Hawks' shake-up works wonders

Just as there's not as much time and space to make plays in the NHL postseason, there's not as much time to waste on ineffective combinations.

That's why Hawks coach Joel Quenneville shook up his forward lines and his blue-line duos after the Game 1 loss.

That's also a good part of the reason the Hawks struck back for a 2-0 Game 2 victory over Nashville Sunday night at the United Center.

Top defensemen Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook played together for the first time in a few weeks and logged a total of 46 minutes

They looked as solid as always, which made sense considering they've been paired for much of the last five years.

They played as if an invisible tether allowed them to stretch and contract depending on where they were needed.

"Just knowing where each other are and what they're doing (is important)," Seabrook said.

"If he's going to make a play or whatnot, 90 percent of the time I know what he's going to do and that helps."

Though Keith claimed that such personnel moves can occasionally be considered more important than they are, he also used a variation of the word "comfortable" several times to describe his work alongside Seabrook.

"He's a big, strong guy and plays a smart game," Keith said. "He really complements my game so I can use my speed and play my game."

Meanwhile, Andrew Ladd's elevation to the top line alongside Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa paid dividends.

Heeding Quenneville's call for the Hawks to play more physically and "abrasive," Ladd worked hard along the boards to gain possession of pucks and send them along to his skilled linemates.

He also was credited with a team-high-tying 5 hits.

"I thought we had a little more battle in our game," Quenneville said. "I thought we were more tenacious in the puck area. We had more traffic at the night. Better board play."

Patrick Sharp's drop to the second line seemed to add an additional spark to Dave Bolland and Patrick Kane.

Bolland played with energy all night, had a first-period goal waved off by a premature whistle and then backhanded home a power-play goal in the second.

Sharp, meanwhile, set up Kane's odd-man rush for a crucial goal at the 4:18 mark of the third.