Marian Hossa was criticized by former Chicago Blackhawks star Tony Amonte Tuesday on WEEI-FM 93.7 in Boston.
"I think you play until you can't play anymore," said Amonte who used Nathan Horton, who is playing through a shoulder injury, as an example. Amonte said he heard that Hossa told the training staff he couldn't play after testing his upper-body injury during the warmup and it clearly irked him. "You just don't see guys do things like that in the NHL," he said. "It sounds like it came out of nowhere." Hossa is considered "likely" to play in Game 4 though, according to Hawks coach Joel Quenneville.

Marian Hossa is "likely to play" in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup final Wednesday night, according to Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville.
Hossa was a last-minute scratch Monday night, but judging by Quenneville's comments after the game and this afternoon it sounds like he was doubtful to suit up in Game 3. Ben Smith, who took Hossa's place in the lineup, didn't warmup because Quenneville didn't want to tip his hand. If Hossa returns for Game 4, expect Smith to find himself in the press box again.

Bryan Bickell has yet to score in the Stanley Cup final, which he attributes to trying to do too much.
Bickell was a revelation for Chicago in the first three rounds, with eight goals and 13 points in 17 games before the Cup final. Against Boston though, Bickell has yet to even register an assist through three games. "I need to get back to being more simple," Bickell said Monday night. "There are times when I'm getting too cute and trying to make the better play. . I still feel confident, I just need to stick with my game plan to keep it simple."

The Blackhawks were 0-for-5 on the power play in Monday night's 2-0 Game 3 loss to the Boston Bruins.
Monday's blanking means Chicago hasn't scored a power-play goal in 20 straight chances this postseason, which is starting to upset some of the players. "It's just time to get a goal," defenseman Duncan Keith said. "There's nothing more to say about it." Coach Joel Quenneville called the Hawks' man-advantage unit "not good" and it's hard to disagree with him or Keither. Chicago consistently had trouble getting pucks even into the zone to set up. Once the Hawks did get into the zone, they often made one pass too many or couldn't keep a bouncing puck in at the line. The absence of Marian Hossa was clearly felt, but it's clearly more than a Game 3 issue.

Ben Smith said he didn't find out he was playing in Game 3 until after pregame warmups.
Smith was inserted into the lineup when Marian Hossa couldn't go after testing out his upper-body injury in the pregame skate. Hossa's absence forced Joel Quenneville to get extremely creative with his lines. Smith skated with Patrick Sharp and Dave Bolland, while Jonathan Toews was flanked by Marcus Kruger and Michael Frolik and Patrick Kane played alongside Brandon Saad and Michal Handzus. "It was kind of a wild night," said Smith. "I was just grateful to be a part of it, to get an opportunity. I just wish we could have gotten the win."

Marian Hossa was scratched due to an upper-body injury and was considered a game-time decision entering warmups Monday night.
Hossa was a last-minute scratch after going through warmups and there had been some thought he was injured during the pregame skate. However, Jonathan Toews said the Hawks were prepared all day for Hossa to possibly sit, so it's obviously something that was lingering from at least Game 2. Coach Joel Quenneville said Hossa is officially day-to-day and is hopeful the veteran winger will be able to suit up for Wednesday's Game 4. We'd like to say we'll know more after Tuesday's morning skate, but chances are Hossa will be a game-time call again Wednesday night.

Corey Crawford stopped 33 of 35 shots in Monday night's 2-0 Game 3 loss to the Boston Bruins.
Crawford got hung out to dry on both goals and was the only reason the game was still scoreless after the first period. Crawford hasn't been the reason Chicago has lost either of the last two games, but it's starting to look like he has to be nearly perfect for the Blackhawks to win a game. Crawford and the Hawks will look to rebound and even the series in Wednesday's Game 4.

Dave Bolland finished Monday's Game 3 loss with six penalty minutes and a minus-1 rating.
The stats don't really tell the whole story for Bolland, who had a nightmare Game 3. Bolland was just 1-for-8 on faceoffs and was also the primary victim on Boston's first goal when he got his pocket picked from behind by Daniel Paille. It's pretty clear Bolland isn't anywhere close to 100 percent, but nights like this will put him in Joel Quenneville's doghouse for at least a couple days.

Jonathan Toews was held scoreless again despite putting five shots on goal.
Toews has had a nightmare of a time playing against Boston's top defensive pairing of Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg. When Toews does get past those two, he's been stopped at every turn by Tuukka Rask. It's been the same story for Toews for much of this postseason and the Chicago captain has just one goal in 20 postseason contests. If the Blackhawks plan to win this series, they'll need to find a way to get their top players going.

Marian Hossa was a last-minute scratch for Monday's Game 3 vs. the Boston Bruins.
There was no reason given for the scratch, but the timing of it certainly was stunning. Hossa's absence will make a big impact on Chicago's lineup and could give Boston the leg up it needs in an otherwise dead-even series. Ben Smith will take Hossa's spot in the lineup, but coach Joel Quenneville will likely have to do some juggling to make up for Hossa's absence.

After spending two games as a healthy scratch, Viktor Stalberg is going to try to keep things simple in his return on Monday.
"The way the Bruins play, I think it's about speed, getting pucks to the net, be hungry around the net," Stalberg said. "That's what I need to do." He's projected to replace Brandon Bollig on the fourth line.

Brandon Bollig is expected to be a healthy scratch on Monday.
Viktor Stalberg will take his spot in the lineup. Bollig had a minus-one rating and a team-low 8:42 minutes in Chicago's 2-1 overtime loss on Saturday.

Viktor Stalberg will be inserted into the Blackhawks' lineup for Game 3 on Monday.
Stalberg was a healthy scratch for the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final. He's likely to start the game on Chicago's fourth line.

