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CHICAGO -- Florida Panthers forward Kris Versteeg says he still gets treated like royalty when he comes back to Chicago as he is on Friday to take on his former team, the Blackhawks.

Versteeg joins current teammates Brian Campbell, John Madden and Tomas Kopecky in a return of former Stanley Cup champions to the building they had so much success in two seasons ago. Former Hawk Jack Skille is scheduled to play as well after being out with an injury.

“[It’s] the first time I’ve been back to the rink since Game 5 [of the Stanley Cup finals in 2010]. I remember we won Game 5 and I was looking around at the fans, and I said this is the last time we’re going to be here because we’re going to win it in Game 6,” Versteeg said after Panthers practice Friday morning at the United Center. “It’s nice to be back.”

The Hawks did win Game 6 and then the team was famously broken up due to salary cap restraints. But the bond between former teammates lives on -- and so does the friendly jabs. Jonathan Toews got together with Versteeg Thursday night after the Panthers arrived in town.

"I was willing to take him to the hair salon and get him a haircut last night, but he didn’t want to do that,” Toews joked after Hawks’ practice.

Versteeg has grown his blond hair out and says he hears it from players every night. Friday will be no exception.

“I already have Bolland telling me he’s going to be giving it to me all night about my hair,” Versteeg said. “If it takes the focus off the game, that’s a positive. As for Toews, he’s trying to get inside my head. I’m already inside his.”

Campbell is hoping for a better response from the fans in Chicago than he’s received from other former teams he’s played for. He’s been booed in Buffalo and San Jose but he didn’t help win those cities a Stanley Cup.

“It’ll be fun,” Campbell said. “These fans are the best. Hopefully we all get a nice response but then we have to get down to work.”

Though it is work, several players talked about how strange it is to face so many former teammates on one team.

“It’s almost like it’s not a real hockey game,” Kane said. “You’re out there laughing and joking around and having fun. But at the same time you want to beat them, too. It’s a little bit different but definitely fun.”

The joking and laughing around can extend to anything considering how well many of the players know each other. Kane was reminded of Versteeg’s infamous rap session during the Stanley Cup parade in June 2010.

“You call those skills?” Kane joked. “I don’t know if you can call it a skill. That was pretty embarrassing, so hopefully we don’t have to see that for a while.”

Ray Emery starts in net for the Hawks while Jose Theodore is expected to play for the Panthers.

Sharp update: Joel Quenneville said forward Patrick Sharp is making progress toward a return after the All-Star break. Sharp is out with a wrist injury.

“There are three games on that trip in four nights so hopefully he can begin it,” Quenneville said Friday morning. “We’re anticipating he’ll get started on that trip.”

Every 10 games I will give you an assessment of how the Chicago Blackhawks season is evolving. After the first 10 games they were 5-4-1 and Joel Quenneville said that record accurately reflected their play. After 20, they’re still hovering around .500 at 9-9-2 and his assessment stands up. Here are 10 things to know about the first 20 games:

10. Lining up: Seemingly, the only line combination Quenneville hasn’t tried is Marty Turco at center and Corey Crawford on defense. Otherwise, just about every forward has played with each other and, thankfully, the most radical of lineups -- with Patrick Kane on left wing -- lasted the shortest amount of time. In game 20, Quenneville may have finally settled on his best combination, though he probably found it a week or two ago, at least for his top line.

Jonathan Toews centering Kane and Viktor Stalberg has made an impact, even if it hasn’t always shown up in the box score. Stalberg has emerged as a winger who can handle the load and Toews and Kane remain better together than apart. Dave Bolland has finally returned to his No. 2 center role he was initially penciled in for when he signed a five-year mega contract two offseasons ago. He should center Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa for the near future. With Troy Brouwer’s fall from grace, Quenneville has finally put his best six forwards—at least on paper—together, and that’s the way it should be. The third and fourth lines can alternate some depending on who is playing well, but these lines should stick.

9. The difference: After talking to scouts and league personnel they stressed the Hawks were a different team. That was no surprise. The roster turnover was well documented. But they meant the Hawks were different as in they were going to have to win in different ways than a year ago. Replicating the puck possession dominance of last season may simply be impossible to do. Their plus-9 shot differential was a special statistic that doesn’t happen every year. Currently, the Hawks are plus-2 in that category, which is closer to most teams in the league—even the good ones. Once the Hawks accept they are different, it might go a long way to figuring out new ways to win.

