Hawks hope practice helps power play

LOS ANGELES - The Blackhawks spent a good deal of time at practice Sunday working on their power play.

Being just 1-for-21 on the road with the man advantage, including 0-for-4 in Game 3, might just be the reason.

"It would have been nice to get one on the power play (Saturday)," Patrick Sharp said. "You see their power play went out and scored a couple times … probably the difference in the game.

"Mix things up, try some new things and make sure you make it count tomorrow."

One of coach Joel Quenneville's changes Sunday was replacing Sharp on the top unit with defenseman Brent Seabrook. And he liked what he saw.

"The power play, the way we're moving it around, had a good buzz out there, little pace to it," Quenneville said. "We're coming off a tough night. Let's get excited about being out there and turning it around.

"Make a tweak, make a change."

It hasn't helped the Hawks that the Kings' PK unit appears to have found its groove.

"We got some big kills the last couple of games, we have to continue to do that," Jarret Stoll said. "It can win you a series and it can lose you a series."

Start of something?

Patrick Sharp is hoping his goal in the final seconds of Saturday's 4-3 loss might be the start of something big for the veteran forward who has struggled to score this postseason.

"We'll see," he said of his third goal of the playoffs and his first since Game 4 of the Minnesota series. "I never really doubted myself as far as scoring goals.

"It's always nice to score. It's obviously better to score in a win. But I felt a lot better waking up this morning knowing I was around the net a little bit more and was able to bounce one in.

"Hopefully we can keep scoring and I can get one in a win tomorrow.

Somebody's watching:

There has been quite the brouhaha in the Eastern Conference finals concerning Canadiens coach Michel Therrion - citing an unwritten rule of the game - kicking out some Rangers assistants who were on hand to watch the Habs practice Saturday.

"In the past, I think it might be an unwritten rule (about not watching practice)," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "We've had instances where they would watch, or someone might be out there watching. Over the last few years, over time as a coach, I haven't noticed it happening or occurring.

"We've got media watching, people watching - there aren't a lot of secrets in our game."

He said it:

"We're respectful of each other's team … but we want to kick their butts."

- L.A.'s Justin Williams