Viktor Stalberg Out For Game One
According to coach Joel Quenneville, forward Viktor Stalberg will be a healthy scratch for Game One against the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night.
Chris Kuc tweeted after this morning’s practice that “Stalberg questioned his role–or lack of it–in certain situations.”
Against Minnesota in the first round, Stalberg registered one assist and was plus-two in five games. However, after his assist and 18:02 on the ice in Game One of that series, Stalberg’s ice time dropped quickly to 11:40 in Game Two, 10:51 in Game Three and only 9:20 in Game Four. Stalberg skated 13:14 in the Hawks’ blowout 5-1 series-clinching victory in Game Five; he was credited with only two shots in the final three games of that series, both of which came in Game Four.
This seems silly. I guess it will play out tonight.
Wow! So he is pretty much gone… going to miss his speed next year!
Not many guys like him in NHL/speedwise-
Someone will put him on the PK- and he will score 2-3 goals a year on break-aways-IMO
Got to think that Hawks Brass knew that negotiations were headed no where – and his-
“lack of roles” warranted or not- had something to do with it!
He probably bitched about being taken off the PP and this is his punishment. Convenient that it happens when Bolland is back. I’d guess he’d be back in in game 2 and the rest of the playoffs. Q has to assert dominance and keep the locker room cohesive.
For all those thinking that Stalberg will re-sign with us on a sweet deal, this may not be the final, but it is A nail in the coffin.
I doubt this has anything to do with contract negotiations since Quenville benching someone has nothing to do with the front office and contract negotiations.
Obviously, Stalberg wants a bigger roll because he thinks he’s a good player deserving of more minutes. Q finds him to be a defensive liability and he knows he doesn’t really have the hands to finish for the PP. Worlds collide.
Yes, Q needs to sit him to remind everyone who is boss.
No, Q does not need to skate Carcillo. WHY IS CARCILLO PLAYING!>?!?!?1 ANYONE BUT DANIEL F’ING CARCILLO AHHHHHHHH
No … I think this is THE final nail in the coffin. I can’t imagine Stalberg would want to resign and be subjected to Q’s doghouse and public humiliations. While it will be a shame to lose Stalberg’s speed, the reality is that his best position is RW and there’s a couple guys ahead of him on the RW depth chart that he will never beat out, and there’s no way the Hawks should pay $3M+ for a 3rd line winger.
My concern is how Stalberg will play the rest of the playoffs after this little dust up. The Hawks’ chances are better with him in the lineup than they are with him in the pressbox of playing without the proper focus.
This is a gamble by Q and I’m sure it is a calculated gamble. I sure hope he knows what he’s doing.
WTF ? Vic is a fave of mine….
Hey guys, I don’t get this at all…I thought Q was playing games with Babock and disguising his lineup for tonight only, but to sit Stahlberg and NOT dress Ben Smith in favour of Carcillo is nuts…Q is a HOF coach in my opinion, so I will sit back and watch how it plays out, but bizarre is the only word that comes to mind.
I guess this means Stahlberg will be gone next year…too bad as I like 25, and KNOW that he was one of the best Hawk players this season.
Tab what does your experience tell you?
This is the latest on Stahlberg…it sounds like he was upset about his PP time and challenged Q on it…Q laid down his authority…wow, pretty silly if you ask me…
A source told the Tribune that Stalberg questioned coaches about his lack of ice time on the power play during the first round against the Wild. The winger averaged 11 seconds per game with the Hawks on the man advantage in Round One after Stalberg played much of the regular season on the power play as a net-front presence.
“I had a conversation with him, so he knows how it stands,” Quenneville said. “He knows what the situation is. We’ll leave it at that.”
Asked if there’s a chance Stalberg returns during the series, Quenneville replied: “Absolutely.”
“Things change in our business quickly, whether it’s health or decisions based on play,” the Hawks coach said. “We’ll visit as we go along.”
My guess is that there is stuff going on behind the scenes and Q is trying to make a statement to the team AND Stahlberg. Who knows?
Everyone is going to find this hard to believe, but I am not a Stanley Cup winning coach from the NHL. I guess Q feel he needs to assert his authority over the team which I can understand. I am little troubled by the timing, but again Q can do what he wants. How he doesn’t play someone else for Bolcillo is beyond me.
Hey everyone. did you watch the Wild series? Stalberg played NO defense at all. This team has been playing great team defense all season and that MUST continue in the playoffs. Kaner has even bought into this an has played a great 2 way game. Q is sending a message to Stalberg and everyone else that if you don’t want to play both sides of the puck, you wont play.
Because Carcillo plays on both sides of the puck? Carcillo barely has a pulse on the ice.
I guess I will weigh in on what we do not know as well. But I can figure this. You have a 3d line player who feels he is an important part of a struggling PP, wants big money and is distracting his coach by lobbying for himself during the playoffs. Q has the power and has pushed back. I like 25, he can be exciting. But his job is to shut his trap and do whatever the coach tells him to do.
Damn. This is hard to understand and maybe we arent getting all the info, but if Stal was irked about sitting on the PPs second unit in favor of 16, I might see his point. I hate the timing of this and I hope it will be worked out. I have always been hopeful VS would be around long term. His year was pretty damn good I thought, incl +16. There was obviously good vibes on the 3rd line with him skating with 65, 29. I HATE messing with the 3rd line but Q rules the roost
The third line was going to be messed with anyway with Bolland coming back and Hanzus taking over his spot as 2C. Additionally, it seems like Detroit is always a team that excels at take aways (duh Datsyuk) and converting those take aways. Stalberg is a guy who gives up lots of turnovers in the neutral zone.
Sources say carcillo and mayers had to be broken up at practice. Wonder if q is sending a message?
The worst thing about this is Stalberg was benched for Carcillo, not Smith. Honestly, I wouldn’t care if Stalberg was out if it let Smith play.
With the way Handzus looked tonight (slower than Bruno) he’s the one that should have sat.
#25 is a liability,Zues seems lost and Carcillo is like a Ghost. Pirri should of played Smith should of played more this season so they would be up to speed.There young hungry skilled and much needed for the 2C and a 3W.25 plays when he wants,Zues is old and #13 should stick to hitting and fighting.He opened up a lot of space last.season for #88 and 81 on that 2nd line last season before his injury.Obviously that role is gone and that’s all he was good for.Id like to.see this level played consistentlybecause round 3 will be harder then the Finals.LA Kings are very much the Cup winning form they were last season.Maybe more dangerous because of that fact and they believe in there system more so.
ratboy agreed– Smith/Morin/Pirri should have seen time when Sharp was out.
Zus – isn’t as slow as Bruno- but the 2nd line is vulnerable D-wise w/ 26’s nimble Skating-lol! 36 needs to join 2nd line- 25 back on 3rd – and Zus/13 can fight for 5-8 minutes on 4th.
Zus was exposed tonite- Babcock will try to exploit him every chance he gets!
Yes Morin as well,excuse my forgetfulness.I like his game.I expect this team will get much younger next season.We sure have the firepower.