For Blackhawks, the hits just keep on coming

ST. LOUIS - Remember last year during the Western Conference finals when Anaheim thought it could blast the Blackhawks into oblivion with hard hit after hard hit?

It was a running theme throughout that series - one the Hawks won in seven games - and now we're hearing the same thing from the St. Louis Blues.

Ken Hitchcock's team was credited with 41 hits during their 1-0 Game 1 victory on Wednesday, a number not nearly big enough for St. Louis' coach.

"No, we're going to have to go up way bigger," Hitchcock said during his postgame news conference. "We're going to have to get it into the 70s if we expect to win."

Coach Joel Quenneville's reaction Thursday?

Bring it on.

"I hope he tries to go to 70," Quenneville said. "It means we have the puck the whole game."

Hitchcock slightly clarified his "70 hits" comment Thursday, saying his team had the Game 1 number at 57, as the Blues count the statistic a bit differently than the NHL.

"A lot of it is what people write as hits and what we consider playing through checks," Hitchcock said.

The biggest blows were delivered by Robby Fabbri on Michal Rozsival early in the third period, and another by Troy Brouwer on Viktor Svedberg. Patrick Kane was also hit by Alex Pietrangelo on a play that could have injured the star winger if he'd been a bit closer to the side boards.

Hitchcock admitted his team is trying to send a message and wear down the Hawks. If that all sounds a bit too familiar, it should. It's exactly what we heard from Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau last May.

By the time that series was winding down, it looked like Anaheim was the team gasping for air, as opposed to Kane and Co.

As for Kane, who has no goals and 2 assists in the Hawks' last four games against St. Louis, he figures the Hawks can make St. Louis pay for its overaggressive strategy.

"Hopefully we can get them running around a little bit, catch them out of position and maybe get some odd-man rushes or open space," Kane said. "There's been a lot of times over the years - I'd say probably 90 percent of the games - where we're going to be outhit because we have the puck more than the other team. We'll focus on what we do best, which is play that puck-possession game.

"If we get hit, we get hit. Move on and get ready for the next play."

Proud papa:

Andrew Ladd's wife gave birth to the couple's third child Thursday, Walker Gordon Ladd.

Ladd's eventful 36 hours included a trip back to Chicago on Wednesday morning, going back to St. Louis for Game 1 that night, and then heading back to Chicago on Thursday for Walker's birth.

Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith, both good friends of Ladd, were happy for their teammate and impressed with how he handled everything that was thrown at him.

"I thought he played well for what he went through," Seabrook said. "I'm sure yesterday was an emotional day for him, but he's going to flying for sure and ready to go the rest of the way."

Ouch:

Niklas Hjalmarsson hurt his right foot blocking a Vladimir Tarasenko shot in the first period of Game 1 while Blues were on the power play. He seemed limited for a while but never left the bench.

Hjalmarsson, who finished with 28:11 of ice time, also limped off late in the third period after blocking another shot from Tarasenko.

"He has a pretty hard wrist shot," Hjalmarsson said. "It never feels good when you get it, but it's one of those things that goes away after a while. You kind of get a breather and then you get back out there."

Joel Quenneville was asked Thursday if Hjalmarsson is the toughest player in the league.

"He's got to be in the top whatever," Quenneville said. "I don't know who else I would put in contention with him."

Slap shots:

Brent Seabrook led the Hawks in ice time during Game 1 at 30:35. Trevor van Riemsdyk was second at 28:12. … The Hawks announced a three-year contract extension for Rockford IceHogs head coach Ted Dent. The deal runs through the 2018-19 season. … The Hawks also came to terms with defenseman Carl Dahlstrom on a three-year deal. He taken by the Hawks in the second round of the 2013 draft.

He said it:

"You thank your lucky stars and say your prayers that night because that was one that was answered."

David Backes on his game-winning goal that bounced off Trevor van Riemsdyk's skate and past Corey Crawford.