Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville had a conference call after the Hawks qualified for the playoffs after the Wild defeated the Stars; here are some highlights:
On Minnesota’s win over the Dallas Stars:
“With the fingers crossed and the wishful thinking, you have to look at it knowing that things can happen in your favor if you just believe. But certainly we got lucky. Now let’s take advantage of being lucky.”
On Sunday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings:
“We did some good things today. We out-chanced them but playing catch-up most of the game was certainly part of it. They had motivation on their side trying to eliminate the Cup champs. That’s basically how it was all year long. We played 82 games with everyone battling against us. At the end we got a break, a huge break. We’re very fortunate to be in the position we’re in today.”
On the status of forward Dave Bolland:
“[Dave Bolland] is a special player. He means a lot to our team, gives us a lot of options as far as checking match-ups and special teams. So we’ll see how he is. He made major progress this week. We’ll continue to monitor. It’s been positive recently. It was a tough road over the last month or so, but things changed quickly. I don’t have anything more to report or prognosticate, but we hope that he’s able to be a part of the first round.”
On meeting the Vancouver Canucks for the third consecutive postseason:
“We know you’ve got to play your best. The games against them were very competitive and very intense. The history of having a series against familiar foes creates a whole different level of intensity. The rivalry becomes part of the culture. Let’s make sure we respect that part but know what’s at stake. Being smart, being intense, being competitive is what we’ll need to be. They’ll be excited to knock us off after the last two years.”