8. Power up: If the Hawks are going to be a more “ordinary” team during five-on-five play then they have to make up the difference somewhere. Despite a brief slump near the end of the latest 10-game segment, the Hawks' power play is picking up the slack. It ranks third in the NHL, converting at a 25.8 percent clip. That makes sense. The Hawks may have lost some depth but they have enough star power to put five on the ice that are as good as anyone.

Quenneville had Kane, Toews, Keith, Sharp, and Tomas Kopecky on a dangerous first unit but when that went a little stale -- as did the games of Keith and Kopecky -- he changed it up. Brent Seabrook and Marian Hossa played with the top unit in game 20 against Anaheim, and it paid off to the tune of two goals. Simply put, if the Hawks fall far from a top-five ranking with the man advantage, their season is in danger. The power play has to continue at its current pace, and the No. 1 unit has plenty of pressure on it to succeed since there are no Kris Versteegs or Andrew Ladds to pick up the slack on the second unit.

7. Mentally speaking Part I:The first 20 games provide more evidence the mental part of professional sports is just as important -- if not more so -- than the physical part. Sharp got off to a hot start because he said he gained confidence from playing well in the Stanley Cup finals. Hossa said he felt as relaxed as ever after getting the championship monkey off his back, and he proved it with a fast start. These were already star players who needed an extra confidence boost, and when they got it, they took it with them to the start of the next season.

6. Mentally speaking Part II: The mental aspect can work against a player as well. Niklas Hjalmarsson openly and honestly admitted he wanted to live up to his much publicized four-year, $14 million deal by, in part, providing more offense. He’s struggled on both ends showing a minus-9 with zero points for his efforts. And then there is Duncan Keith, an admitted big believer in nurturing the mental side of the game. His struggles are confounding as yet another player beginning a major contract with a lot of pressure. In fact, it’s the longest in team history. He’s been beat to the net, his pocket’s been picked, and his defensive coverage around the Hawks' net has been suspect. But he has chipped in on offense with 12 assists. Expect a turnaround sooner rather than later, but not before a few sessions with his guru, Hawks mental coach, Dr. Jim Gary.

5. Stuck at home: One major problem the Hawks are having is getting out of their own zone. One scout said it was their “biggest problem.” Without a dominant puck possession game, the Hawks have had to play in their own end more than last season and the results so far don’t tell a positive story. Too many goals have been given up around their net with coverage being poor at best. It’s hard to blame them, this group of defenders hasn’t had to play tough minutes in their own end in quite some time. They are slowly getting better at it, but at what cost? Tight games have slipped away in the third period due to these breakdowns. Improvement has to happen, and fast.

4. Bucking the stats: There are certain traditions in the NHL -- even since the rule changes after the lockout -- that have always held true for good teams. Score first and you’ll win the majority of your games. Take a lead into the third period and wining much more than just the majority should be the norm. The Hawks are not following those trends. When they score first they’ve won just 46 percent of their games. That’s 26th in the league. It gets worse: When they lead after two periods they win 60 percent of the time, which ranks 29th in the NHL. For perspective, half the league -- 15 teams -- haven’t lost a game when leading after two periods.

3. The competition: Some may have predicted a resurgence in St. Louis, but not many thought the Hawks would have to fight Columbus for divisional superiority. Detroit is off to a predictable start having a healthier roster than a season ago and Nashville will always hang around. Incredibly, the Hawks have played exactly five more games than all four other Central division teams yet are in the middle of the pack in points, just three ahead of last place. One or two more games played wouldn’t be a big deal but that’s a potential 10 more points for all those teams. That’s a huge deal. Simply put, the Hawks have to reassess their goals. Making the playoffs will be a dogfight, almost simply by the mathematics of it all.

2. United ugly: Teams can win on the road in the NHL, but what the Hawks have allowed to happen at home is almost criminal. What’s the best attendance in the league supposed to mean if it doesn’t help win some home games? The Hawks aren’t in a rebuilding mode. They proved their home dominance a year ago and so maybe this is the best sign they are a different team: seven home losses already as opposed to seven at the United Center all last season. They say they are being too cute at home, so get ugly. Fancy doesn’t win games. Hard work does. That will give the crowd something to cheer for and return the roar to the west side in some tight third periods. It's been a meow so far.

1. Coaching: This is where Quenneville earns his new paycheck. No surprise there. Not many Stanley Cup winning coaches will have to say good-bye to 10 players and then work in a new group while also dealing with a fan base that expects a return to the promised land. After all, it was general manager Stan Bowman who stressed the core was still intact and having that was more important than anything.