The Blackhawks know they have a tough task ahead in wrestling back the momentum from the Bruins.
The Bruins are coming off an overtime win and are now on home ice. Patrick Kane believes its a welcome challenge to try to steal that momentum back. "I guess the main thing is to always keep it (their game) simple. If you can 
do that, usually you can take away some of their momentum," Kane said. "I think right now they do have it, especially after the last overtime
period where it seemed like they had a lot of chances compared to ours; they got the winning goal, too. It's something we'll look forward to getting back in Game 3."

Viktor Stalberg might draw back into the lineup for Game 3.
He'd be replacing Brandon Bollig, whose inability to get the puck out of the zone in overtime cost the Blackhawks the game. Stalberg has three assists in 15 games this postseason, but provides more speed and offense than the more physical Bollig.

The Hawks are aware that the hits will keep on coming from the Bruins.
Boston finished with a 50-34 edge in hits in Game 2, with 34 coming in the first period and a half. Even though that was a time when the Blackhawks were controlling the game, the hitting eventually seemed to wear down Chicago, as it was a step slower toward the end. "We've got to be harder to play against than we were [in Game 2]," coach Joel Quenneville said. "[Making sure] we're not deterred in where we have to travel to be successful is something we have to talk about."

Chicago has allowed only four power-play goals in 63 chances in the playoffs.
It's a good thing because of its problems on its own man advantage. The Blackhawks have killed off four of five power plays against the Bruins in the Stanley Cup Final. Coach Joel Quenneville credits his players, pointing out the work of Michael Frolik and Marcus Kruger. "I just think that duo is the thing that's been the most noticeable," Quenneville said. And Kruger and Frolik credit their ability to "read off" each other in order to know where to be.

Even though the Blackhawks are a dangerous offensive team, they are mired in a slump on the power play.
Chicago hasn't scored in six chances against the Bruins, and it is 0-for-its-last-15 in the playoffs. The Blackhawks obviously made due with an underwhelming power play in the regular season (ranked 19th at 16.6 percent), but they are only 12.3 percent in the playoffs. It's under the microscope now because goals don't come easy.

Jonathan Toews wasn't happy with how the Chicago Blackhawks responded to their strong first period in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Chicago outshot Boston 19-4 over the first 20 minutes, although they ended up with just a one goal lead, due largely to Tuukka Rask's efforts. When you score a goal and are playing the way we were playing in the first, you need to find a way to sustain that and we didn't quite do that," said Toews. "I think we could have brought a little more physical play, but we were moving our feet. We were the aggressors early on in the game, and their physical play didn't really affect us too much. We just let them play their game and make the plays they wanted midway through the game and toward the end." Boston ended up winning 2-1 in overtime to rob Chicago of their home ice advantage and tie the series at 1-1 going into Game 3 in Boston.

Coach Joel Quenneville thought that Corey Crawford was great in the 2-1 overtime loss to Boston Saturday.
"He was great," Quenneville said of Crawford. "He kept us in there. They had some great looks in overtime around the net. (He) stands tall, finding that puck, gives us a chance." Crawford is now 13-6 in the playoffs with a .935 save percentage and an NHL leading 1.72 GAA.

Patrick Kane moved into a tie for sixth in playoff scoring Saturday with an assist.
Kane now has six goals and 15 points in the playoffs as he drew an assist on Patrick Sharp's first period goal. He is worth a high pick in pools next season as he is one of the top scorers in the NHL.

Michal Handzus picked up an assist on the Patrick Sharp goal Saturday.
Sharp was the only Blackhawk to find the back of the net on Saturday as Handzus picked up his eighth assist and 10th point in the 2013 playoffs. He has been a very good performer fantasy-wise for poolies who picked him up.

Brent Seabrook and Andrew Shaw led the Chicago Blackhawks in hits Saturday with six.
Seabrook was minus-one in 25:12 minutes of action. He has two goals and an assist in 19 playoff games this season after potting eight goals and 20 points in 47 regular season games.

Viktor Stalberg was a healthy scratch for the second game in a row Saturday.
After playing in 15 of the Blackhawks 17 playoff games in the first three rounds of the postseason, Stalberg has sat out both games of the Stanley Cup Final in place of the hard-hitting Brandon Bollig. Bollig was on the ice for the game-winning goal by Daniel Paille of the Bruins so coach Joel Quenneville could go back to Stalberg for Game 3 Monday in Boston. Stay tuned.

Corey Crawford blocked 26 of 28 shots he faced in the Blackhawks' 2-1 overtime loss to the Bruins on Saturday night in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Brandon Bollig's inability to control the puck and get it out of the zone along the boards near the blueline is pretty much the difference in this game. Adam McQuaid kept it in and quickly sent it to Tyler Seguin, who passed to Daniel Paille. Crawford was beaten high glove hand. The Blackhawks were excellent in the first period, but their play dipped a bit as the game went along. Crawford now sports a 1.72 goals-against average and .935 save percentage in the playoffs.

Patrick Sharp potted the lone goal for Chicago in its 2-1 overtime loss to Boston on Saturday night in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Sharp scored at 11:22 of the first period on assists from Patrick Kane and Michal Handzus. That they couldn't get anymore goals in a 19-shot period proved to be a pivotal time in this game. While the Bruins' game grew after the first period, Chicago seemed to collectively lose some energy. Sharp and Marian Hossa each finished with a game-high seven shots on goal, while Andrew Shaw and Brent Seabrook had a team-high six hits. Dave Bolland and Johnny Oduya had penalties, but the Hawks killed those off.

Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews hasn't scored a postseason goal since May 25.
That's a span of seven games. Overall, he has just one tally in 18 playoff contests in 2013, but at least he has eight assists.

