Hawks have shown they can solve the Sharks

During the Hawks' recent renaissance, there have been several electrifying moments to jolt the memory.

But there has been no finer 60-minute showing than the Hawks' Thanksgiving Eve evisceration of San Jose at HP Pavilion.

Six different Hawks scored in the opening 52 minutes - led by a pair of Marian Hossa goals in his franchise debut - as they built a 7-0 lead en route to a 7-2 triumph.

"Hopefully we can stay together a lot of years and do some damage," said linemate Patrick Kane after the game. "If you watch him in practice, it seems like he scores every shot on the goalie. He's a great finisher and finds the open areas."

Not only did the Hawks dominate that Nov. 25 contest, but they pulled off a 4-3 overtime win in their return visit on Jan. 28 when Troy Brouwer scored at 1:37 of extra time.

So when the Hawks fly to San Jose to start the Western Conference finals, they won't have any problem envisioning success on the Sharks' ice.

Joel Quenneville's squad is one of the few that can feel that way. Including the playoffs, San Jose suffered just 10 non-shootout losses at home this season.

Meanwhile, the Hawks have been spectacular on the road. They're riding a five-game road winning streak in the playoffs - something that hasn't happened in the NHL postseason for years.

If there's going to be any learning curve for the Hawks during this series, it'll be in net.

Cristobal Huet handled all four regular-season games against the Sharks, including the regular-season split at United Center, as Antti Niemi had yet to earn the starting job.