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CHICAGO -- As dire as it looks for the Chicago Blackhawks, it would be foolish to count them out of their playoff series with the Detroit Red Wings even though they're behind 3-1 in the series.

And it would be very foolish to count them out of Game 5 on Saturday night at the United Center.

You might not think it, but Thursday's Game 4 gave hope for a comeback in the series. The Hawks are slowly climbing back up the ladder after bottoming out in their Game 2 loss. In fact, Chicago outplayed Detroit in many areas Thursday, except for with the man advantage, of course.

"We're doing the right things," captain Jonathan Toews said Friday afternoon after an optional practice. "We're working hard, we're battling for each other. It just takes one shot. That's what we're looking for."

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It's getting close to do-or-die time for the Chicago Blackhawks. Down 2-1 in their playoff series with the Detroit Red Wings, they have to play better collectively and as individuals.

Contrary to some beliefs, Jonathan Toews isn't playing all that bad. His only problem is that pucks aren't going in for him, but he's getting his chances and he's still playing productive hockey. There are other players (or coaches) who need to step up far more than the captain.

Here are four:

Dave Bolland: There are basically two ways to assess a player's performance: by watching if he's a positive influence on the ice and his statistics. Bolland is passing neither test right now. Inserted into the lineup after the first round, he's been disappointing so far. He has zero points and is minus-2 in the first three games while accumulating 10 minutes in penalties. His role is a little different in this postseason than in the past but when asked to play shutdown defense or more of an offensive role -- as he was in Game 3 -- Bolland has come up short. His game is to annoy but it's only worked on the referees so far. The Hawks need more from him.

Brent Seabrook: He's been a minus player in each of the first three games of the series although he does have 10 shots on goal. But that minus-4 isn't going to cut it. The move by Gustav Nyquist to open the scoring in Game 3 was a good one but Seabrook is paid to kill that play any way possible. He's played less than 20 minutes in each game of the series so far after averaging 22 during the regular season. He and his partner, Nick Leddy, have struggled but we expect more from Seabrook, the Olympic champion and former Stanley Cup winner.

Corey Crawford: Crawford hasn't played downright bad but he can step it up too. Simply stated, he's been outplayed by his counterpart, Jimmy Howard. Howard made a good save on Brandon Saad when he cut across the middle in Game 3, not unlike the move Nyquist made. But Nyquist scored on his. Pavel Datsyuk had great placement on goal No. 3 on Monday but that's because Crawford went down early giving Datsyuk the upper half of the net. It's hard to constitute any goal as a softy but to say a few have been save-able would be an understatement.

Joel Quenneville: Wings coach Mike Babcock has been winning the cat and mouse game with his counterpart so far. Quenneville might have to get creative. He's probably one more loss away from switching goalies just to shake things up but there's still more he can do now. Move Patrick Sharp back to center and let Viktor Stalberg "run" with him and Patrick Kane. Sharp was at center for the Stanley Cup team in 2010 and the situation calls for it to happen again. That trio would get the Hawks to play faster because they need to. And Quenneville needs to reign in Andrew Shaw a little. Shaw is playing just over the edge putting the Hawks in a tough spot whether it's killing his penalties or having to get past a controversial goalie interference call.

CHICAGO -- So we have a series.

That was in question after Game 1, in which the Chicago Blackhawks dominated the Detroit Red Wings in their best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal, just as they had in the regular season. But the only thing similar from that game to Game 2 was the final score, 4-1. This time the Red Wings dominated.

“We knew they were going to come back and play much better than Game 1, and obviously we didn’t quite match the effort,” Hawks captain Jonathan Toews said.

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CHICAGO -- As the individual awards start to finally roll in for the Chicago Blackhawks -- Patrick Kane was announced a finalist for the Lady Byng on Thursday -- there's at least one more that should garner Hawks attention.

Coach Joel Quenneville ought to get serious consideration for the Jack Adams Award given out annually to the league's top coach.