Of course, he was right, but teams don’t win championships without becoming teams. Quenneville has some work to do in getting players to accept roles as he did last year. It is starting to come. Jack Skille is understanding what he needs to be in a third or fourth line role. Bryan Bickell and Troy Brouwer are being more physical than earlier in the season when scoring goals may have been on their minds. Quenneville was a master at getting it done from Versteeg to Dustin Byfuglien last year. Now, he has to do it all over again. Though some may disagree, it is slowly starting to come together, but no longer is it early. Quenneville has to stress exactly that: We’re a quarter of the way done with the season and a rough start needs to turn into a successful middle or it will be a quick end.

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Blackhawks will receive their Stanley Cup rings at a private gathering on Wednesday, a person familiar with the event said.

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It’s pretty simple. Stan Bowman and the Blackhawks are trying to make the best of a bad situation.

On a late-night conference call to announce the latest salary-cap casualty -- Kris Versteeg, who was dealt to Toronto on Wednesday -- Bowman explained the Hawks' desire to restock the pipeline.

He thinks he helped do so with the acquisition of three forwards from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Viktor Stalberg is an NHL-ready player, Bowman says, and will fit in nicely with his stars.

Speaking of which, Bowman rattled off the stars of the team. He said those players will be surrounded by young talent from here on out, and that’s exactly what the Hawks have acquired lately. But we all know none of this would be happening if there was no salary cap.

The bottom line: Since changes had to come, why not max out on them? It’s no coincidence the Hawks traded two players who played the best hockey of their careers this past postseason. Again, it’s about making the best of a rotten situation. With no cap, this team is a dynasty.

Just as big as announcing the trade was Bowman’s casual insistence that he’ll have no trouble signing his big three restricted free agents. Antti Niemi, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Andrew Ladd hit the market Thursday and could potentially be plucked away by another team.

“Offer-sheet talk is of no concern to me,” Bowman said.

He was right about one thing. There haven’t been many restricted free agents that have switched teams over the years. But does that mean the Hawks will match anyone’s offer, or does Bowman just not believe anyone will get an offer?

“[Offer sheets] don’t concern me,” Bowman repeated. “These guys are going to remain with the Blackhawks. We have plenty of flexibility to make things work.”

Maybe now they do. It seemed hard to believe even after the Dustin Byfuglien trade the Hawks would have enough room for all other major names to return. It turns out they didn’t.

As for Versteeg, his acceptance of his role in the playoffs should not be understated or forgotten. A high-risk, high-reward type of player in the regular season, he took care of business in the postseason in his own end first, and then contributed on offense as well. He did his part, and more, in helping the Hawks to the Cup.

It’s been a bloodbath so far, but if Bowman has made the best of the cards he’s been holding, then maybe the Hawks can have that dynasty after all.

They have no choice but to get there this way.

The party is definitely over.

Faced with serious salary cap issues, the Chicago Blackhawks traded away another contributor to the Stanley Cup title team, shipping Kris Versteeg to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday.

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LOS ANGELES -- Rumblings from Day 2 of the 2010 NHL entry draft…

Going into draft weekend it looked like the Blackhawks might move either Kris Versteeg or Andrew Ladd. Versteeg did not get traded, and now expect Ladd to be extended a qualifying offer before Monday’s deadline, pulling him off the immediate market as well. Niklas Hjalmarsson and Antti Niemi already have their qualifiers while Jordan Hendry is not expected to receive one, though a source said Friday they still want to resign the defenseman.

Don’t expect the Blackhawks to sign any of their restricted (or, for that matter, unrestricted) free agents before July 1 when they can hit the open market. That means both Niemi and Hjalmarsson could very well receive offer sheets from other teams. It remains to be seen what those numbers would look like, but it does present the possibility, though doubtful, that one or both could leave with the Hawks receiving a massive compensation package. In the cases of Niemi and Ladd, both players can elect for salary arbitration and if a deal can’t be worked out, their salaries would be decided by an arbiter. Those can be one- or two-year deals. The request for salary arbitration must be submitted to the league before July 5.

General manager Stan Bowman reiterated that the Hawks no longer have to move salary, but still might. He said deals were discussed all weekend, including plenty of calls on Saturday, but for whatever reason there was less movement than initially expected.

The Blackhawks made one interesting move on Day 2, trading for the brother of their first-round pick from Day 1. Jimmy Hayes was a second-round pick for the Toronto Maple Leafs in last year’s draft, while his brother Kevin Hayes was the Blackhawks first pick (No. 24) this year. The Hawks traded one of their five second-round picks to acquire the elder Hayes. Both brothers will play at Boston College this fall.

Bowman said it’s doubtful any of their 11 draft picks will make the team next year. “The key was filling the pipeline again,” Bowman said. “And we did that.”

