Toews has 5 points, Blackhawks take 3-1 lead

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Dustin Byfuglien called it the money game of the series, then he and linemate Jonathan Toews went out and played like a million bucks.

Toews had a hat trick - all power-play goals - and Byfuglien was nearly unstoppable for the second game in a row as the Blackhawks made the undisciplined Vancouver Canucks pay dearly Friday night in a 7-4 victory at GM Place.

The Hawks now have a 3-1 stranglehold on the Western Conference semifinal series with a chance to say so long to the team they don't like with another win in Game 5 on Sunday night at the United Center.

The Hawks broke open a 2-2 game with 3 power-play goals in the second period as the Canucks came unglued and totally lost their composure.

"There were a few (penalties) in there I thought were questionable, but at the end of the night I think quite a few were deserved," Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said. "We didn't react well to what was going on on the ice, and they made us pay for it.

"I don't know what the answer is. I really believe this group is ready for this team, ready for this moment, but obviously our actions right now are proving me wrong."

Vigneault then went on to admit goalie Roerto Luongo is being outplayed by Antti Niemi. "I think right now he's the second-best goaltender on the ice," Vigneault said of Luongo.

Toews was brilliant with 3 goals and 2 assists, tying the club record of 5 points in a playoff game held by Stan Mikita and Steve Larmer.

"It's nice to be up in the series, but we know it's far from over," Toews said.

The Canucks seemed obsessed with going after Byfuglien, but the strategy failed miserably.

Defenseman Shane O'Brien took 2 penalties minutes apart in the first period for cross-checking Byfuglien, the second one resulting in Toews' first power-play goal and a 2-1 Hawks lead.

"I think at the beginning of the game they were more focused on getting even and squaring things up, but we never let up and never got off our game plan," said Byfuglien, who drew 3 penalties to go with an assist in another monster game.

Toews made it 3-2 just seconds into the second period on a power play. Ryan Kesler misplayed Duncan Keith's wraparound and the puck squirted to Toews all alone in front.

A tripping penalty to Daniel Sedin led to Patrick Sharp's power-play goal at 12:47 of the second period and a 4-2 lead. Sharp scored on a mad scramble off a rebound with Byfuglien backing into Luongo.

"I can't really speak for what they were doing, but we took advantage of some opportunities and the power play had a heck of a night," Sharp said. "We're playing the game hard and smart."

Daniel Sedin again went off for cross-checking at 13:29 and Alex Burrows for roughing Byfuglien at 14:17, and while the Hawks couldn't convert on the 5-on-3, Toews completed his hat trick at 15:22 for a 5-2 lead.

It was the Hawks' second hat trick in as many games, coming on the heels of Byfuglien's in Game 3.

"Johnny had a special night," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said.

It was 2-2 after a frantic first period during which the Hawks twice had leads but couldn't hold them.

Brent Seabrook opened the scoring just 18 seconds into the game, beating Luongo through his pads from in the slot on a feed from Toews. Byfuglien set up the goal by carrying the puck around the boards with defenseman Kevin Bieksa unable to keep up.

Kyle Wellwood tied it quickly by scoring at 1:34, but then O'Brien killed his team with the 2 dumb penalties for cross-checking Byfuglien. The Hawks made him pay for the second one at 9:23, when Toews took a pass from Patrick Kane off a faceoff and snapped it home.

The Canucks lived up to their promise of going harder to the net and crashing Niemi, at least in the first period, but then O'Brien's penalties against Byfuglien killed that momentum.

"We stressed discipline, we stressed initiating, and we stressed playing smart," Quenneville said.