The rest enjoyed by the Stanley Cup participants from Wednesday's 4-3 triple-overtime triumph by Chicago over the Boston Bruins to Game 2 tonight may not thrill hockey enthusiasts but Blackhawks' veteran Brent Seabrook thinks it's big.
"Having the two-day break is huge," said Seabrook, who played 39:12 on Wednesday - third-most on the Blackhawks. "Just getting lots of rest, staying hydrated and try to get as much fluid and healthy, good food in your system as you can. Just getting ready and focus for the next one." Teammate Marian Hossa agrees, but he was annoyed with a neighbor for waking him early Thursday morning after the marathon opener. "I woke up early," Hossa said. "My neighbor decided he was going to drill in the morning. That was not very pleasant. Hopefully he is going to get the message for next time and he won't drill."

Chicago goalie Corey Crawford caught the attention of the hockey world with his 51 saves in the Blackhawks' 4-3 triple-overtime triumph over the visiting Boston Bruins in the opening game of the 2013 Stanley Cup final on Wednesday - and now some are saying he deserves far more respect than he gets.
"Corey Crawford is a big-time NHL goalie," former NHL forward Todd Warriner told co-hosts Marty York and Paul Rosen on The York Report at NSSradiotv.com Friday night. "I think many people underrate him or even question him because of the way he comes across in interviews. He seems shy and some people interpret that as him being unsure of himself. But his accomplishments on the ice speak for themselves. This guy is a winner. He is an obvious choice for Team Canada's goalie (in the 2014 Winter Olympics) and I think, if the Hawks win the Stanley Cup, he should be an obvious choice for the Conn Smythe (trophy, as the most-valuable player in the series)."

Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson says it doesn't matter if Nathan Horton is out (shoulder) and Tyler Seguin replaces him on the Boston Bruins' top line for Game 2 tonight of the Stanley Cup championship series in Chicago tonight.
Horton's status for tonight remains undecided but Hjalmarsson said the Blackhawks know they have to do a better job of defending that line, regardless. "I think that's a line that has most of the offensive abilities that the good line should have,"Hjalmarsson said. "They got a big body with (Milan) Lucic and Horton is a pretty big guy, too, and (David) Krejci's a good playmaker and good shot, too. So they're obviously one of the best lines in the league, if not the best."

Chicago left winger Bryan Bickell plans to prepare for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup championship series tonight the way as he has all postseason -- with a sushi dinner.
Bickell, a Conn Smythe Trophy candidate as the outstanding player in the playoffs, discloses in a blog at nhl.com that he thinks sushi dinners have been key to his postseason success. "The sushi dinner before a game is something I started to do in the playoffs and it's working, so I'm not going to stop it now." Bickell wrote. "I took Kaner [Chicago Patrick Kane] with me before Game 4 in Los Angeles and he scored, so he went again before Game 5 and then he scored a hat trick. I'm sure he'll find a way to get some tonight as well."

Coach Joel Quenneville was succinct about the Blackhawks' power play, especially that 5-on-3 opportunity that went awry in Game 1.
Yeah, we addressed it, we looked at it," he said. "You never know if you get another one but certainly we'll see. We weren't pleased with what went on." It may have been more of what did not go on during that power play. No real shots, very little movement, too much passing. The Blackhawks got away with it not working on Wednesday night, but it's still something they want to get going, if just a little bit. "We've had stretches throughout the postseason where we've moved it
 around pretty well. Sometimes you just can't find the back of the net," Patrick Kane said. "I 
think maybe another reason seems power plays are down throughout the year 
and in the postseason, for whatever reason. When you do get the man 
advantage, you're not in a complete rhythm when you get out there."

Playing for the Blackhawks for the first time since May 5, center Brandon Bollig logged nine hits, tied for the Blackhawks' high (with Andrew Shaw and Bryan Bickell), in Chicago's triple-overtime victory over the Boston Bruins in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup championship series in Chicago, and impressed coach Joel Quenneville.
"I thought he had a real strong game for us. I liked what he brought to the team," Quenneville said. "I thought he was defensively responsible, that he ended up in the offensive zone a lot. Defensively, you're comfortable with him. I thought he was physical, thought he had a purpose behind his game. He brought what we were looking for."

Jonathan Toews thinks Corey Crawford is an obvious choice for Team Canada in the 2014 Winter Olympics.
I don't know why there's any doubt. He's a pressure player," Toews said. Of course, Crawford is bias, but his claim isn't without merit. Crawford has been amazing this season and he's gotten even better in the playoffs with a 1.73 GAA and .936 save percentage in 18 starts. With no clear top candidate when it comes to Canadian goaltending, Crawford shouldn't be ruled out.

Jonathan Toews has won the Frank J. Selke Trophy.
The award goes to the game's best defensive forward. Toews ranked second in the NHL with a 59.9% success rate in faceoffs this season. He also tied for first place with 56 takeaways and ranked third with a plus-28 rating. This is the first time he's won this award.

Daniel Carcillo is dealing with an illness.
Just in case you were wondering why Carcillo didn't practice Friday. He's not expected to play on Saturday even if he's healthy.

Bryan Bickell has been moved from Chicago's first line to their third line.
Bickell's five-game point streak came to an end in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. He's projected to play with Andrew Shaw and Dave Bolland.

Brandon Saad is projected to start Game 2 on the Blackhawks' top line.
Saad scored a goal in Chicago's 4-3 triple-overtime win on Wednesday and it looks like he's getting rewarded for his efforts. If the Friday practice lines prove to be accurate, he'll skate alongside Marian Hossa and Jonathan Toews.

Viktor Stalberg is projected to be a healthy scratch on Saturday.
Stalberg was also kept out of the lineup for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. He's scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and it will be interesting to see if Chicago attempts to re-sign him despite their decision to keep him out of these key games.

Daniel Carcillo isn't on the ice for Chicago's Friday morning skate.
Carcillo is expected to serve as a healthy scratch in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final. He hasn't played since May 18.

