CHICAGO -- Kimmo Timonen won’t be the only lineup change for the Blackhawks tonight.
Kris Versteeg, who played in the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final before getting dropped for Game 3, will draw back in at the expense of Bryan Bickell, who sits after making his series debut on Monday night.
“Every time you’re out, you want to be in,” Versteeg said following today’s morning skate. “And every time you’re in you want to make a point and make a mark. So, I’m excited.”
Versteeg was noticeable over the first two games of the series, and was rewarded in Game 2 with just under 12 minutes of ice time. Bickell, meanwhile, wasn’t as effective after shaking off a bout of vertigo -- he didn’t play much at all in Game 3 (just 9:53) and is now goalless through 18 playoff games.
The burly power forward admitted it was tough getting dropped from tonight’s tilt.
“Frustrating, but they switch the lineup for a reason, to get a spark from somebody or some line,” Bickell explained. “It’s disappointing. I’ve been off for a week, play one game, thought it went pretty well.
“But there are still more games to go. I just have to make a big impact when I get back in.”