Quenneville: 'We'll keep trying to get it'

Joel Quenneville has been trying anything and everything to get some production and consistency out of his bottom six forwards during the Blackhawks' opening-round series with the Blues.

Brandon Mashinter, Richard Panik, Dale Weise and Andrew Desjardins have all been healthy scratches thus far. When Desjardins sat out Sunday's 3-2 loss, it was the first game he missed since Dec. 3.

It also broke up last year's shutdown fourth line of Desjardins, Marcus Kruger and Andrew Shaw. Tomas Fleischmann skated on that line's left wing.

"We measure performance sometimes on maybe not just what you create but what you give up," Quenneville said. "We're looking, probably, for a little bit more there."

Shaw, who scored in Game 2 and also set the perfect screen on Duncan Keith's goal at the end of the second period, certainly gets it.

"I think we could be better," Shaw said. "We need some secondary scoring. You can't rely on the top two lines to do all the scoring to be successful in the playoffs. You need everyone contributing.

"Everyone needs to pick it up a little bit."

Said Quenneville: "We'll keep trying to get it. We feel to be a good team or a great team, we have to get that four-line rotation."

Hit machine:

Andrew Ladd has been credited with 21 hits in the first three games of the Hawks' series with the Blues. That's an average of 7 a game.

The veteran had 155 hits during the regular season, an average of 1.98 per game.

So what's up?

"It's a lot easier emotionally to get to that level in the playoffs, and I feel like if I'm skating and I'm on the puck, I'm usually on the body and that kind of takes care of itself," Ladd said.

"So, if it's there, I'll take the hit, but I'm not going to go out of my way to make sure it happens."

No fear:

Winger Jaden Schwartz said the Blues are unfazed playing at the United Center and that the players essentially are used to it.

"A little bit more loud(er) in the playoffs, but we feel confident in this building," Schwartz said. "We don't have a doubt going on the ice that we can't win the game."

Slap shots:

Brent Seabrook's first-period goal in Game 3 was the 20th of his postseason career. It moved him into the top spot among Blackhawks defensemen, passing Doug Wilson and Bob Murray. …

Patrick Kane's 23:04 average ice time is highest among Blackhawks forwards. Jonathan Toews is next at 22:39. … St. Louis called up forward Ty Rattie from the Chicago Wolves on Monday. Rattie played in 13 games with the Blues this season.

He said it:

"I made the shot I wanted to make and … unfortunately it went off both posts and out the other side. You've just got to try and stay confident and keep shooting." - Andrew Ladd on hitting both posts.