Not exactly a flying start; Stanley Cup defense begins with an overtime loss to Avalanche
Of the four new forwards on the Blackhawks' opening-night roster, winger Fernando Pisani was the one thrust into the most noteworthy role.
Pisani, who is more known for his defensive prowess, started at wing opposite Hawks star Patrick Kane and on a line centered by Patrick Sharp. It's the Hawks' second line, and it's expected to consistently show up on the scoresheet.
All eyes will be on the Hawks' new players like Pisani after Thursday as the Hawks' opened their defense of the Stanley Cup against the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center with a 4-3 loss in overtime.
It was the ''old'' guys who produced for the Hawks on Thursday. Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa each had a goal and an assist, and Tomas Kopecky (two assists) and Bryan Bickell (power-play goal) also contributed. Paul Stastny scored the game-winner 3:40 into overtime for the Avalanche.
Afterward, the Hawks, who converted twice in seven power-play chances, admitted that it may take some time to work in new players. But they weren't making excuses.
''Everyone was little bit out of whack tonight,'' Hawks captain Jonathan Toews said. ''We did have a chance to win. But it still wasn't good enough. Smarten up in some areas here and there, and it's a different game. ... It's the first game of the year. We're going to make some mistakes; we'll learn from them. But we're not going to overreact and go crazy.''
For the duration of the season, the biggest spotlight will be on new starting goalie Marty Turco, the most notable offseason addition and the preferred replacement for Antti Niemi. Despite allowing the game-winner, Turco (37 saves) was solid Thursday, seeing way more shots than the Hawks typically allowed last season.
But early on in the season, the effectiveness -- and the expected changes -- of coach Joel Quenneville's line combinations is something to keep an eye on. How new players Pisani, Jack Skille, Jake Dowell and Viktor Stalberg fit in is important.
Even winger Bickell, who was a plus-3 in four playoff games last year, will be watched as the Hawks look to fill the notable holes left by the salary-cap departures of Dustin Byfuglien, Kris Versteeg, John Madden and Andrew Ladd up front.
Dowell centered the fourth line with Skille and Stalberg. So naturally, Pisani, who signed a cap-friendly, one-year deal worth $500,000 in the offseason, required the most attention against the Avalanche. A minus-2 rating in 11:38 is not a good way to start for Pisani.
Quenneville said Pisani earned the chance to play with Kane and Sharp on the second line.
''He's predictable,'' Quenneville said this week. ''He's a dependable guy who has got some offense to his game. He's reliable defensively. Those guys can make a lot of things happen.'''
Is there pressure associated with being one of the new guys expected to produce on a team that just won the Stanley Cup?
''Not necessarily. It's a new year,'' Pisani said. ''It's a new set of guys here. There are still great core guys, a great nucleus here. It's one of those things where you're just focusing on today and not on the past. That's the mental approach that I have.''
Things didn't work out as planned, and Quenneville tinkered with his lines throughout the game.
''There is no pointing fingers at any guy,'' Toews said. ''This is a team. We have a lot of things we can build on. We did some good things tonight. ... We stuck with it and gave ourselves a chance to win in overtime. We just didn't come out with a win.''
AVALANCHE 4 BLACKHAWKS 3
THE RUNDOWN
Colorado turned a one-goal deficit into a 3-1 lead with goals by Chris Stewart, Matt Duchene and Paul Stastny -- the Avalanche's talented young trio. But the Hawks rallied on goals by Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp (power play). Stastny scored the game-winner 3:40 into overtime on a shot that trickled off goalie Marty Turco. Craig Anderson made 35 saves for the Avs.
HAWKS STANDOUTS
In his first regular-season start for the Hawks, Turco (37 saves) came through with several tough stops to prevent the Avalanche from really seizing control. In the first period, the former All-Star came up with several key stops, including one on Milan Hejduk in front of the net. Sharp and Hossa each had a goal and an assist, and Tomas Kopecky added two assists.
TURCO'S TAKE
''Once you get to overtime, we all know funny things can happen. It was a good feeling going into overtime after being down a couple. It's a good sign for this team. ... But there is certainly a lot of room for improvement. No doubt.''
THE SUMMARY
BLACKHAWKS 1 1 1 0 -- 3
Colorado 1 2 0 1 -- 4
First Period--1, HAWKS, Bickell 1 (Hossa, Brouwer), 4:37 (pp). 2, Colorado, Stewart 1, 16:30. Penalties--Olver, Col (tripping), 3:36; Quincey, Col (interference), 8:22; Foote, Col (interference), 14:06.
Second Period--3, Colorado, Duchene 1 (Foote, Cumiskey), 6:13. 4, Colorado, Stastny 1 (Liles, Stewart), 13:51 (pp). 5, HAWKS, Hossa 1 (Sharp, Kopecky), 18:24. Penalties--Duchene, Col (hooking), 3:45; Skille, HAWKS (hooking), 6:30; Winnik, Col (boarding), 11:29; Seabrook, HAWKS (tripping), 13:45; Scott, HAWKS (high-sticking), 14:05.
Third Period--6, HAWKS, Sharp 1 (Kopecky, Toews), 10:25 (pp). Penalties--Duchene, Col (tripping), 2:54; Cumiskey, Col (holding), 10:08.
Overtime--7, Colorado, Stastny 2 (Duchene, Liles), 3:40. Penalties--None.
Shots on Goal--HAWKS 11-11-14-2--38. Colorado 15-11-14-1--41. Power-play opportunities--HAWKS 2 of 7; Colorado 1 of 3.
Goalies--HAWKS, Turco 0-0-1 (41 shots-37 saves). Colorado, Anderson 1-0-0 (38-35).
Referees--Chris Lee, Brian Pochmara. Linesmen--Bryan Pancich, Jonny Murray.
A--18,007 (18,007). T--2:28.