President Barack Obama is cheering on the Chicago Blackhawks.
Obama tweeted his support of the Blackhawks before Game 1. He was also in Boston on Wednesday and lightly teased Bruins fans by saying he would refrain from talking about the "the outstanding qualities of the Chicago Blackhawks" because "I don't want to make y'all feel bad."

Johnny Oduya ranks second in the NHL with 39 blocked shots in 18 playoff games.
When it came to blocked shots, the Boston Bruins cleanly beat the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. However, Oduya was among the most prolific shot blockers in the triple-overtime contest with seven credited to him. Oduya also has three goals and six points in the postseason.

Bryan Bickell is tied for third place on the playoff leaderboard with 64 hits.
Bickell tied for the team-high in hits in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final with nine. Chicago isn't the most physical of teams, but they were matching the Boston Bruins blow-for-blow in Game 1.

Marian Hossa didn't get much sleep after Chicago's triple-overtime victory on Wednesday.
After logging 34:18 minutes of playing time in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, Hossa didn't end up getting to sleep until 3 am. Unfortunately, he was also forced to wake up early. "I think my neighbor decided he was going to drill in the morning. That was unpleasant," Marian Hossa said. "You know, hopefully he's going to get his message for next time and he 
won't drill." Game 2 is scheduled for Saturday, so the Bruins and Blackhawks have plenty of time to rest after their grueling match.

Former NHL referee Kerry Fraser thinks the Blackhawks' Michael Handzus and Andrew Shaw were guilty of embellishment during Chicago's 4-3 triple-overtime triumph over the Boston Bruins in the first game of the Stanley Cup championship series on Wednesday night.
In his column for TSN.ca, Fraser writes: "In my judgment, both Michal Handzus and Andrew Shaw overreacted/embellished on the push from behind by Nathan Horton (interference) and Zdeno Chara (high-sticking), respectively. If selling of calls is allowed to continue, the floodgates will likely be opened up by both teams and detract from this terrific level of play." Fraser also criticized Boston's Brad Marchand. He writes that Marchand dragged his skate and took down Hawks goalie Corey Crawford "from behind in a slew-foot fashion. This is not the first time I have seen this player commit the same act in this playoff season (accidentally on purpose). I would advise both teams it will not be tolerated and the attacking player must give way no differently than on a defenceman that is backing into his zone at the blue line. A tripping or interference penalty should result."

Andrew Shaw attributed his game-winning, triple-overtime goal to "luck."
"The puck goes to the point, Rozsival gets a nice shot through (and) Bolland got his stick on it," Shaw explained. "I just happened to be going to the net wide (and) it kind of went off my leg into the net. An exciting moment. I think guys are just glad the game ended." Still, Chicago got that goal because Shaw put himself in the right place: in front of goaltender Tuukka Rask. So while he scored without actually taking a shot, the goal happened because he was making a smart decision as far as positioning goes.

Johnny Oduya scored a goal in Chicago's 4-3 triple-overtime victory in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.
It was Oduya's third goal of the playoffs, which matches his regular season production. His marker tied the game, which sent it into its marathon overtime stretch. He ended up logging 37:20 minutes of ice time in the victory.

Brandon Saad netted a goal in Chicago's 4-3 triple-overtime win on Wednesday.
Saad had 10 goals and 27 points in 46 regular season games during his rookie campaign. However, he had just four assists in 17 playoff contests, going into Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. "Hopefully I'm saving them for this round," said Saad prior to the contest. His marker aided the Blackhawks in their 4-3 triple-overtime win.

As expected, Brandon Bollig played in his first game since May 5 on Wednesday.
The Chicago Blackhawks inserted him into the lineup as a fourth liner for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. Bollig ended up tying the team-high for hits with nine. He also logged 14:24 minutes in Chicago's triple-overtime win.

Dave Bolland had a goal and an assist in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Bolland also had a plus-two rating in 28:21 minutes of ice time in Chicago's 4-3 triple-overtime victory. The Boston Bruins have a great shutdown defense, but it will be focused primarily on Chicago's top two lines. That puts the pressure on Chicago's third line to step up offensive to help fill the void and they were able to do that Wednesday night.

Duncan Keith played a game-high 48:40 minutes in Chicago's 4-3 triple-overtime victory over the Boston Bruins in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Keith has now averaged 27:03 minutes per game in the playoffs. Fortunately for him, Game 2 isn't until Saturday night, so he'll get a chance to recover.

Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews was singing Corey Crawford's praises after Chicago's triple-overtime win in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.
"You can't even put that into words. He made some unbelievable saves," Toews said. "You know you're going to need some big stops. One went off the posts there. A couple times we gave up a few too many chances off the rush. He was there every single time." The Boston Bruins had some great chances during the overtime periods and even a couple power plays. Although it wasn't a perfect night for Crawford, he kept the Blackhawks in this game and played a huge part in their Game 1 victory.

Corey Crawford made 51 saves in the Blackhawks' 4-3 triple-overtime win over the Bruins in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Things didn't look great for the Blackhawks, who went down 2-0 in the first and then 3-1 early in the second, but Crawford really kept his focus and rounded into form. The netminder got better as the game progressed, too, making 29 saves in the overtime frames, a time when it's easy to let fatigue take over. He has a 1.74 goals-against average and .935 save percentage in the postseason

Andrew Shaw deflected in the game-winning goal in the third overtime of Game 1 for the Blackhawks in their 4-3 win over the Bruins in the Stanley Cup Final
We really couldn't have asked for a better start to the Stanley Cup Final, with two stellar teams playing their best. Shaw's deflection was actually the second on Michal Rozsival's shot, as Dave Bolland also got a piece of it before it ticked off Shaw and beat Tuukka Rask. At that point in the game, it's the type of dirty goal you knew would be the difference, with the pace of the game slowing dramatically and the crispness worsening as well. Brandon Saad scored the Hawks' first goal in the second period. Boston went ahead 3-1 early in the third, but Dave Bolland and Johnny Oduya potted markers to even it in regulation. Marcus Kruger, Michael Frolik and Marian Hossa recorded the other helpers. It was the fifth-longest game in Stanley Cup Final history.

