Blackhawks to start Crawford in Game 2

It was a no-brainer. An easy decision.

Despite 42 saves Wednesday night by Scott Darling.

Despite many of those saves being in the "CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT" category?

And despite Darling being a major reason the Hawks prevailed in a 4-3 double-overtime thriller against the Predators in Game 1 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series.

Yes, despite all that, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said it was "a no-brainer" and "an easy decision" to put Corey Crawford, who surrendered 3 first-period goals, back in net for Friday's Game 2.

"I think it was a tougher decision to pull (Crawford) out last night," Quenneville said. "He's going right back in. He's our starting goalie; he's been our strength all year long.

"It was one period, collectively as a team (from) goaltending all the way out to the forwards. … I'm looking forward to him getting back in the net."

The decision to yank Crawford, who compiled a 27-15 record and .922 save percentage the last two postseasons, wasn't like taking out a starting pitcher after a couple of bad innings.

No, it was more akin to replacing a struggling Ben Roethlisberger, Tony Romo or Cam Newton in an NFL playoff game. Of course, the problem with that comparison is backup NFL quarterbacks usually can't hold a candle to the starter.

That's not always the case in the NHL. And it's hardly the case with the Blackhawks, who have what most teams can only dream about - a trio of top-notch goalies whom Quenneville and Co. have complete confidence in.

"Whether it's Corey, Scott - we've got Antti Raanta here as well," Patrick Sharp said Wednesday. "We've got three strong goaltenders that give us a chance to win every night."

Still, it's a rare day indeed when a Stanley Cup-winning goalie takes a seat after only 20 minutes of the first playoff game have elapsed.

"There's no book that I can look at and say, 'OK, what should I do at this moment?' " Quenneville said. "It's a 'feel thing,' and it's not something we're accustomed to doing."

When Crawford received the news that he was having a seat, he admitted it wasn't an easy pill to swallow.

"When you get pulled in a situation like that, I was pretty frustrated," he said. "I was trying to figure out the decisions I made. You just have to sit on the side and encourage the other guys.

"Really, I had confidence in the guys to come back."

The first-period debacle was hardly all Crawford's fault. Go ahead and point the first big finger at defenseman Michal Rozsival, who was turned into Swiss cheese as Colin Wilson barreled past him and slung a shot over Crawford's right shoulder.

The second goal, however, was all on Crawford. After leisurely skating behind the net to play a puck that the Predators dumped into the zone, Crawford was - pure and simple - embarrassed by Calle Jarnkrok. The puck squirted free and ex-Hawk Viktor Stalberg scored what may have been the easiest goal of his life.

Then 153 seconds later, Wilson added his second goal, tipping in a Seth Jones blast with Nashville on the power play.

"There were a lot of messages being sent and a lot of guys stepping up and talking," Sharp said of the locker-room atmosphere after the first period, "but the bottom line is we weren't very good to start the game. We kind of hung Corey out to dry a little bit."

Enter Darling, who became an instant hero in bars and living rooms across Chicagoland. The 25-year-old goalie from Lemont, who has overcome alcohol problems and more demotions than maybe any NHL goalie ever, turned away 42 shots to propel the Hawks to victory.

No goalie in NHL history has come on in relief and held a team scoreless in a Stanley Cup playoff game longer than Darling did (67 minutes, 44 seconds), according to Elias Sports Bureau.

"What a tremendous job. Commend him playing a great game (and) doing everything he could to get us the win," Quenneville said. "Hey, it's a great situation knowing you have a goaltender like that."

Crawford said it was "nerve-wracking" to be on the bench knowing he had no control over the outcome.

Asked about Game 2, the veteran said he would continue to have a short memory. It's not the first time Crawford has faced adversity - and it likely won't be the last.

"You have always got to be thinking about the next shot and not let whatever happened (affect) what's going to happen next. I've learned a lot through my career," he said. "I've had a lot of stuff happen before.

"Things like this they happen once in awhile, so you just have to keep battling and keep working hard."

• Follow John Dietz's Hawks reports on Twitter @johndietzdh.