Chicago -

If winning a playoff series didn't make Charlie Coyle feel like a big-time hockey player, his other takeaway from Colorado probably did.

Saturday afternoon, he was showing off a scar running from the edge of his right lower lip all the way to his jawline. After he suffering a cut in Game 7 in Colorado, he required 15 stitches, which he showed off proudly in the lockerroom.

The right side of his face is quite swollen, but Coyle was in great spirits. He said he can eat normally. My colleague Mike Russo joked that if Coyle gets a similar cut on the other side of his face, Coyle will have a permanent goatee.

``It's something I can bring to remember last series," he said. ``Let's see if I can get another one this series."

Is it a badge of honor? ``Yeah, I think so," he said. ``But this one's pretty ugly."

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Russo and I will be providing content to startribune.com and the paper all weekend from Chicago. My show, Sunday Sports Talk, will run Sunday 10-noon. Scott Korzenowski and Hunter will run it from Minnesota, and I'll be on the phone at the United Center before Game 2.