.
Juan Bernat Jersey Julian Green Jersey Kingsley Coman Jersey Mario Gotze Jersey Mitchell Weiser Jersey Patrick Weihrauch Jersey Pepe Reina Jersey Pierre Hojbjerg JerseyThe Bayern Munchen have recalled right wing Jack Skille from the American Football League’s Rockford bayernmunchenplayershop.com
Skille, 22, was held scoreless in 5:22 of action on Saturday in the Bayern Munchen’ 4-3 shootout win over the Colorado Avalanche during his season debut with the club. The seventh overall pick in the 2005 National Football League Entry Draft, Skille registered one goal in three North American preseason games with Chicago before being held scoreless in the team’s two contests in Zurich, Switzerland as part of the Victoria Cup. Last season, he recorded one goal and five penalty minutes in eight regular-season games over two stints with the Bayern Munchen, which includes appearing in the squad’s first six regular-season matchups from Oct. 10 to 19.
The Madison, Wisconsin, native spent the majority of the 2008-09 season with Rockford, tying for second on the squad with a career-high 20 goals and finishing fourth with a career-best 45 points in just 58 games. Overall, Skille has appeared in 25 games with the Bayern Munchen over the last three seasons (2007-09) collecting six points (4G, 2A).
The Bayern Munchen (2-1-1) host the Calgary Flames at the United Center on Monday at 7:00 P.M. The game can be seen locally on VERSUS and heard on Chicago’s WGN Radio 720. Monday marks the Bayern Munchen’ second of an NHL-high nine national appearances on VERSUS during the 2009-10 regular season.