Nothing much fazes Hawks

PHILADELPHIA - The Blackhawks have won seven straight games on the road, but nothing they experienced in Nashville, Vancouver or San Jose will compare to what's in store for them Wednesday night in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals at Wachovia Center.

The rabid Flyers fans will be jacked up, and so will the team they love.

"They're definitely loud," Hawks center John Madden said. "They're definitely into the game, and it's safer to be playing on the ice than to be a Chicago fan in the stands, I can say that."

It's about as close as it gets to a must-win situation for the Flyers, who dropped a pair of 1-goal games at the United Center.

"They won their home games, and that's what we have to do," Flyers goalie Michael Leighton said. "We're still confident."

The Hawks are just as confident, knowing how well they have played on the road. In fact, the Hawks have played their best hockey of the playoffs away from the United Center, keeping their game simple with Antti Niemi supplying great goaltending.

Flyers coach Peter Laviolette challenged his team to be tougher on Niemi in Game 3, a strategy others have tried in the playoffs without success.

"Our team is capable of scoring a lot of goals, put a lot of pressure on him," Laviolette said. "It's a tough position, goaltending. He's representing a city that hasn't won a Cup in 50 years. We have to give him a crack of doubt. We can do that (tonight)."

Go ahead and try was pretty much the Hawks' response to Laviolette's tough talk.

"Teams have tried to get at him and get traffic and bump him a little bit," Hawks defenseman Brent Seabrook said. "You know, he's really answered the bell. I don't think he lets that stuff get to him. He just continues to play his game, which has been great for us."

"Yeah, it seems like all season people have been waiting for Antti to slow down and show he's a rookie," Hawks center Patrick Sharp said. "To score goals in the playoffs, it's no secret; you've got to get to the net, and get puck and bodies there and disrupt the goaltender as much as you can.

"We're not surprised by those comments. I guess we're going to try to do the same thing to their goalie."

Some of the Flyers felt they played too conservative in the first two games of the series, but that won't be the case at home. The Flyers figure to be even more physical and aggressive on the forecheck.

They basically want to play like they did in the third period of Monday's 2-1 loss when they mostly dominated the play.

"I think we need to play with more desperation than we did, like the third period," Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger said. "We need to play with that passion, energy, drive, determination, like we did in the third through the whole game. It needs to be 60 minutes."

Laviolette will have the last line change at home, meaning he will have an easier time getting stars Richards, Jeff Carter and Simon Gagne away from the Hawks' checking line of Dave Bolland, Kris Versteeg and Tomas Kopecky.

One thing that won't change is Pronger being on the ice against the Hawks' top line of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Dustin Byfuglien.

Toews and Kane don't have a point in the first two games, but the Hawks' depth has been the difference. Bolland's line has been dangerous, as has the second line of Sharp, Marian Hossa and Troy Brouwer.

The Sharp line has produced 4 goals in the first two games.

"Our first line was carrying the team through the whole playoffs," Hossa said. "I don't think they're struggling; they're creating chances, but they couldn't put the puck in the net the first two games."

"We're not worried about Johnny, Patrick, and Dustin," Sharp said. "They've had a great playoff, a great season. They do so much more for us than put pucks in the net, so it doesn't concern us.

"We've said all playoff long that we don't care who scores the goals as long as we're getting the wins."

The Flyers felt they could have won both games in Chicago, but the fact is they didn't. The Sharks felt the same way last round and they were swept.

The Hawks just know how to win.

"Somehow we end up with more goals than them," Madden said. "Timing is everything. We've just been able to hold on, or get the penalty kill at the right time, or the power-play goal, and that's always been the difference. That's playoff hockey."

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=385001"><b>IMREM:</b> Niemi busy rewriting Chicago sports script<span class="date"> [6/2/10]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=385018"><b>ROZNER:</b> Flyers looking for a break, but it really doesn't matter <span class="date"> [6/2/10]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=384936">Hawks hoping 2-0 Finals lead turns out better this time<span class="date"> [6/2/10]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=384999">Flyers remain confident they can turn it around<span class="date"> [6/2/10]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=384937">Murray: Philadelphia will be more physical at home <span class="date"> [6/2/10]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=384929">Hawks stand their ground as Pronger tries to agitate <span class="date"> [6/1/10]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>