Quenneville impressed with how Saad’s bulked up

With Marian Hossa out for Game 4, it appears likely that forward Brandon Saad will be in the lineup Thursday when the Blackhawks host Phoenix.

“There’s a good chance he could play,” coach Joel Quenneville said.

Saad, 19, led the Ontario Hockey League with 1.73 points per game with the Saginaw Spirit. He ranked second on the team with a career-high 34 goals and 76 points in 44 games.

“Just looking at him physically today, it was a remarkable difference in him,” Quenneville said. “He looks bigger and he had a pretty remarkable year and a great playoff. We know what he can do offensively, he gives us some nice assets and some nice opportunity to have some skill.”

Missing Hoss:

Leave it to Joel Quenneville to describe just what the hawks will be missing without Marian Hossa in the lineup tonight.

“One thing about Hoss is you measure his game by being trustworthy in all areas,” Joel Quenneville said. “He’s a great 5-on-5 player, offensively and defensively, has a great pace, and special teams, he enhances that.

“You know that every minute or second he’s on the ice it’s quality ice and you’re comfortable and you like your team game because he reinforces that to a ‘T.’”

Going for six:

Lost in the shuffle of the Shaw-Smith and Hossa-Torres controversies is this amazing number: dating back to last postseason, the Blackhawks have played five consecutive overtime playoff games.

“Yeah, that’s the way it is, whether it goes to overtime or it ends in regulation,” Patrick Sharp said. “Every shift is important, and every play can be the difference in the game. That’s something that we learn the more you play playoff hockey.”

Score first ... win some:

The Hawks have jumped out to leads in the all three games of the series yet trail 2-1 to Phoenix.

What’s the deal?

“You just have to keep playing and pushing,” Jonathan Toews said. “We had a short lapse (Tuesday) when we let them back in the game.

“If we keep playing right to the end of 60 minutes we’ll give ourselves a chance to win every night, (Thursday night) especially.”

He said it:

“I asked him where was a good spot for dinner.”

— Phoenix goalie Mike Smith on his staredown with Hawks goalie Corey Crawford in Game 3.