Chicago Blackhawks may change lines for Stanley Cup Final
What brought the Chicago Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup Final may not be exactly what starts them off in the series.
An open practice at the United Center on Tuesday included several line and lineup reconstructions, most notably with Brandon Bollig skating with the fourth line while Viktor Stalberg suffered another apparent demotion to healthy scratch status.
“There’s a likelihood or probability it could happen,” Hawks Coach Joel Quenneville said afterward at media day. “They played well together, that [fourth] line, all year long. It could happen.”
Bollig, a physical presence who hasn’t played since Game 3 of the first-round series against the Minnesota Wild, skated with a fourth line that included Marcus Kruger and Michael Frolik. It would infuse some rough-and-tumble play into the lineup against the black-and-blue Bruins, though Bollig would be a more complementary cog.
“That’s definitely what it is if I do go in, because that’s what I provide,” Bollig said. “I provide physicality. I’m just looking to play my game and provide that presence. I’m just looking to play the same way and not change a thing.”
The change might come at the expense of Stalberg, who has zero goals and three assists in 15 postseason games — and who suffered through a benching previously at the start of the Detroit Red Wings series.
“It’s tough, obviously, it’s frustrating,” Stalberg said. “It’s frustrating from a personal standpoint. That’s how it is sometimes. You’re going to go through struggles, but at the same time, it’s tough too when you’re playing eight minutes a night to do something.
“Being a productive player during the regular season for the most part, it’s tough sometimes when you don’t get the ice time you’re used to and you have to change your game up a bit and something doesn’t work the way you want it to. But I think I’ve been doing what I’ve been asked to. If they want some more toughness in this first game here, so be it, I can’t affect that at this point.”
Quenneville also juggled the personnel on his top lines, at least for public consumption. Jonathan Toews centered a top line with Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa, while Michal Handzus skated on a second line between Patrick Kane and Bryan Bickell.
Dave Bolland returned to his standard No. 3 center spot, flanked by Brandon Saad and Andrew Shaw.
Twitter: @ChiTribHamilton
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