No place like road for Blackhawks

SAN JOSE, Calif. - At this rate, the Blackhawks aren't going to want to come home.

With their 2-1 win over the Sharks on Sunday in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals, the Hawks ran their road record in the playoffs to 6-1.

They've won six in a row away from the United Center dating back to Game 4 in the opening round against Nashville and including all three games at GM Place in the last series against Vancouver.

"We're not worried about whether we're on the road or at home," Hawks captain Jonathan Toews said. "For us, it's really where we're at in the series.

"We're not going home yet. We've got one more here (Tuesday) and we want to keep that momentum going. We're not putting any added pressure on ourselves just because we have a winning streak on the road. We'll go out and enjoy the pressure and keep playing like we have."

Not only did the victory extend the Hawks' road winning streak, it was the first time in three playoff series they won the opener.

The Hawks had played Game 1 clunkers against Nashville and Vancouver, losing 4-1 to the Predators and 5-1 to the Canucks, with both games at home.

"Coming into round one and round two, everyone knows we didn't get the start we wanted in those first games and were a little flat," Toews said. "It was different tonight and you see the result."

Hawks coach Joel Qunneville prepared the team differently than in the first two rounds, with days off on Wednesday and Friday following the Game 6 win in Vancouver on Tuesday night.

"I liked our preparation all week, the focus and concentration," Quenneville said. "Our motivation was to get the first game. We weren't happy the way we began the series the last two, and we wanted to continue on with the way we felt we approached Game 6 in Vancouver."

The Hawks would have been blown out of the rink had they come out flat against the Sharks, so fast was the pace of the game.

"The pace was definitely high end, and what a game," Quenneville said.

"It was quick, a fast game for sure," Hawks center Patrick Sharp said. "You've got to be alert all along, on the bench with a lot of matchup changes and fast-paced hockey. It was a lot of fun and now we can take a deep breath and feel good about it."