Marian Hossa has played in four of the last six Stanley Cup Finals.
Of course, he was a member of the Blackhawks' championship team in 2010. "Somebody said I was choosing good teams when I was a free agent," Hossa said. "But now I've signed long term. We have a great group of guys. We find a way after a couple years to go to the finals again." Hossa has seven goals and seven assists in 17 postseason contests this spring.

Brandon Bollig will be ramped up for his Game 1 appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals, but he knows that he has to stay disciplined.
The Blackhawks have confirmed that Bollig will play and Viktor Stalberg will sit Wednesday night, which will add some grit to their lineup. "We want him to play hard, smart, within the whistles and bring that element," said coach Joel Quenneville.

Andrew Shaw is looking forward to squaring off against fellow agitator Brad Marchand in the Stanley Cup Finals.
"We're both agitators. We both play physical and we're always chirping," Shaw said. "He's perfected it and that's what I'm trying to do to my game. We both walk a fine line and I've always looked up to him and admired him. It's going to be great to actually play against him once." Shaw has recorded four goals, seven points, 26 penalty minutes and 47 hits in the playoffs, while Marchand has four goals, 13 points, 16 penalty minutes and 14 hits. They probably won't be exchanging pleasantries once the games start.

Brandon Saad has thoroughly enjoyed the 2013 campaign and he feels fortunate to be playing for the Stanley Cup.
However, he is hoping to add some offense to help his team defeat the Boston Bruins. "Hopefully I'm saving them for this round,"said Saad, who has no goals and four assists in 17 postseason games. "You never know, but just come out flying, playing my game and I'll create chances." He is projected to start the contest on Chicago's third line with Dave Bolland and Andrew Shaw.

Viktor Stalberg still appears to be the odd man out heading into Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
Brandon Bollig skated on the fourth line at practice Wednesday morning, while Stalberg didn't have a spot among Chicago's projected combinations.

The Wings will look into signing Viktor Stalberg this offseason.
Stalberg had nine goals and 14 points in the regular season, but he has just three assists in 15 postseason games now. He was also benched for the first two games of the first-round series because he complained about not getting enough time on the power play, and he's likely to be a healthy scratch Wednesday. The Detroit Free Press' Helene St. James says that while the Wings don't like "me-first types," perhaps Stalberg "could fit in a locker room full of fellow Swedes." He's coming off a two-year, $1.75 million deal.

Bryan Bickell will be on the Red Wings' radar this offseason.
The Wings want to add a scorer and a top-six winger, which would be accomplished by adding Bickell, who has 13 points in the playoffs. Bickell, of course, will be highly sought after all over the NHL because he's a 27-year-old who has really burst onto the scene in the spotlight of the playoffs and he has a big 6-foot-4, 233-pound body. Stalberg has just three assists in 15 playoff games. He's due a hefty raise from his three-year, $1.625 million contract.

The Blackhawks should thank the Red Wings for helping them get this far in the playoffs.
The Wings held a 3-1 series lead, but Chicago fought back to win the series. It's a spell of games that really has helped toughen the Blackhawks. "We were able to get to the top of the league and stay there for most of the time," said captain Jonathan Toews of his Presidents Trophy-winning team. "(But) I don't think you get a chance to play for the Stanley Cup without going through moments like we have. You got to persevere. ... The feeling and the confidence that we got from coming back from that 3-1 deficit against Detroit, that gives you a lot of confidence."

The Blackhawks will aim to take down another goaltender playing at a high level.
After cooling off the Wings' Jimmy Howard and Kings' Jonathan Quick, the Blackhawks will now face the Bruins' Tuukka Rask, who has a 1.75 goals-against average and .943 save percentage in the playoffs. "It seems like every round we're talking about how the other guy's playing, and we can say the same thing for Rask," Patrick Sharp said. "Whether it's him making big saves or how well his team's playing in front of him, it's going to be tough to get quality scoring chances. When we do, we have to make sure we bury them. It's the same game plan as every other goalie, whether it's Howard or Quick: get to the net as best you can and try to beat them."

The Blackhawks used the 2010 Cup-winning team as the basis for their "rebuild."
The organization knew that team would be vastly different from the one it would put on the ice the next year due to a supporting cast decimated by the salary cap. We use "rebuild" loosely as the Hawks still made the playoffs in the following seasons, though the 2013 version has just eight players from the title-winning team. Still, it says a lot about general manager Stan Bowman's ability to put together a formidable group. "It'd be sort of disingenuous to say we had this guy to replace this guy (after the 2010 purge) - it wasn't that linear," Bowman said. "But yeah, when you have a blueprint that works, stick with it. We certainly have a style of hockey that we want to play."

Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman acknowledged that any moves his team makes from now on will get done with keeping in mind that Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane will need long-term deals very soon.
Toews and Kane both have contracts that expire after the 2014-15 season, and while Bowman was vague in answering about the team's plans this summer, he did say, they are "franchise players" and it remains a "singular focus for us" to plan for and expect to keep them around. Bowman said the two highly-skilled forwards "will be one of the constants going forward for the franchise." This isn't exactly groundbreaking news, but with the cap going down, planning becomes even more crucial for front offices.

Dave Bolland has been promoted to a third-line center role for Game 1.
That's how it looked in practice, at least, though things can change pretty quickly in the NHL. Blackhawks Coach Joel Quenneville is a line tinkerer and he moved Bolland up from the fourth line, and he'll now center Brandon Saad and Andrew Shaw.

