"I'm playoff Bryan Bickell and I have DirecTV. I'm regular season Bryan Bickell, and I have cable."
As some, myself included, theorized might happen, Bryan Bickell has been recalled from the Rockford Ice Hogs of the AHL—perhaps just in time for the playoffs.
I like this move. Here's why:
At the very least, Bryan Bickell, today, is a better hockey player than Brandon Mashinter is. And I am not here, as so many seem to be, to dump on Monster Mash. He is what he is. Kid plays hard. That's cool.
But even if he's lost a step or two, Bickell can still shoot the puck better than most and as evidenced especially early in the playoffs last year, even when he'd clearly been struggling with his skating, he can still deliver the lumber, so to speak.
Just ask Ryan Ellis of the Predators, and Big Bad Matt Dumba of the Minnesota Wild—who Bickell basically destroyed in Round 2 last year.
How much does Bickell have left? I don't know. He's been pretty good down at Rockford. And if he has anything, here's another thing no one should forget. Bickell has been a great playoff performer for the Blackhawks, especially in 2013 when in my opinion, he deserved to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. Even last year, he wasn't bad in the first couple of rounds—at least he was a physical presence.
I don't know for certain why Bickell's been recalled—maybe it's just because the Hawks need some bodies for the last couple of regular season games. Maybe it's because the Hawks aren't all that optimistic about the actual health prognosis for Marian Hossa and/or Andrew Shaw. Maybe it's because they genuinely want Bickell as the 13th forward throughout the playoffs.
But it's an interesting side note on an off day while the team has been playing better of late.
I hope to have a St. Louis preview tomorrow.
JJ
FOB (good peeps, good reads)
Chris Block Al Cimaglia http://www.thethirdmanin.com
Frank Nova http://www.hockeenight.com
Greg Boysen http://www.letsgohawks.net
Puckin’ Hostile Crew http://www.puckinhostile.com