Sharp stays red hot

Just in case you haven’t heard it in a day or so, when it comes to the NHL playoffs, you’re best players have to be your best players.

And one of the Blackhawks’ best players thus far in the postseason has been Patrick Sharp, who struck again in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against the L.A. Kings. Sharp scored his eighth goal of the playoffs, this one on a rebound of a Johnny Oduya blast midway through the second period to solve the puzzle that was goalie Jonathan Quick to tie the game at 1-1.

“Johnny Oduya made a great play to activate and jump up,” Sharp said. “That’s something that every team works on in practice, shoot off that pad and go into the net for the rebound. I was fortunate it came right to me.”

Another of the Hawks’ best players, Marian Hossa, scored his sixth of the postseason minutes later on a tip-in to give the Blackhawks a 2-1 lead.

“That’s what we need to do against him, because whatever he sees he’s so quick getting rebounds, so we have to have traffic in front of him,” Hossa said of Quick.

”That’s what we talk about — put lots of pucks from bad angles on his feet and hopefully we’ll get another second chance.”

Sharp and Hossa: A couple of your best players being your best players and suddenly the Hawks have themselves a 1-0 series lead.

“I think the two guys that scored for them are going to score goals,” Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. “We have guys that have to score goals.

“That’s how close this series will be.”