Seeing the writing on the wall, Victor Stalberg isn't happy that he's probably sitting in Game 1 of the Cup Final.
Stalberg has three assists in 15 postseason games and practiced in an "extras" jersey on Tuesday. "It's tough, obviously, it's frustrating," Stalberg said. "It's frustrating from a personal standpoint. That's how it is sometimes. You're going to go through struggles, but at the same time, it's tough too when you're playing eight minutes a night to do something.

Brandon Bollig, who is likely to enter the lineup for Game 1 of the Cup Finals, will look to provide some extra sandpaper to the Hawks' game.
Bollig hasn't played since Game 3 of the first-round series against the Wild, but he skated on the fourth line in practice Tuesday. "That's definitely what it is if I do go in, because that's what I provide," Bollig said. "I provide physicality. I'm just looking to play my game and provide that presence. I'm just looking to play the same way and not change a thing." The Bruins are a straight-line, bang-bodies type of team and Bollig's addition should help Chicago combat. that.

Brandon Bollig may be reinserted into Chicago's lineup for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
Bollig wore a black jersey during the team's Tuesday session, which means he's probable to have a spot on one of the bottom two lines, while Viktor Stalberg was the odd man out. When coach Joel Quenneville was asked about the potential switch he said there was a "likelihood or probability it could happen." The change would add some toughness to the lineup at the cost of speed.

Joel Quenneville split up Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane at practice Tuesday.
Quenneville put his two stars together for Games 4 and 5 of the Western Conference finals and the duo combined for four goals and six points in the two games, both Hawks wins. On Tuesday, Toews centered Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa, while Kane skated with Bryan Bickell and Michal Handzus. Quenneville said he might split Kane and Toews against the Bruins because of matchups. "It could be," Quenneville said. "`It's balance and it's something we'll look at. Sometimes that can evolve over the course of a series. But that (matchup issue) might be one of the reasons." We'll have to wait and see what lines roll at Wednesday's morning skate.

Patrick Kane said he felt like the Chicago Blackhawks players owed the front office for keeping the team together last offseason.
The Blackhawks finished fifth in the West last season and then lost to the Coyotes in the first round of the playoffs. While that doesn't sound too bad, it came a year after they finished eighth in the conference and there was talk of full-on complacency after the young Hawks won the Stanley Cup in 2010. Kane and his teammates certainly delivered this, setting a home wins record right out of the gate despite the lockout and eventually clinching the No. 1 overall seed before reaching this season's Cup final. For his part, Kane led the team in goals (23), assists (32) and obviously points (55) in 47 games in the regular season. The former first overall pick also has six goals and 14 points in 17 playoff games.

Viktor Stalberg looks like the odd man out for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final Wednesday.
Stalberg practiced in a white jersey Tuesday, while Brandon Bollig skated in the normal black uniform as a fourth-line winger. Joel Quenneville said it's "possible" Bollig could replace Stalberg on Wednesday, which has become code this postseason for "that's going to happen." Stalberg found himself a health scratch during Games 1 and 2 of the series against Detroit, but has been fairly ordinary in the 15 games in which he's dressed.

Chicago Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman said the front office will "do everything we can" to re-sign Bryan Bickell.
Bickell is slated to be an unrestricted free agent this summer and will surely draw a ton of interest after he scored eight goals and 13 points in 17 playoff games. With the Stanley Cup final still to come, Bickell is likely to get a hefty raise, which could make things difficult for the Blackhawks. Bowman wouldn't speculate on whether Bickell needs to give the Blackhawks a "hometown discount," but it's unlikely Chicago can afford to get into a bidding war with the salary cap being lowered.

The leftovers from the Chicago Blackhawks' last Stanley Cup team are tutoring the newer players on what to expect on and off the ice in the final round.
Andrew Shaw and Brandon Saad both said they've talked to veterans about how to stay focused. "There are a lot of sideshows to everything, whether it's family wanting to come in or media. You do what you have to do, but you have to stay focused," Shaw said. "They've all told stories about how great it is to win the Cup, and it just makes you want to strive more and win it even more."

The Chicago Blackhawks recognize that scoring goals will be particularly hard against the Boston Bruins.
After all, the Bruins held the Pittsburgh Penguins to just two goals over four games in the Eastern Conference finals. "They're a great team defensively, especially," Brandon Saad said. "We're just going to have to be patient with it. We played a lot against Minnesota, they pride themselves on a defensive game too. But this is a whole other level. We're going to have to embrace the challenge." This figures to be a very close series with a lot of players on both sides that have built reputations as playoff heroes.

Corey Crawford has been terrific in the playoffs as he heads into the Stanley Cup Final.
Many pundits were looking at the Blackhawks goaltending as their weakness heading into the Stanley Cup playoffs but Crawford has quieted those who have questioned his goaltending with a strong performance. He has won 12 games while losing only five times with a 1.74 GAA and a .935 save percentage, all outstanding numbers. "He proved to everybody he's a great starter," teammate Marian Hossa said. "He battled through hard times last year, but this year he's come up so strong in the regular season and now in the playoffs. He's been unbelievable for us."

Duncan Keith was pleased that Jeff Carter was able to play after he struck him in the chin with his stick in Game 3.
Keith was suspended by the NHL for his indiscretion for Game 4 but came back in Game 5 to play over 40 minutes in the 4-3 double overtime win. "I talked to Jeff a little bit. I know him from the Team Canada camps, from playing against him a little bit," Keith said. "It was good to see him come back when he did. But, you know, I've got a lot of respect for a guy like that, for him, the way he plays, how hard he is to play against." Keith will now turn his attention towards the Boston Bruins as the Blackhawks look to win their second Cup in the last four seasons.

The Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins have never met in the Stanley Cup Final.
It's hard to believe that two original Six teams have not faced each other in the Cup Final but between 1944 and 1967 one of Toronto and Montreal (and sometimes both teams) were a Finalist every year with the exceptions of 1950 when Detroit defeated the Rangers, and 1961 when the Blackhawks beat the Red Wings. The NHL has to be thrilled with this matchup and Game 1 will begin Wednesday in Chicago.

Jonathan Toews had two assists, including setting up Patrick Kane's double overtime winner in Game 5 Saturday.
Toews has struggled offensively in the post-season with only one goal and nine points in 17 games but looked to be snapping out of it Saturday as he teamed up with Patrick Kane to lead the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup Final. Toews had three assists in the five game series. He was a lot better offensively in the regular season with 23 goals and 48 points in 47 games along with a plus-28 rating which was third best in the NHL.

Michal Rozsival picked up his first point in the playoffs as he set up Duncan Keith's first period goal Saturday.
Rozsival has one assist in 17 post-season playoff games and is plus-six after a 12 assist regular season with a plus-18 rating. Rozsival played 23:17 minutes in the double-overtime win Saturday after playing 25:28 minutes in Game 4 as he took over a bulk of the playing time of the suspended Duncan Keith. He averaged 14:34 minutes in the first three games of the Western Conference Final and should play as many minutes in the Cup Final barring injuries and overtime.

Marcus Kruger has been a big help on the penalty kill.
Kruger has teamed up nicely with Michael Frolik on the second penalty kill as the Blackhawks are the best in the NHL during the penalty kill with a 94.8 efficiency rating in the playoffs and have given up only one goal on the road while shorthanded in 28 opportunities while giving up two goals at home in 30 chances. The Bruins will have to do a lot better than that on the power play in the Stanley Cup Final if they hope to bring the Cup home.

Daniel Carcillo was a healthy scratch Saturday.
Carcillo did not play in the series against the Kings and has not suited up since May 18th against the Red Wings when he led Chicago in hits with seven. Carcillo has played only four games in the 2013 playoffs and may not get into a game in the Final against Boston unless coach Joel Quenneville feels Chicago needs to play a tougher game or injuries force his inclusion in the lineup. He has only an assist in four games this post-season after finding the back of the net twice and assisting once in 23 regular season games.

Bryan Bickell had two assists and a team-leading eight hits in the Blackhawks win on Saturday.
Bickell had a huge series against the Kings with three goals and seven points in five games, giving him eight goals and 13 points in 17 playoff games. He is now playing on the top line with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane and that has been a big boost to his offensive output. Bickell is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 5th and if the Blackhawks choose not to sign him, plenty of teams will be interested in the tough winger who had nine goals and 23 points in 47 games during the regular season.

Duncan Keith returned to action Saturday after a one game suspension and played over 40 minutes as the Blackhawks won the Western Conference Final in double overtime.
Keith was suspended for striking the Kings Jeff Carter in the chin with his stick. Keith opened the scoring with his second goal of the playoffs and managed to play 40:12 minutes in the victory. He has 11 points in the post-season thus far, to go with a plus-six rating and 14 penalty minutes.

Corey Crawford saved 33 of 36 shots in a 4-3 double-overtime win on Saturday.
Crawford allowed the game-tying goal in the dying seconds of the third period, but stopped 11 straight shots after that to help Chicago win Game 5 and advance to the Stanley Cup finals. Compared to Jonathan Quick, Crawford was regarded as the inferior goaltender going into this series, but the Blackhawks netminder really held his own. Overall in the playoffs, Crawford has been great and he's certainly made believers out of people with this run.

Patrick Kane had a hat trick in Chicago's 4-3 double-overtime victory Saturday night.
Just a few days ago, Chicago coach Joel Quenneville was talking about how he was looking for more out of Kane. He certainly got it tonight. Kane's third goal was the game-winner at 11:40 of the second overtime period. Duncan Keith scored the Blackhawks' other goal in his return from a one-game suspension. Bryan Bickell and Jonathan Toews each registered two assists for Chicago. With this victory, the Blackhawks have eliminated the Los Angeles Kings and have advanced to the Stanley Cup finals. Chicago will be going for their second Stanley Cup win in just four years.

AS Duncan Keith gets ready to rejoin the Blackhawks, he sidestepped questions about whether he agreed with his one-game suspension.
Keith was punished for striking Los Angeles' Jeff Carter in the chin with his stick. "It doesn't matter what my opinion is," Keith said. "Like I said (after Game 3), I didn't mean to get him where I got him. I know it doesn't look good. But I'm glad he's back playing for them. It doesn't matter what my opinion on the suspension was." The Blackhawks have an opportunity to eliminate the Kings in Game 5 on Saturday.

Patrick Kane wants the Chicago Blackhawks to treat Saturday's contest as Game 7.
Chicago will get three chances to eliminate the Los Angeles Kings, but each time they fail, they'll have to travel from Chicago to Los Angeles or vice versa. "It's not a fun travel day to do all of that so, if anything, that should be motivation to not go through that again," Kane said. If Chicago advances, travel will be less of an issue against the Boston Bruins.

Dave Bolland thinks the current Chicago Blackhawks are better than the 2009-2010 version.
That's when the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup and they certainly have a chance to repeat this year. As was the case in 2010, the Blackhawks are a deep and talented team. However, their efforts in the 2013 regular season set them apart. While Chicago was great in the 2009-10 regular season, the 2013 Blackhawks went on a historic run early in the campaign and ended up with a fantastic 36-7-5 record. They can advance to the Stanley Cup finals with a win Saturday night.