Bowman said now that the draft is over, the agents start pushing their free-agent players and he plans on meeting with several over the next couple of days. Bowman said the Hawks have some “situational needs” and that they need to fill them with “low dollar-guys.” Some of those might come in-house. He also reiterated that he will meet with Steve Bartlett, the agent for Cristobal Huet, as the Blackhawks will no doubt try to rid themselves of his massive cap hit.

LAS VEGAS -- Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman isn’t hiding the fact that his team is going to be active leading up to Friday’s NHL draft.

"I've had a lot of dialogue, talked to every GM multiple times over the last week," Bowman said on Tuesday. "Lots of phone calls. Obviously, it tends to pick up as you get closer to the draft. ... I'm not trying to diminish it. We are going to have to move some good players out.”

League sources say Kris Versteeg still is the hottest name on the market from the Hawks. There’s a good chance he will change addresses by Friday. Also being shopped are Dustin Byfuglien and the rights to Andrew Ladd. The Hawks wouldn’t mind moving the rights to restricted free agents Ben Eager or Colin Fraser as well.

As for what they would get for one or more of these players, Bowman made it pretty clear: draft picks.

"We're pretty confident where we pick [in the draft], and if we're able to accumulate another pick somewhere, we're hopeful,” he said. “We're looking to do that. We know the draft is important to our franchise. If we can pick up another asset somewhere, that's kind of our goal because we have to continue to have young players developing and coming into our lineup each season."

Stay tuned.

Joel Quenneville and his Stanley Cup winning Blackhawks made headlines for two months this spring. Now, it’s general manager Stan Bowman’s turn.

A busy upcoming 10 days gets the offseason moving, and fast. It will be Bowman’s first chance to reshape the roster while keeping aspirations for a repeat alive. And boy, will he have his hands full.

First, though, is the capper to the 2009-10 season. The NHL will hold its annual awards banquet on Wednesday night in Las Vegas. Most years it’s an afterthought for Hawks fans, but not this time.

Duncan Keith is the favorite to win the Norris Trophy, awarded to the league’s best defenseman. If he does, it will mark the first time a Blackhawk has won the award since Chris Chelios in 1996. The Hawks will most certainly receive rock star treatment in Sin City as several others will be on hand -- including Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Quenneville.

Then the page officially turns to the future when the NHL holds its draft on Friday in Los Angeles. There may be no better reminder of how a team fared the previous season than knowing their draft position. The woeful Edmonton Oilers pick first. The Hawks pick 30th. Enough said.

The Blackhawks will have eight total picks, including two in the second round and two in the seventh round but none in the fifth. Don’t discount those late picks. Dustin Byfuglien was an eighth-round pick in 2003, while energy guy Adam Burish was picked in the ninth round a year earlier.

Of course, anytime leading up to the draft -- and after -- the Hawks could be wheeling and dealing as by now the hockey world is well aware of the Hawks salary cap problems. With just 14 players signed for next year, the Hawks are basically at the ceiling of last year’s cap, and that doesn’t include Toews’ $1.3 million bonus for winning the Conn Smythe award as the Most Valuable Player of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Not surprisingly, league sources say interest in forwards Patrick Sharp and Kris Versteeg is high. Unless Bowman can pull off some Houdini-like maneuvers, at least one of them is probably gone.

Then the fun really begins as free-agency opens up on July 1. The Hawks have 10 free agents. Some outcomes for these 10 players are relatively easy to predict.

For example, more than likely John Madden will not be back. He made $2.75 million last season, which is a whopping amount for a player that finished the year on the fourth line. Plus, his leadership skills are not needed in the same way. He was brought to Chicago to show the way to the Cup. Now that he’s done it, the Hawks have a team full of leaders that can impart that knowledge to newcomers. Look for a team like Washington to come knocking on Madden’s door, asking him to do for them what he did for Chicago.

Of all the other Hawks free agents, Antti Niemi’s future could be the most interesting. Niemi is a 26-year-old restricted free agent. If he’s not under contract at this time next year, he will be unrestricted. Will the Blackhawks make a long term offer to Niemi before July 1 when other teams can do the same? Sources say that hasn’t happened yet but you better believe the two sides will discuss things before draft day.

Niemi’s case is interesting if for no other reason than trying to figure out what kind of a raise -- and for how long -- he deserves. He made $827,000 last year and helped the Hawks win the Stanley Cup. There are many goaltenders with more experience and less success making a whole lot more. Jonas Hiller of Anaheim is only two years older and just signed a four-year extension for 4.5 million per year. Niemi deserves at least that much, right? After all, he did outplay a certain goaltender in Vancouver set to make $10 million this upcoming year. Bottom line: the going rate for established netminders who aren’t the best in the league is in the $5 million range. See Cristobal Huet for further evidence.

