Darryl Sutter sees an important difference between this Blackhawks team and the one that flopped in the first round of last year`s playoffs.
”They weren`t coachable at this point last season,” the associate coach said. ”They thought they didn`t need coaching. They were just going to go out and win.
”It`s tough to intimidate (opponents) in the playoffs. That`s when a team`s character comes to the top. Last year, we thought we could intimidate anybody.”
Player movement: Winger Greg Gilbert has progressed more quickly than expected after injuring knee ligaments, Sutter said, and could be ready for the playoff opener Saturday night against St. Louis.
Coach/General Manager Mike Keenan also decided to increase his defensive depth by calling up Cam Russell from the minors.
Larmer time: Although Steve Larmer`s 29 goals this season were 15 short of his total last year, Sutter pointed out that the team`s second-leading scorer is capable of scoring in bunches in the playoffs.
”He`s a time-and-space guy,” Sutter said. ”He doesn`t need six shots to score, like some guys. He needs just one or two if everything is going right. He can put the regular season behind him and be a goal-every-other-game guy.”
Larmer`s shooting percentage dropped from 19 percent last year to 9.9 percent this year, largely because he took 61 more shots without improving his success ratio.
”Part of that is the coaching staff gets on him to shoot and sometimes he does that without it being a quality shot,” Sutter said.
On the mark: Leading scorer Jeremy Roenick also lapsed offensively down the stretch with just four goals in the last 14 games.
”Maybe the intensity wasn`t there,” Roenick said, acknowledging he might have let down after scoring his 50th goal March 7. ”I just have to change that now in the playoffs.”
More Top Picks Best Ankle Support Shoes Under 20