It seems like a no-brainer he would get the nod when the league makes the announcement of its three finalists on Friday, but that's not always the case for the coach of the NHL's best team. Voters like the underdogs who produce when least expected. It's why Ottawa Senators coach Paul MacLean is the favorite to win the award.

Considering where the Hawks were a year ago to where they are now, up 1-0 on the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference semifinals, Quenneville should get recognition. As Hawks television analyst Eddie Olczyk put it, Quenneville has done a "masterful" job this season. Juxtaposed with the year he had last season it makes the Hawks turnaround even better.

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CHICAGO -- Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp is always changing the labels that describe his game.

He’s mostly known as a deadly accurate goal scorer. But at the start of this season, he was a playmaker more than anything else. People may have wondered when the goals were going to come.

Then came Round 1 of the postseason, when he tallied five times in five games against the Minnesota Wild. The Sharp shooter was back. But after his game Wednesday night against the Detroit Red Wings, maybe the only label Sharp should have is: good hockey player.

“I don’t care who scores or who gets the assists,” Sharp said after getting a goal and two helpers in the Hawks 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series. “It’s all the same.”

“You guys were beating up on me at the start of the year when I wasn’t scoring. I was getting assists,” he said. “Now you’re telling me I’m great, because I’m scoring and not getting assists. It doesn’t matter who scores.”

No, it doesn’t, as long as someone does.

It took a while for the Hawks to get going on Wednesday, considering they had been off nearly a week and “the building was hot and legs were a little stiff,” as Sharp put it.

They began to find their groove after Sharp helped put them on the scoreboard in the first period. He pinched at the blue line, stealing a puck and starting the sequence that ended with a Marian Hossa goal.

“I was able to get it off [Brendan Smith’s] stick, then Johnny [Toews] and Hoss made a great play,” Sharp said.

But it was the awareness of Sharp -- realizing Smith had his head down -- that allowed him to quickly steal the puck and make a play. Isn’t awareness what makes the great ones great?

“Those guys know where the puck is; they know where their opportunities lie and their instincts offensively are used in the right way,” Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said when asked about Sharp. “Playing the team game reinforces that.

“Tonight was a good reflection of that.”

Sharp wasn’t done.

With the score tied 1-1 in the third period, he again found himself along the boards in the offensive zone. In a flash he fed defenseman Johnny Oduya, who had the best look of the night at goalie Jimmy Howard. The Hawks never looked back after that tally, which proved to be the game winner.

“Before the puck even came down to me, I saw Johnny break through,” Sharp said.

Awareness, again. Oduya knew he didn’t need to call for the puck.

“He saw me right away,” Oduya explained. “He’s a great passer, so usually you don’t have to call for it when you’re that open, so it worked out.”

Hossa also was impressed with Sharp on the play: “He had his head up the whole time, and Johnny did the rest.”

Battling an injury that shortened his regular season, Sharp had six goals and 14 assists. He then reversed those numbers in Round 1 of the playoffs, with five tallies and a helper. After assisting twice on Wednesday, he added an empty netter.

So what is Sharp?

“Sharpie is special,” Hossa said. “He knows how to play this game. He always has.”

Finally, a description that fits.

CHICAGO -- Chicago Blackhawks forward Viktor Stalberg has been benched for Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinal series against the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night.

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CHICAGO -- If you're wondering what Chicago Blackhawks center Dave Bolland brings to the team as he gets set to make his 2013 postseason debut Wednesday night when the Hawks take on the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference semifinals, then you probably haven't watched the Hawks in the playoffs over the years.

Known as "The Rat," Bolland is a pest. The good kind, if you’re a Blackhawks fan. Some players raise their game come spring; Bolland is one of them.

"Bolly usually takes his game to that playoff level of intensity," coach Joel Quenneville said Tuesday. "He's been a very effective guy for us in the playoffs or come playoff time."

Bolland has made his reputation in the postseason, starting with the Hawks' Stanley Cup run in 2010. Arguably, he had as good a defensive performance by a forward as any in recent hockey history. In Rounds 2 through 4, he was asked to defend eventual Hart Trophy winner Henrik Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks, 89-point producer Joe Thornton of the San Jose Sharks and 31-goal scorer that season Mike Richards. The results?

