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Blackhawks defense keeps breaking down at the wrong time

A blunt, honest Niklas Hjalmarsson stood in front of his locker after the Hawks beat Minnesota on Friday and made one thing abundantly clear: His team's defense better improve if they want to be hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup in mid-June.

Hjalmarsson was especially peeved that a 3-goal lead evaporated so quickly in the second period of Game 1 in this second-round series.

"It can't happen, especially not in the playoffs when you're up 3-0," Hjalmarsson said. "It should be game over."

The last 4 even-strength goals the Hawks have allowed came after opponents either walked right in on Scott Darling or Corey Crawford - or a player is left alone in front of the net for an easy pass-and-shoot opportunity.

Why is this happening so often?

"That's a good question," Johnny Oduya said Saturday. "Obviously we need to tighten up a little bit. Obviously you don't want to have guys hanging out by themself in the slot. ... You don't want to put that stress on your goalie to come up with big saves.

"I don't think any team in the NHL wants that. If there's breakdowns, we'll obviously look at that and what we need to adjust going forward."

Here's a quick recap of those breakdowns:

• Early in Game 6 against the Predators, James Neal flew around Hjalmarsson and Oduya, then beat Darling with a backhander from just nine feet away.

• Then, 39 seconds after Patrick Sharp had trimmed Nashville's lead to 2-1, Matt Cullen got past Duncan Keith and a backwards-skating Hjalmarsson never challenged Cullen, leading to an easy 8-foot wrister that ended Darling's night.

• In Game 1 vs. Minnesota, Jason Zucker - all alone about 15 feet from Crawford - took a pass from Thomas Vanek and put the Wild on the board.

• After the Wild made it 3-2 with a power-play goal, Keith failed to clear the puck, and Zach Parise proceeded to steal it and feed Mikael Granlund, who easily beat Crawford from five feet out.

Those 4 goals came from an average of less than 10 feet in front of the net and doesn't even include the point-blank shot the Wild's Jason Pominville couldn't get good wood on in the third period Friday. Hjalmarsson was adamant that the Hawks have got to do a better job as a team.

"It's not just the defensemen's (fault)," he said. "It's a five-man group out there on the ice that can do a better job together.

"I think it's the offense that's got most of the wins for us in the playoffs (while) in the regular season it's the other way. We've got to find a way here to get playing better defensively."

Joel Quenneville agreed.

"That awareness has to be better," the coach said. "Whether it's the first layer or second layer, we have to be aware these guys go to the net hard and with speed, with or without the puck. We need a concentrated effort, a five-man unit, defensively, to prevent that type of attack."

Injury update:

Kris Versteeg was not on the ice with the Hawks on Thursday or Friday. Coach Joel Quenneville said he has a lower-body injury and is improving.

As for the Wild, Justin Fontaine suffered a lower-body injury during Game 1. Fontaine had 31 points (9 goals) for Minnesota this season.

"It's one of those things that could be day to day or it might be a week. I'm not sure," Wild coach Mike Yeo said Saturday.

Should have had it:

Minnesota goalie Devan Dubnyk was not happy that he failed to stop Teuvo Teravainen's shot from the sideboards late in the second period. The goal ended up being the game-winner in the Hawks' 4-3 victory.

"That's my job," said Dubnyk, who made 31 saves. "My job is to get out and find the puck and find the puck at all times. I didn't do that and it cost me. It's certainly disappointing to give (that) up when we work as hard as we did to come back."

He said it:

"I'm trying hard. Maybe next year. Maybe I need some American pills to help grow (it)."

- 20-year-old Teuvo Teravainen on trying to grow a playoff beard

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

Emotion in UC energized Hawks early

  The Wild's Zach Parise (11) scores a goal in the second period Friday at the United Center without a Hawks defenseman in sight as Jonathan Toews watches. The Hawks won 4-3 in Game 1 of their playoff series at the United Center. Bob Chwedyk/bchwedyk@dailyherald.com
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