The Hawks could simply say this is our guy, let’s give him a lengthy contract and spread out his hit against the salary cap. Maybe they offer him 10 years and $35-40 million. It’s a little less than the going rate per year but it’s 35-40 million dollars! A player that two years ago was in Finland and known by almost no one outside his family might jump at that. Or, the Blackhawks might play hardball and say he was fortunate to play behind the deepest team in the league in a great city and offer him a three- or four-year deal at $3-4 million. That probably won’t be enough for Niemi but you never know.

The monkey wrench in this whole process is if the Hawks don’t sign Niemi by July 1, then other teams can come knocking. If another team offers Niemi a contract, the Hawks will have first right of refusal. If the Hawks refuse to match the offer they would be compensated for losing him. Let’s say Niemi gets an offer for at least $3 million per season, then the Hawks would receive a first-, second- and third-round pick in return. Not bad. If he’s offered more than $4 million, add another first-round pick to the compensation package. Those are pretty steep numbers and considering a team might be able to get him after next year for nothing -- when he’ll be unrestricted -- it’s less likely there will be many bidders.

One thing is for sure: If Niemi signs a one-year deal, then he is as good as gone after next season. You don’t make a Stanley Cup winning goaltender prove himself again, leading into his unrestricted season, and not expect him to leave.

As for the other goaltender under contract, the Hawks could send Huet to the minors next season and pay him $5.6 million to play there. If that were to happen his salary would not count against the cap. If he hasn’t cleared waivers already, he will shortly, and the Hawks could buy him out. In that case, some of his remaining contract would then count against the salary cap and would hamper the Hawks moving forward. Best case scenario for all involved -- except maybe Rocky Wirtz -- is Huet plays in Europe. The Hawks would still have to pay him his full salary, but they could receive a minimal amount back from the team he plays for.

Restricted free agent Niklas Hjalmarsson is in a similar situation as Niemi, although he’s several years younger. He made $666,000 and is a due for a decent raise. Another team, measuring the Hawks cap problems, could sneak in for an amount the Hawks don’t want to match.

Andrew Ladd made $1.6 million last year and could return for a similar amount or the Hawks might want to save on at least half that salary and let him go. He’s going to want a raise but there might not be much left in the cupboard for him.

Burish probably won’t be back with the Hawks either. A healthy scratch for some of the playoffs, he can find more playing time on another team. Burish might even try his hand as a third-line player. He was a key penalty-killer for the Hawks before they acquired Marian Hossa and Madden. In fact, he was one of the better ones on the Blackhawks roster.

These are just some of the issues facing Bowman and his staff as the offseason heats up. Change is coming. The only question left is, how much, and for whom?

PHILADELPHIA -- One word was used to describe the Philadelphia Flyers all postseason: resilient. It turns out the Chicago Blackhawks were pretty resilient themselves.

Every obstacle was overcome, every possible distraction was pushed aside, and any momentary letdown was met with a response. That was the Blackhawks' way this season.

When the Nashville Predators had them on the ropes, they delivered the most unlikely of short-handed goals. When the Vancouver Canucks won Game 1 decisively, the Hawks hit them hard, winning four of the next five, including three on the road. Though outplayed in Game 1 against the San Jose Sharks, Antti Niemi took matters into his own hands, and took the bite out of the Sharks at the same time. They rolled through the Western Conference regular season champs like they were a low seed just happy to be in the postseason.

The biggest and toughest test was yet to come. A truly talented and resourceful team, the Philadelphia Flyers knew they could match Chris Pronger against the Hawks' top line -- and it worked. Before long though, coach Joel Quenneville responded with a few tricks of his own. In the end, like most of the competition this season, the Flyers didn’t have an answer for the Hawks' depth -- or resiliency.

Jonathan Toews won the Conn Smythe, but there were so many heroes. Dustin Byfuglien had 17 goals in the 82-game regular season, and then netted 11 more in just 22 playoff games. With five game-winners, he established himself as a money player.

Dave Bolland’s defensive prowess will go down in Hawks history as one of the all-time great performances in a playoff run. The Sedin twins, Joe Thornton, and Mike Richards were all brought down to size, in part, by the scrappy Bolland. His linemate, Kris Versteeg, proved he’s more than a shifty puck handler, playing his best hockey as a Hawk this postseason. On both ends of the ice, Versteeg showed what he is capable of and played a smart game as a checking line winger.

