Finally, just one win away from the finals

Considering where the Blackhawks were just a few years ago, the opportunity that awaits them today at the United Center seemed unimaginable.

From some of the darkest days in franchise history has emerged a young and dynamic club that finds itself needing just one more win to reach the Stanley Cup Finals.

A fourth straight win over the San Jose Sharks today would give the Hawks the Western Conference title and provide them with a chance to end the organization's 49-year Stanley Cup drought.

The Hawks put on their best game faces Saturday, saying all the right things about the series being far from over.

"Well, I think it definitely goes through everyone's minds," Patrick Sharp said about how close the Hawks are to a berth in the Finals. "We've got a team that likes to think we've been in this position before, being in the conference finals, and realize how hard it takes to get to that next step. I know it's one game away, but the old cliché, the fourth one is the hardest to win.

"We look at the series against San Jose, each game could go either way. We know we are fortunate to be up 3-0. We know we have to play our best game to close them out."

There were times in these playoffs when things didn't look this rosy for the Hawks.

They trailed their first-round series with the Predators 2-1, then were 14 seconds away from having to go to Nashville for Game 6 down 3-2 when Patrick Kane scored short-handed to tie Game 5 at the UC.

The Hawks won in overtime on Marian Hossa's goal after they had killed a five-minute major penalty to Hossa.

In the second round against Vancouver, the Hawks dropped the series opener 5-1 on home ice and trailed 2-0 early in Game 2 before rallying to win.

When the series shifted to GM Place, the Hawks finally kicked themselves into playoff gear and haven't looked back. They won both games in Vancouver, starting a 7-1 run that has brought them to where they are today.

"Seems like we've been getting better since the Nashville series," Sharp said. "Every series has been tough and difficult in its own right.

"I think winning on the road in Vancouver was big for us. That's a tough building to play in and it was a really intense series."

Certainly Hawks goalie Antti Niemi has taken his game to another level, which is what any team with Cup aspirations needs. While some might have pointed to him as possibly being the Hawks' weak link entering the playoffs, the 26-year-old Finn has become the strength of the team.

Twice in the series against San Jose, Niemi has turned in 44-save performances. He did it in Game 1 and again Friday night in the 3-2 overtime win.

"I'm not worried about Antti," Hawks center John Madden said. "He's just Antti. He just goes out there and plays hockey and has fun and competes.

"I've never seen a goalie compete like that before."

Whoa, and that's coming from a guy who won two Stanley Cups in New Jersey with future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur in goal.

"When your goaltender is making those big saves, making the kind of plays that he is at critical times in the game, it really changes the whole dynamic of the game," Hawks defenseman Duncan Keith said.

"But I think the thing you have to remember about Antti sometimes, even though it's his first year in the league, he's not 20 or 21 years old like most of the young rookies you see coming up. He's about 26 years old, pretty mature.

"I think the thing that really helps Antti out is the way he is off the ice, just his personality, his demeanor; he's very mature, very kind of laid-back guy. Maybe all the cheering and all the loud noises don't really, you know, get him worked up like it would somebody else."

The Sharks dismissed talk of Games 2 and 3 being must-wins for them, but there's no doubt about Game 4. It's either win or go home to face more questions about their inability to get it done in the playoffs.

"It's disappointing to be down 3-0, no doubt, but we're not hanging our heads. It's all about this group now," Sharks center Joe Pavelski said.

"We felt like we played with this team all along," Shark coach Todd McLellan said. "The fact is we're still down 3-0. We'd like to come out, throw everything we have, play loose against Chicago, then put a little pressure on them after that. We've got to take step one first."