Chicago Blackhawks: Bryan Bickell and Sami Lepisto Tenants in the Doghouse

Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville most certainly has a doghouse. Go ask Jordan Hendry. If you can find him.

Sami Lepisto seems to have established permanent residence there. He could show Bryan Bickell around. That is, if Bickell wasn't already familiar with the surroundings. Both players will probably be up in street clothes in the United Center when the 'Hawks host Phoenix Monday night.

Two players sharing the ire of their head coach, only one of whom is there for reasons we can see.

For Bickell, last week's loss to the Coyotes was the last game in which he skated. For the big forward, it has been a spectacular fall from grace. One of the league's surprise rookies last season, Bickell seems set on playing his way out of a job.

Bickell lost his spot on the third line. He went pointless for the entire month of November. So far this month, he's been purely a spectator. Ben Smith has been in the lineup last weekend and might be becoming a fixture in light of Bickell's sophomore slump.

Lepisto's place in Quenneville's doghouse seems less earned than inherited from Hendry. Unlike Bickell, Lepisto hasn't played his way into the team box. He just found himself there.

I'm not saying that Lepisto is the second coming of Niklas Lidstrom wasting away as a healthy scratch. It just doesn't make sense that Quenneville hasn't at least kicked his tires in light of Chicago's struggles defensively.

Lepisto has dressed in just eight of the 'Hawks' 27 games. He had one run of five consecutive starts in which he skated an average of almost 15 minutes a game and was a plus-four. He's played in just two of the team's last 13 games. He's been scratched in the last seven.

It seems odd that although John Scott was given eight games to show what he could do with some consistent minutes (minus-one in just over 11 minutes a game), Lepisto hasn't been afforded a similar long stretch to showcase what he could offer in that sixth defensive slot.

Could it be that Quenneville is just not giving the guy a chance because GM Stan Bowman brought Lepisto in as a cheaper alternative to Chris Campoli this past summer?  Did Lepisto park in Quennville's parking spot?

Whatever sway Scott has with his coach, Lepisto induces the opposite effect.

I feel more for Lepisto than Bickell because of the circumstances. At least Bickell has had the chance to show Quenneville something. It just hasn't been much.

Lepisto may or may not be worthy of ice time, but he hasn't had the opportunity to make a case. Just like Quenneville let Hendry rot on the bench while the bottom pairing struggled a year ago.

Again, Lepisto may not be the savior of the defense. It just seems strange that other players seem to have much longer ropes.

With the possibility of augmenting the roster beginning to loom, it would appear that one or both doghouse dwellers could be making their exit from the 'Hawks. While Bickell could be granted a reprieve based upon the production of last season, Lepisto isn't going to be afforded that kind of slack.

It leaves me scratching my head, but such decisions seem to be par for the course in Quenneville's doghouse.