SAN JOSE, Calif. — By now, the prevailing theory went, they should be a haggard, bedraggled group, co-opted into the pursuit of Olympic medals in February at the expense of securing any hardware in June.
But at Sharks and Blackhawks practices Saturday, no one dragged along the limp bodies of Jonathan Toews or Patrick Kane on line rushes. Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski did not have oxygen masks jammed beneath their visors. Evgeni Nabokov did not deflect shots with defibrillator pads.
The 14 Olympians in this Western Conference final series look none the worse for wear, thank you very much, perhaps more emboldened by the experience than exhausted by it.
“The experience of being there and playing under that pressure, that microscope, definitely helps when you get to this time of year,” Toews said. “We got as much wind in our sails as we need right now.”
In fact there are 23 Olympians on the rosters of the four remaining teams in the respective conference finals, though only two in the Eastern Conference finals — the Flyers’ Chris Pronger and Mike Richards — toiled all the way to the gold-medal game.
The Sharks’ eight Olympians were a league-high. Only they, the Canucks and the Ducks (seven apiece) produced more than the Hawks’ six Winter Games participants. Those numbers could reflect abundant talent that explains the deep playoff runs.
But the Olympics may have had a trickle-down effect in the dressing rooms, too.
“The confidence you get from winning something like that, being part of it, I think it’s huge,” said Sharks winger Patrick Marleau, a Team Canada member. “You try to bring it back to your club, your NHL team, maybe try and continue it and maybe pass some of it on.”
There were some concessions to be made and lulls to overcome. The Hawks went a pedestrian 6-7-2 in March, when the NHL season recommenced.
“We tried to gauge that as best we can,” Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. “We tried to monitor their ice time a little bit, cut them back a little bit … give them a couple of days off here and there to replenish their tanks. We’re very happy with where they’re at right now. Seems to be a lot of energy in these guys.”
But what happened in Vancouver, not unexpectedly, stays in Vancouver. The Olympic runs may have buoyed members of the teams and their teammates as a result, but it’s ancient history beginning Sunday in Game 1.
“I’ll be hacking Johnny as much as I can,” the Sharks’ Thornton said of Toews, smiling wide. “I loved him for two weeks in February, but, you know, that’s different now.”
Said Toews: “He’s a good guy. I’m looking forward to giving him a few whacks, too.”
