Blackhawks know how to claw way out of tough spot
It's a tough spot.
Being down 2-1 to an intimidating team with a red-hot goalie is no picnic.
But the Blackhawks have been in tough spots before and panic is never the issue. The core of the team has been through difficult times together and they know how to respond to adversity.
And they are facing it again now in Game 4 against Anaheim on Saturday night at the UC, where a loss would feel like the first nail in the coffin.
“It's easy to find that motivation when you're down in a series, especially since it's a big game at home,” said Hawks captain Jonathan Toews. “We know what's at stake.”
To remember how this team responds, you need only look back to the 2013 Stanley Cup run when they fell behind Detroit 3-1 in the second round and rallied to win Game 7 at home in overtime.
Many tend to forget as well that they trailed Boston 2 games to 1 in the Cup Final and had to win Game 4 in Boston in overtime to tie the series. They won that series in six games.
In 2014, they lost the first pair to a very physical St. Louis team on the road before winning the next four.
Of course, a big deficit can also be too much to overcome.
Last spring, the Hawks had to come back from down 3-1 to Los Angeles in the conference final and wound up losing Game 7 at home on an overtime bounce.
And there was the 3-0 deficit vs. Vancouver in 2011, when they came all the way back to tie the series, only to lose in a Game 7 overtime.
But the point is the Hawks don't go away just because they're behind in a series, and you can expect a huge effort Saturday. The Hawks understand they don't want to dig a deeper hole.
“We'll just go out there and play as hard as we can,” Toews said. “We're confident that we'll start getting the bounces if we keep doing the right things.”
In their third straight conference finals and fifth in seven years, the Hawks know what's at stake, especially after giving away a chance to repeat with their slow start against the Kings a year ago.
“The guys in our locker room, the guys that have been around for seven years, understand every chance, every opportunity they get. No one wants to waste that,” Toews said. “We have individuals that have had success and got recognition for it. Those guys want to win. They want to win at this time of year. That's the most important thing to those guys.
“You heard guys say that once you win one Stanley Cup, you know the feeling. You can't forget it and you want to get back there. I think that's probably a huge reason why we've been fighting to get back there.”
The Hawks have a real fight on their hands now, the Ducks only gaining confidence with the belief that they could be up 3-0 in the series.
At the same time, Toews and Patrick Kane each have 1 point and 8 shots in what amounts to four games in this series. Think about that. The Hawks' two biggest stars are averaging a quarter of a point and 2 shots for every 60 minutes.
The answer might be in the play of Patrick Sharp, who is skating hard and working 200 feet and with little to show for it. Both Kane and Sharp need help, so why not put them together, maybe even with Teuvo Teravainen.
Yes, it's a small line against a huge team, but it's not working right now the way the lines are constructed and all that skill together could create some chances, much the same as Kane, Toews and Sharp did when the Hawks were in desperation mode against Vancouver in 2011.
Regardless, Hawks coach Joel Quenneville knows he doesn't have to tell his team the score.
“We don't have to reinvent the wheel with this group,” Quenneville said. “Getting off to strong starts is things we always talk about. A lot of times that puts you in the right spot going forward. We've done a good job in that area.
“The leadership, preparation-wise, and focus is always in the right place. It's led by our guys that have been around and know how to win. Going into games, in between games, our guys do the right things. They prepare the right way. You couldn't ask for anything more.”
Except, perhaps, a few more scoring chances.
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