Niemi had his doubters both in Chicago and around the NHL. Game by game, save by save, he changed people’s minds. And just when the Hawks needed a big performance, he gave them one. On other nights, they rewarded him, with big scoring outputs and great shot blocking.

And then there is Patrick Kane. Two-way players, penalty killers, and gritty men are all needed to win a Cup, but the playmaker and scorer is still king. All wrapped up into one of the smaller bodies in the NHL, Kane was yet another player who showed that Hawks resiliency.

A few quiet games here or there did not thwart him. Two of the biggest goals in Hawks history came off Kane’s stick. Both were laced with a flair for the dramatic. No one knows for sure, if the Predators would have gone on to win their quarterfinal match with the Hawks, but Kane’s short-handed goal with 13.6 seconds left in Game 5 removed any chance at an upset. And his strange yet no less dramatic goal in overtime in Game 6 of the finals was a thing of beauty. Like a flash he was around Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen and just as quickly he got off a shot so fast no one saw it go in -- except him.

Quenneville has been called a mad scientist, but he experimented so much because he could. With a plethora of talented wingers and versatile players, Quenneville could mix and match however he saw fit. Sometimes Kane and Toews fit like a glove, other times Marian Hossa was better suited with the captain, and then there was the most important and overlooked move Quenneville made in the postseason. Moving Patrick Sharp from wing to center set everything up that followed. Sharp was steady. He scored when he needed to and set up his linemates, first Hossa and then Kane. Sharp to second line center and Bolland to the checking line was the key move of the entire postseason.

The Conn Smythe winner finished off a year few could ever dream of. There is no part of Toews' game that hasn’t improved and, at 22, he’s poised to become one of the great captains in the game. Already being compared to Steve Yzerman, Toews just won’t let his team be denied. And that is the very definition of resilient.

And the reason the Blackhawks are Stanley Cup champions.

If you’re still wondering what went wrong at the critical moments of Game 3, it comes down to awareness -- both defensive awareness and line-change awareness. The Hawks had breakdowns in both.

The winning goal hurt the most because it could have been avoided if not for a mental lapse, most likely by Kris Versteeg.

“I think maybe we could have just had one guy change on the play instead of two,” Joel Quenneville said. “Which gave them a little extra man on the rush.”

The Hawks have been so adept at changing on the fly this postseason, it’s hard to recall a time before Game 3 where it hurt them. After a center ice faceoff, both Tomas Kopecky and Versteeg went for a change as Quenneville wanted the Toews line on the ice against Daniel Briere. The only problem?

The Flyers had the puck and were attacking. It left both Dustin Byfuglien and Patrick Kane, who jumped over the boards for Kopceky and Versteeg, well behind the play. They were on the ice when the goal went in. That’s about the most unfair minus two players can receive.

More than likely, it was Versteeg who should have stayed on the ice. The play was in front of him, while Kopecky was already behind it. Versteeg basically passed up the puck handler in his haste to get to the bench. Game over.

“I don't want to get too technical,” Quenneville said. “We don't want to point fingers. When you are trying to match lines, sometimes you're going to be vulnerable to a tough change. Sometimes there are too many men. Sometimes a guy gets a late change coming off the bench as well. So that's all part of it. In a situation like that, I'll take the hit for it.”

On the tying goal in the third period, it appeared the normally reliable Patrick Sharp gave up on the play, allowing Ville Leino a prime position for a rebound. It occurred just after Patrick Kane gave the Hawks their first lead. Quenneville talks often about the critical need to have good shifts after scores and so a case can be made that he should have put his top two defensemen on the ice instead of his five and six, to ensure a good shift. They didn’t cause the problem but maybe a quicker player like Duncan Keith could have broken up the play. Hindsight is 20/20.

The bottom line? Sharp should have blanketed Leino and the goal probably never occurs.

CHICAGO -- All right, let’s play the glass is half-full game again.

The Chicago Blackhawks' top line since the conference semifinals had, by far, its worst game of the playoffs and the home team didn’t get even one power-play attempt. And yet they still won.

Depth is the name of the game, and the Hawks proved to have plenty of it again. Stop our top line, we have two more that can hurt you.

The Hawks needed every bit of the Patrick Sharp-Marian Hossa-Troy Brouwer trio to come up big, and they did. But so did the third line. Kris Versteeg, Tomas Kopecky, and Dave Bolland all scored a goal with Kopecky coming off a five-game layoff to put home the winner.

The Flyers had some answers, but not enough to win the game.

By all accounts, the layoff, the emotions, and the unfamiliarity of the two opponents contributed to the wide open affair in the first 40 minutes. But the Hawks got better as the game went along, culminating in a solid final 20.