In 16 games when Bolland played against those three stars, they tallied nine points and were a combined minus-16. Of course Bolland didn't do it by himself, but by anyone's account he pestered them into playing below their abilities. That's as good as it gets.

"He's pretty gritty and kind of chippy in these series, in the playoffs," Patrick Kane said. "He adds offense. He can play on the second, third line, penalty kill, power play, so he does a lot of different things."

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CHICAGO -- If the Chicago Blackhawks and Minnesota Wild didn’t provide enough storylines for you in the opening round of the playoffs, don’t worry, Round 2 will have plenty. The Hawks don’t know yet whether they’ll be playing the San Jose Sharks or Detroit Red Wings -- that will be determined in the coming days -- but in either case, the matchup will be a juicy one.

As much as the Red Wings and Hawks have a storied rivalry, the better series might be with the Sharks. Consider this: It’ll be the first time in the postseason the Hawks oppose players who helped them win a Stanley Cup in 2010, including goaltender Antti Niemi. Niemi and Corey Crawford were teammates in the minors, but Niemi left the organization in a controversial salary dispute after winning the Cup. And now he could face his former team in a win-or-go-home scenario. The talkative Adam Burish also plays for San Jose, and although injured, he said in a text Thursday night that he’s going to do “everything I can to get back” for the potential series.

But the storylines don’t end there. Captains Jonathan Toews and “Jumbo” Joe Thornton have a budding rivalry. Although friendly through their experience in the Olympics in 2010, they haven’t been the best of friends on the ice since. Thornton was responsible for a concussion Toews received in 2012 that caused him to miss the final 21 regular-season games. Then Toews and Thornton dropped the gloves in a game earlier this season.

“They have a great team over there,” Patrick Sharp said. “Since I’ve been in Chicago, it seems like it’s been a hard-fought game. Detroit, the same thing. It’s going to be a tough second round.”

Adding another layer to the potential drama is the Sharks' trade this season for notorious bad boy winger Raffi Torres. Playing for the Phoenix Coyotes last season, Torres was suspended after a vicious -- and illegal -- hit on Marian Hossa that knocked him out of the playoffs. Torres also has a history with Brent Seabrook after a dirty hit laid on him in the 2011 playoffs when Torres played for the Vancouver Canucks.

And don’t forget the in-season trade the two teams made as the Hawks acquired Michal Handzus from San Jose earlier this year.

A matchup with Detroit isn’t void of storylines, either. Not when the two teams have played 798 total games against each other, including 15 previous postseason matchups. Most recently, the Wings knocked the Hawks out of the playoffs in 2009 en route to the Stanley Cup finals. And this is the last season the two teams will be in the same division, as next season's realignment will separate them for the first time in the history of the league.

“Without a doubt, it’s going to get tougher and tougher,” Toews said. “So we have to know that, and we’ll talk about it before we go into the next series.”

Either opponent would have plenty of motivation, as the Hawks swept the season series from each, going a perfect 7-0. If Anaheim wins its series over Detroit -- the Ducks are up 3-2 with Game 6 on Friday -- the Hawks take on the Sharks. If Detroit comes back to win, it’ll be the Hawks and Wings in Round 2. Either way, the conference semifinals won’t lack for drama.

CHICAGO -- He has heard chants of his name from a crowd before, but never as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks. So when the sold-out United Center began screaming "Cor-ey, Cor-ey," on Thursday night, Hawks netminder Corey Crawford took notice.

"Twenty-two thousand people chanting that?" Crawford said, smiling after the series-clinching 5-1 win over the Minnesota Wild. "Maybe caught a couple seconds of it. It felt good to have our crowd behind me."

That wasn't always the case for Crawford, but after a stellar regular season Crawford played even better in Round 1 of the postseason. The first seven minutes of Thursday's game illustrated his play for the series. He made a flurry of saves, some of them sprawled on his back. And it kept the Hawks in the contest.

