Goalie's making a quick recovery, but Savard won't take risk vs. Avs
Nikolai Khabibulin may be making a quicker-than-expected recovery from a knee sprain, but that won't get the Blackhawks' top goalie into the sold-out homecoming today against the Avalanche.
Khabibulin, who reported his knee was sore after finishing off a 7-2 victory Wednesday at Columbus, returned to the ice for Saturday's practice at the United Center. He and Patrick Lalime went through their usual paces with goalies coach Stephane Waite before the full team took the ice. Then Khabibulin worked the entire session with his teammates.
That didn't convince coach Denis Savard that he was ready for a return to the lineup, however. He won't even be the backup today. The Hawks called up Mike Brodeur to fill that role.
''Khabby's not ready,'' Savard said. ''He's able to control his movement, but he isn't 100 percent. He felt OK, but we don't want to take that chance. In practice he was able to not stretch his movements out. He's just day-to-day now.''
When Khabibulin couldn't play Thursday at Nashville, the Hawks called up Corey Crawford from Rockford to back up Lalime. Crawford, the top goalie in the Hawks' minor-league system, almost got the call against the Predators. Lalime was hit on the kneecap by a puck in pregame warmups but was able to play and helped the Hawks to a 6-1 victory.
Crawford didn't get called up this time because his Rockford IceHogs had a key home game against the Wolves on Saturday and face another one tonight at Milwaukee. The Wolves and IceHogs are in a fight for the American Hockey League's West Division title.
Brodeur, meanwhile, has struggled with Pensacola of the East Coast Hockey League, a circuit below the AHL. He has a 5-7-4 record, 3.18 goals-against average and .909 save percentage in the ECHL but was the league's goaltender of the week last week, when he had a 2-0-1 record.
The Hawks would use Brodeur only in an emergency situation today. Lalime is being counted on to keep the Hawks rolling, and they need every point they can get. Through play Saturday, they stand 14th in the Western Conference, eight points behind Vancouver, which ranked eighth.
In addition to the playoff implications, the Hawks haven't played at home since Jan. 25. They go back on the road for three of their next four games, so Savard is going to great lengths to get his players fired up for today. He plans to show them a three-to-four-minute motivational video featuring recent game highlights supported by music -- a tactic he hasn't employed since last season.
''The time is now,'' Savard said. ''They know that, and they've responded very well in the last little while, but I won't be pleased until we get to the big dance [the Stanley Cup playoffs]. If we get in the playoffs, who knows what could happen? If we do get there, and I think we can, it means we've made a hell of a run.''
NOTES: The Hawks will wear Northern Illinois University decals on their helmets, and a pregame moment of silence will be observed to pay respects to the five victims of the tragedy Thursday on the DeKalb campus.
? ? Jason Williams went through some battle drills Saturday as the latest step in his rehab from hernia surgery. He won't play today, but coach Denis Savard said he could return Tuesday at St. Louis.
? ? Cam Barker reported no ill effects from a sprained wrist, and Andrei Zyuzin returned to the ice after leaving the 17-day road trip early to recover from the flu. Both defensemen were on the ice Saturday.
? ? Kevyn Adams has resumed skating and is way ahead of schedule in recovering from major knee surgery. Savard said he might return to the lineup in three weeks.
Nikolai Khabibulin may be making a quicker-than-expected recovery from a knee sprain, but that won't get the Blackhawks' top goalie into the sold-out homecoming today against the Avalanche.
Khabibulin, who reported his knee was sore after finishing off a 7-2 victory Wednesday at Columbus, returned to the ice for Saturday's practice at the United Center. He and Patrick Lalime went through their usual paces with goalies coach Stephane Waite before the full team took the ice. Then Khabibulin worked the entire session with his teammates.
That didn't convince coach Denis Savard that he was ready for a return to the lineup, however. He won't even be the backup today. The Hawks called up Mike Brodeur to fill that role.
''Khabby's not ready,'' Savard said. ''He's able to control his movement, but he isn't 100 percent. He felt OK, but we don't want to take that chance. In practice he was able to not stretch his movements out. He's just day-to-day now.''
When Khabibulin couldn't play Thursday at Nashville, the Hawks called up Corey Crawford from Rockford to back up Lalime. Crawford, the top goalie in the Hawks' minor-league system, almost got the call against the Predators. Lalime was hit on the kneecap by a puck in pregame warmups but was able to play and helped the Hawks to a 6-1 victory.
Crawford didn't get called up this time because his Rockford IceHogs had a key home game against the Wolves on Saturday and face another one tonight at Milwaukee. The Wolves and IceHogs are in a fight for the American Hockey League's West Division title.
Brodeur, meanwhile, has struggled with Pensacola of the East Coast Hockey League, a circuit below the AHL. He has a 5-7-4 record, 3.18 goals-against average and .909 save percentage in the ECHL but was the league's goaltender of the week last week, when he had a 2-0-1 record.
The Hawks would use Brodeur only in an emergency situation today. Lalime is being counted on to keep the Hawks rolling, and they need every point they can get. Through play Saturday, they stand 14th in the Western Conference, eight points behind Vancouver, which ranked eighth.
In addition to the playoff implications, the Hawks haven't played at home since Jan. 25. They go back on the road for three of their next four games, so Savard is going to great lengths to get his players fired up for today. He plans to show them a three-to-four-minute motivational video featuring recent game highlights supported by music -- a tactic he hasn't employed since last season.
''The time is now,'' Savard said. ''They know that, and they've responded very well in the last little while, but I won't be pleased until we get to the big dance [the Stanley Cup playoffs]. If we get in the playoffs, who knows what could happen? If we do get there, and I think we can, it means we've made a hell of a run.''
NOTES: The Hawks will wear Northern Illinois University decals on their helmets, and a pregame moment of silence will be observed to pay respects to the five victims of the tragedy Thursday on the DeKalb campus.
? ? Jason Williams went through some battle drills Saturday as the latest step in his rehab from hernia surgery. He won't play today, but coach Denis Savard said he could return Tuesday at St. Louis.
? ? Cam Barker reported no ill effects from a sprained wrist, and Andrei Zyuzin returned to the ice after leaving the 17-day road trip early to recover from the flu. Both defensemen were on the ice Saturday.
? ? Kevyn Adams has resumed skating and is way ahead of schedule in recovering from major knee surgery. Savard said he might return to the lineup in three weeks.