Something was off with the Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Dustin Byfuglien line. They were outplayed by Daniel Briere’s line and after the game, coach Joel Quenneville didn’t mince words.

"You look at the lines tonight, that was the one line I think out of the four that needed to be better," Quenneville said. "That [Bolland] line was good. Sharpy [Sharp], Mad Dog [John Madden]. That [Toews] line can really improve off of today's game."

Kane in particular could improve the most. He took a bad penalty and got lazy on the Briere goal with 30 seconds to go in the first period.

Speaking of penalties, just like in San Jose in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals, it’s possible a couple could have been called against the opponent, but the four the Hawks took were bad.

Ben Eager came out for blood, hitting everything in site but got carried away with a cross check. Adam Burish incurred his first minor of his playoff career with a bad boarding infraction behind the play. Kane’s slash and Brian Campbell’s high stick weren’t exactly the type that were taken to save a goal against. That has to be better.

"It’s something we talk about," Duncan Keith said after the game. "Sooner or later we have to do it."

Having said that, to stay out of the box but come out even in the special teams battle has to be demoralizing for the Philadelphia Flyers. No one knew it would be a one-goal Hawks victory, but the short-handed goal by Bolland turned out to be a key moment in the game.

"[Braydon] Coburn was fumbling it," Bolland said. "I poked it right out of him. The ice was pretty bad. ... it was fumbling around but I got a grip of it and went in and scored."

Antti Niemi seemed a bit shell shocked by the Flyers skill but recovered to finish strong.

"Especially in the first, they came really strong," Niemi said. "Maybe they had the best speed so far [in the playoffs]."

And that’s the other issue. Philadelphia showed more offensive punch than certainly San Jose and maybe even the Vancouver Canucks. The only problem? Their top line did not contribute in a close loss. They can’t be happy with that result.

So Richards and Toews cancel each other out in Game 1. No one would have thought it would be in a negative way, but that’s how it turned out. Safe to say, both will have better nights to come, but if not, the Hawks can always rely on someone else. They did on Saturday.

At the end of the day, and maybe the series, the Hawks' offensive fortunes might lie at the feet of Flyers’ goaltending.
Michael Leighton was simply not a championship netminder in Game 1. Can you recall one big save he made in his short stint?

Four of the goals he gave up screamed a need for a big stop, and he couldn’t come up with one. Both Brouwer tallies as well as Bolland’s breakaway and Sharp’s two-on-one score were not easy saves to be made. But a goalie has to make one. Not all four, or even three, or two, but one big save can make the difference.

Who starts Game 2 for Philadelphia is anyone’s guess.

Notes

Niemi’s mask came off twice in the game during play. "[The] first time it just opened…the second time the strap was cut." So when the barrage hit, what was Niemi thinking in the net? "It’s not easy to put goals behind you."

Toews’ consecutive playoff point streak came to an end at 13. He’s still three points shy of the franchise record for points in one postseason held by Denis Savard.

CHICAGO -- The final act of the postseason is about to commence, and if you’re still wondering how the Chicago Blackhawks got here, you can look no further than something Jonathan Toews said after Game 3 against the San Jose Sharks.

“During the regular season, sometimes you can get by on talent,” he said. “Once the postseason began guys started accepting roles.”

Dustin Byfuglien, Dave Bolland, and Kris Versteeg are names that come to mind. While much has been written and said about the former two, Versteeg has had a transformation to his game that’s been just as dramatic and epitomizes Toews' statement.

An offensive-minded player who would thrill and frustrate fans within the same game, Versteeg has excelled on the checking line with Bolland and Andrew Ladd. The first step was accepting the role.

“When it comes down to it, and you’re playing against that top line, you have to be a lot smarter,” Versteeg said. “I don’t think I played against the top line during the season, but in the playoffs it’s been a bit different.”

It’s hard to recall one time during the playoffs where Versteeg turned the puck over and the opponent had a good scoring chance the other way. With his skating ability and skill with the puck, it’s something that occurred every so often during the regular season. Not now.

“He’s been very patient with the puck,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “His vision and patience with the puck is high end. When he does play against the other team’s top line, you do have some offensive opportunity. He has the ability to finish and the ability to check.”

And that has been the whole key to the Hawks' third line: The ability to play at both ends. Forcing the opponent’s top line to play in its own zone has been as important as anything in shutting down players such as Henrik Sedin and Joe Thornton.

“He can be affective playing a lot of positions,” Patrick Sharp said of Versteeg. “He -- along with others -- has really stepped up his game, and that’s one reason we are where we are.

“When you put a guy like Versteeg on the third line it just adds another element of offense there.”

