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Vermette: ‘I’m not going to lie, I was not happy’ with Game 3 scratch

Chicago Blackhawks v Winnipeg Jets

Chicago Blackhawks v Winnipeg Jets

NHLI via Getty Images

Antoine Vermette’s time in Chicago hasn’t exactly been a smashing success but, up to this point, there’s been no verbal confirmation of any frustration or dejection.

Well, that changed on Friday.

Antoine Vermette on being a Game 3 scratch: “I’m not going to lie. I was not happy with that.” #Blackhawks

— Chris Kuc (@ChrisKuc) May 22, 2015


Antoine Vermette on whether he felt tired after marathon Game 2: “Nope.” #Blackhawks — Chris Kuc (@ChrisKuc) May 22, 2015

It’s no secret Vermette has struggled to mesh since joining Chicago at the trade deadline, but he seemed to turn a corner after getting scratched at the onset of the opening-round playoff series against Nashville.

Since getting back in, he’s been one of the ‘Hawks better faceoff men, scored his first and only goal for the team and put four shots on goal through the first two Western Conference Final contests against the Ducks.

Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville, who faced a fair bit of heat following Thursday’s 2-1 loss for not playing Vermette or Teuvo Teravainen, said the pair were dropped in order to get fresh legs (specifically, those belonging to Kris Versteeg and Joakim Nordstrom) into the mix.

As for Vermette and Teravainen drawing in for Game 4 tomorrow?

“They both could play,” Quenneville explained. “When we look at making decisions, going into yesterday’s game was going to be our most challenging game energy-wise after the tough game we had Game 2.

“We felt that trying to utilize our depth, that it could help us, give us some energy and some speed. As it turned out, we didn’t win the game.”