For the last two weeks of the regular season and in the first three games of their Western Conference quarterfinal series against St. Louis, the Blackhawks’ rookie fourth line was their most consistent.
Tuesday night Hawks coach Brian Sutter injected a few gray hairs into the line when he dressed veteran Bob Probert and put him with Aaron Downey and Mark Bell. Center Tyler Arnason was scratched.
“I just want to go out there and obviously play physical and play the body and hopefully that will result in some offensive chances,” Probert said Tuesday morning.
Tuesday was the first time Probert played since April 5, also against St. Louis. With the solid work of Arnason, Bell and Downey, Probert was in the press box watching for 10 out of the last 11 games.
“It’s not fun when you’re sitting out, but you’re still there to cheer your team on, you still want to win,” Probert said.
As if to make up for lost time, Probert introduced himself to the Blues on his first shift of the game when he drilled defenseman Jeff Finley and center Ray Ferraro, much to the delight of the 18,019 fans at the United Center.
“He has a reputation as a hard-nosed player and that’s what he’s going to bring,” Bell said of Probert. “Bob is going to get in there and create havoc and get their defense on their heels.”
With Lyle Odelein suspended for a game, the Hawks needed another physical player and Probert certainly was that Tuesday.
The line drew one of the Hawks’ three first-period penalties and Probert was credited with a team-high five hits through two periods.
Although the line–with Arnason on it–has created numerous offensive chances, it hasn’t scored. Bell said it’s just a matter of time.
“We’ve been real close. Close doesn’t count, but we’ve been right there,” Bell said. “Any one of these games we’re going to get one and once you get one you get two or three. We just want to get that first one.”
Sutter said some of the other Hawks forwards could “take a page” out of the playbook of Bell and Downey, and for that matter Probert.
“Keep it simple, chip it off the boards and go get it, right now that has been kind of working for us,” Bell said.
Trying to take advantage of their physical forechecking and trying to create scoring chances, Sutter put Eric Daze out with Probert and Bell for a shift early in the third period. Probert and Bell had a couple of crunching hits and the line did create a chance but Daze fired his shot over the net.
Bell said the greatest compliment he receives is when the opposition begins trash-talking to him.
“They don’t like it when we’re on the ice, that’s what you want in the playoffs,” he said.