Quenneville agrees that once the postseason began, Versteeg accepted a new role.

“I think everyone has been receptive to whatever we can do to make each other better to win hockey games,” Quenneville said.

Versteeg isn’t satisfied. He wants to up his play one final time.

“I’ve been happy with myself, but I know I can contribute a lot more,” he said. “That’s what I want to do.”

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Halfway to the Stanley Cup Finals. And this one wasn’t even close.

The Chicago Blackhawks completed a road sweep to open the Western Conference Finals and return home with a 2-0 series lead after a resounding 4-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks.

Unlike Game 1, the Hawks did not have to rely on an all-world performance by their goaltender, Antti Niemi. After weathering an expected early storm by the home team, the Hawks took control.

The play of the game came on the Blackhawks’ first score, midway through the opening period. Kris Versteeg was knocked down by Patrick Marleau with the puck near center ice. He was the lone Hawk between two Sharks and Niemi. An easy 2-on-0 was about to take place.

But Versteeg popped up as quickly as he went down and tipped the puck along the boards to Duncan Keith, who centered it to Andrew Ladd. Ladd made a toe drag move inside the Sharks’ blue line before firing one past Evgeni Nabakov, using defenseman Niclas Wallin as a screen. The sequence from start to finish was a thing of beauty.

The Hawks opened the second period with two more goals on nifty tip-ins, first by Dustin Byfuglien and then on the power play by Jonathan Toews. The Sharks managed a power-play goal by Patrick Marleau later in the period to cut the lead to 3-1, but it would be as close as they would come.

A Troy Brouwer tip of a Niklas Hjarmalsson shot in the third iced the win. On the play, Marian Hossa stole the puck behind the Sharks’ net and sent it back to the point when Hjarmalsson put it on net.

After that score, seven of the Hawks’ top nine forwards had earned at least one point in the game. Jonathan Toews now has an 11-game playoff point streak, tied for most by a Blackhawk in franchise history with Stan Mikita.

Marleau scored again for the Sharks in the third period to cut the Hawks' lead to 4-2, but that's where it would end.

A journey that began a week ago Monday, May 10 ends in perfection. The Hawks closed out the Vancouver Canucks the next day, then continued on to San Jose where their two wins extended their playoff road-win streak to seven. That ties an NHL record set by four other teams. Three of them went on to win the Stanley Cup.

The Hawks have put themselves in position to break that record, and maybe they won’t have to do it until the Finals. Game 3 is Friday night at the United Center.

News, notes, and observations from Game 2:

The rarity of scoring two short-handed, game-tying goals in one postseason – both in the third period no less -- wasn’t lost on the Chicago Blackhawks. They did it in Game 5 against Nashville and again in Game 2 against Vancouver.

Patrick Sharp explained what he saw.

“We had a good drive to the net by Kris [Versteeg] and the defenseman kind of went with him,” Sharp said. “I was looking to shoot the whole way and thought I could get around [Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo] and put it in the open net.”

Versteeg on his game winner: “That’s something you grow up your whole life dreaming about,” he said. “It feels pretty good but it’s something we have to build off of.”

Duncan Keith said after getting down 2-0 in Game 1, the Blackhawks didn’t respond well, but learned from that experience and were ready when it happened again in Game 2.

“I thought we were better prepared mentally for this game and I think that helped in not panicking and staying with it,” he said.

Brent Seabrook’s stat line was pretty impressive: a goal, two assists, eight hits, and a plus-four rating.

The Blackhawks are 4-0 this postseason with Adam Burish in the lineup, and 1-3 without him. Troy Brouwer played only 5:31.

Coach Joel Quenneville kept his lineup changes quiet until game time. All healthy bodies other than Colin Fraser warmed up. Ben Eager and Burish saw their first action in the series while Bryan Bickell and Jordan Hendry sat out.

If you can believe it, several Hawks and even Quenneville attributed the poor start to being too “hyped-up” as one player put it. They said they wanted to respond to Game 1 so badly, it took them out of their game.

The Hawks are 19-14 all-time in playoff series when splitting the first two games.

NASHVILLE -- Here are the line combinations from practice.

First line: Jonathan Toews centering for Patrick Kane and Bryan Bickell.

Second line: Patrick Sharp centering for Marian Hossa and Tomas Kopecky.

Third line: Dave Bolland centering for Kris Versteeg and Andrew Ladd.

Fourth line: John Madden centering for Troy Brouwer and Adam Burish.

So with Burish and Bickell appearing ready to make their postseason debuts, Ben Eager and Colin Fraser look like the odd men out.