Coach Q may rest key Hawks with four games to go

Whatever Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville wants, Jonathan Toews is OK with it — even if it means sitting out a game or two this week.

With four games to play and everything but the President’s Trophy wrapped up, Quenneville said he would consider resting some of top players this week.

“I’ll do whatever I have to,” Toews said. “It doesn’t really matter either way. Whether you sit a game and rest or you keep playing through the end of the regular season, I think everyone is going to be excited and ready to go come that first game of the first series.

“There will be no excuse there. Hopefully we’ll be playing with a lot of energy.”

The game Saturday at St. Louis would be the perfect chance for Quenneville to rest Toews and keep him away from David Backes, who targeted the Hawks’ captain the last time the two teams met last week.

Here come the Canucks:For the third and final time this regular season, the Hawks and Canucks square off Monday in Vancouver in what figures to be another important game in the rivalry.#147;There#146;s a lot of intensity and a lot of emotion,#148; Joel Quenneville said. #147;We#146;ll see where it#146;s at meaning-wise on their end. But at the same time we know it#146;s going to be competitive and the pace is always frantic. It always makes for a great game.#148;#147;We#146;ve had some great games against them,#148; Jonathan Toews added. #147;This late in the season both teams want to keep playing well, so we#146;ll expect a pretty good one.#148;Power-play talk:Brent Seabrook#146;s 2 goals on the power play Saturday marked the second straight game in which the struggling Hawks power play cashed in twice.#147;I think we#146;re peaking just at the right time,#148; Corey Crawford said.#147;It just goes to show it#146;s going to make a difference in some of those tight games where maybe we don#146;t get the bounces 5-on-5,#148; Jonathan Toews said. #147;We created some chances there, a couple good shots by Seabs, a couple good plays. Both units were doing some good things.#147;That#146;s what we#146;ve been trying to do on the power play, get more shots from the point and get more traffic in front of the goaltender.#148;