Chicago will get a boost in Game 5 of the Western Conference final series from the return of its top defenseman, Duncan Keith, who missed Game 4 because of a one-game suspension for high-sticking Kings center Jeff Carter in the face.
Los Angeles coach Darryl Sutter, however, said Keith's absence didn't hurt the Hawks at all. "When Duncan was suspended, it really doesn't hurt their team," Sutter said. "He's a great player, but it doesn't really hurt their team because the way their team is set up, they just add five minutes on the four other defensemen." Chicago managed to put a tight grip on the series without Keith and despite a shaky outing in the early going by his replacement, Sheldon Brookbank, who was on the ice for both Kings goals.

Chicago coach Joel Quenneville doesn't think the Blackhawks would have a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference final over the Los Angeles Kings right now were it not for contributions from second-line center Michal Handzus.
The Hawks initially acquired the veteran in midseason to help on faceoffs but he's been much more than that in the postseason. He's been a top-six forward. He's been a consistent No. 2 center after Dave Bolland was injured. Handzus may not have been the obvious choice, but he's been the right one for this team and part of the reason Chicago can clinch a spot in the Stanley Cup Final with a victory Saturday in Game 5 at United Center (8 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, RDS). "He's that kind of guy," Quenneville said of Handzus. "He's low-key, kind of quiet about his disposition. Him and [teammate Marian Hossa] have a history, good friends from home, played on different teams together. He played for Chicago before [and] was comfortable coming back here. He's one of those guys that fits in seamlessly, very aware of what his role is, what the expectations are, fulfilling anything that can contribute to the team's success. That's basically how he's gone about his business."

Defenseman Michal Rozsival said he told Patrick Kane during the first intermission of Game 4 in the Western Conference final Thursday night that he would end his scoring drought with a goal.
"Every time he was out there it seemed he had the puck. You could see the energy in him, the way he was skating and controlling the play," Rozsival said. "I'm glad he (got that goal) and it's great to see him scoring. He's the guy we definitely need to be successful." Kane has been struggling, and his second-period goal against the LA Kings Thursday snapped a seven-game skid without one. It was also one of several signs that Kane was getting closer to being Kane again. "Kaner wanted the puck, he had it early and had it a lot," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "He was dangerous off the rush and took shots through screens. It was nice to see him score as well."

The Chicago Blackhawks anticipate an intense, relentless effort from the Los Angeles Kings in Game 5 tonight of the Western Confernce final series.
The Hawks lead the best-of-seven series 3-1 but as Chicago defenseman Johnny Oduya said: "The other team faces elimination and that's when they'll fight the hardest. We had that (in the Hawks' previous series against the Detroit Red Wings), and that's when we woke up. By no means do you look at it any other way than that, knowing you have to play the best you can."

Flashy he isn't, but defenseman Michal Rozsival quietly has been a key to the Chicago Blackhawks' success in the postseason.
Rozsival is a plus-5 in the postseason for the Hawks, who lead Los Angeles 3-1 in the Western Conference final and would go on to meet the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup championship series with a win over the Kings today. Rozsival's playing time increased in Game 4 because of the suspension to top Chicago d-man Duncan Keith and he did well. "He's been tremendous the whole year," said Chicago d-man Johnny Oduya, who was paired with Rozsival in Game 4. "We have good depth, a lot of guys who can play those minutes. And he's a skill guy who's smart with the puck and makes plays. He's obviously a veteran; he's been around for some time and just showed (Thursday), when you give him that opportunity, he steps up and he played a great game."

Bryan Bickell is on a three-game goal scoring streak.
Bickell has really stepped up in the playoffs and in the Western Conference finals in particular. He's moved into a tie for second place in the NHL with eight playoff goals. He's scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and is likely to earn a big raise compared to his current annual cap hit of $541,667.

Sheldon Brookbank made his 2013 playoff debut on Thursday.
Brookbank was inserted into the lineup because of Duncan Keith's one-game suspension. Unfortunately, things didn't go well for him. Brookbank ended up logging just 6:50 minutes and had a minus-two rating. With Keith eligible to return for Game 5, Brookbank is likely to return to the press box.

Patrick Kane ended his goal scoring drought on Thursday.
Kane hadn't found the back of the net since May 20 before he scored a key goal late in the second period. That sparked Chicago's turnaround in a 3-2 victory over Los Angeles in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals. Before the game, Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said he was "looking for a little more" from Kane. He got it.

Brent Seabrook was impressed with how the Blackhawks stepped up without Duncan Keith.
"We talked about it all season, especially in the playoffs: our team game, team defense is what's been doing such a great job and Crow in the net making big saves," said Seabrook, referring to goaltender Corey Crawford. "When our forwards come back the way they are it makes it easier for us. We're just trying to get back there quick and get outlet passes for our forwards to go with the puck." Seabrook had a plus-one rating, three hits, and three blocked shots in Chicago's 3-2 victory. He also logged a team-high 26:20 minutes of playing time.

Michal Rozsival logged 25:28 minutes in Chicago's 3-2 victory in Game 4.
That represents a roughly 10 minute increase in playing time compared to Game 3. The cause was obviously Duncan Keith's one-game suspension, which forced the rest of Chicago's blueliners to step up. "We're not about individuals. The whole team has been pulling on the same rope all season," Rozsival. "It's great to see all the guys contributing, even if we're missing a guy like Duncs. But it's important to have him back." Keith is eligible to return for Game 5.

Niklas Hjalmarsson had two assists in a 3-2 victory Thursday.
Hjalmarsson also logged a playoffs-high 24:57 minutes to help fill the void created by Duncan Keith's suspension. Hjalmarsson was impressed by the Blackhawks play after establishing a 3-2 lead at 1:10 of the third period. "We chipped pucks down and the puck just went to their end pretty quick, so we didn't have to play much in our end," Hjalmarsson said. "We had a lot of confidence there." They limited the Kings to just two shots in the third period.