Hawks face Blues twice in next three games
The Blackhawks might want to lace up some spikes instead of skates.
Starting this final week of the NHL's regular season, they're in a four-game sprint to the finish in the Central Division against the St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators.
Those two teams were tied atop the division with 103 points Saturday, before Nashville played the Dallas Stars, but the Hawks were only a point back in the final chase for the division crown and home-ice advantage.
The Hawks, who didn't practice, are done playing Nashville. The Hawks face the Blues twice in the next three games, including the first showdown Sunday night at the United Center (6:30 p.m., NBCSN).
"We've got to focus on them coming up (Thursday), as well," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville told reporters Friday in Buffalo, after Jonathan Toews scored 2 late goals in 47 seconds to beat the Sabres. "They're 4-point games, with so little time to make up ground, so we'll see how it sorts out. We know they're meaningful (games) and there's still a lot to be sorted out on what's going to happen afterwards."
The magnitude might not be as big were it not for Toews.
The Hawks' captain has 13 goals and 11 assists in his last 25 games. That includes 10 goals and 7 assists in the past 17 games, which were all played without injured right wing Patrick Kane - the team's leading scorer at the time he sidelined Feb. 24 with a fractured collarbone.
Twice in a week, Toews scored game-winning goals late in regulation to steal 2 points in road games. He scored with 31 seconds left March 29 to beat the Winnipeg Jets at MTS Centre and then scored those 2 giant goals Friday in Buffalo.
"I think everybody in this room has that hunger to try and come out and be the difference," said defenseman Duncan Keith, who scored the Hawks' first goal Friday. "(Toews) leads the way, Toews and Kane, lead the way in that regard."
Quenneville seems to agree with that assessment, especially in the midst of Toews' recent tear.
"He's a special player," Quenneville said. "The bigger the stage, the bigger the response is. He's one of those guys that ... he's driven in a different manner than a lot of players and it was a big-time week for him (last) week."
Darling nominated for Masterton Trophy:
The Chicago chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association nominated rookie goaltender Scott Darling as the Blackhawks' candidate for the annual Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.
The winner is decided by a voted of PHWA members and is awarded to a player who shows perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to ice hockey. Darling, 26, made multiple stops in the minor leagues before making his NHL debut this season with the Blackhawks.
Darling, who's taken over the backup role behind Corey Crawford from Antti Raanta, is 9-3-0 with a 1.86 goals-against average and .939 save percentage.
"That's a huge honor and amazing," Darling said. "(The journey) makes it all worthwhile, the long bus rides, never knowing where you're going to be and things like that. You look back on it, it was all worth it. It just makes me appreciate where I'm at now that much more."