“We couldn’t be satisfied with 12-14,000 people every night and we couldn’t look at an 88-point season (in 2007-08), where we missed the playoffs, as, `Well, we improved 17 points, we’re getting there.’ None of those were acceptable. We put expectations on everyone in that organization, certainly including me. I’m pretty tough on myself. We needed to put expectations on it. There was some criticism of, `Well, you can’t put expectations on an organization that hasn’t made the playoffs in X number of years,’ and, `These are young kids and don’t put too much pressure on them.’ Well, I think when we play, or we get involved in any of this, ultimately your goal is to win. So why not say it? We expected sellouts. We had expectations to make the playoffs. So we’re pleased with the progress, but all of us feel we have a long way to go.”
– Chicago Blackhawks president John McDonough, yesterday on ESPN 1000 radio in Chicago.
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I wonder if I would get the same type of quote out of Dean Lombardi? Then again, with all respect to McDonough, it’s a bit easier to tout your successes when you’re sitting in the Western Conference Finals. I’m not sure we would be reading that quote if the `Hawks had been swept out of the first round. Still, given the comparisons some have made between the Kings and Blackhawks, I thought it was an interesting quote.