"One of the most underrated goalies in the league in my opinion," forward Patrick Sharp said.

Of all starting goalies in the playoffs, Crawford leads with a goals-against average of 1.32 and save percentage of .950. That's a far cry from last postseason, when he ranked 17th and 16th in those categories en route to a 4-2 series loss to the Phoenix Coyotes. He was maligned by fans and blamed for the quick exit. A year later he has his first postseason series victory.

"It feels great," Crawford said. "It does feel really good right now."

And his teammates know how much it means to him. They were there for the boos, and now experienced the chants of his name along with him.

"That definitely felt good, not just for him but also for us," Marian Hossa said.

It was pointed out to Crawford that the same fans who booed him a year ago were probably cheering him on Thursday -- and he's just fine with it.

"That's professional sports," he said. "Fans want to see you at your best and they definitely hold us accountable at times here. We love our fans."

And they love him now too.

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Blackhawks are trying not to look ahead. A win on Thursday night over the Minnesota Wild vaults the Hawks into Round 2 of the postseason and a possible matchup with the San Jose Sharks.

The Sharks wrapped up their opening series against the Vancouver Canucks in four games and are getting rest.

"We haven't been talking about it at all," defenseman Brent Seabrook said. "We're just focused on tonight and getting a win."

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CHICAGO -- The Minnesota Wild will start Josh Harding in goal in Thursday' critical Game 5 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series against the Chicago Blackhawks, coach Mike Yeo said.

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Chicago Blackhawks center Micahel Frolik talks to ESPN Chicago's Jesse Rogers about his role in killing penalties during their playoff series against the Minnesota Wild.

The Wild are 0-15 on the power play in four games and captain Jonathan Toews recently credited Frolik and Marcus Kruger for leading the way. Frolik has two goals in the series, including one short-handed tally in Game 2.

CHICAGO -- It's been a knock on the Chicago Blackhawks going back to the year they won the Stanley Cup: They're not tough enough, they don't throw their body around enough, and yes, they don't drop the gloves enough.

That last critique has little to do with winning a title, and the other two matter everywhere but the stat sheet. The Hawks have been outhit 133 to 98 in their series with the Minnesota Wild but lead 3-1. They were outhit 20-10 on Tuesday but won the game handily, 3-0. In fact, their 98 hits is the least of any playoff team, including four that have played one fewer game.

"I feel like our team can play a number of different ways," Patrick Sharp said after Tuesday's game. "People want to make a big deal of the hits. That's fine. We've won a physical game before. We've won a lot of games with our speed and playmaking ability, so whatever the type of game there is, I feel confident in our guys."

That's the mark of a championship team: winning in different ways. The NHL calls for it especially over the course of the postseason, which lasts for two months. Some games will be tightly contested, others more wide open. The Hawks have proved they can play both ways. That has something to do with their goaltending as well.

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The question after the Chicago Blackhawks' Game 3 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Sunday is did the Hawks just let them back into the series down only 2-1 now?

The answer is probably not.

There are many perspectives to take, of course, but seeing the Wild play their best and only squeak out a 3-2 overtime victory leaves the glass half-full for the Hawks. In other words, the Wild delivered their best punch and barely won the fight.

"They played like they had to win and we didn't," coach Joel Quenneville said after the game.

Makes sense, considering that was situation facing both teams entering the day.

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CHICAGO -- With the luxury of a 2-0 series lead over the Minnesota Wild, Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville declared injured players Ray Emery and Dave Bolland out for Sunday afternoon's Game 3.

“We’re going to rule them out tomorrow but they skated today and we’ll get a better indication going forward,” Quenneville said Saturday before boarding the team flight.

In the 2011 postseason, Bolland was suffering the effects of a concussion and missed the first three games of a series with the Vancouver Canucks; the Hawks dropped all three contests. He returned for Game 4 and the series ended up going seven games, with Bolland playing a large part in the comeback. They aren’t in as desperate a situation this time around.

“When they say they’re ready then we’ll gauge it from that,” Quenneville said. “Sometimes you have to be smart but we’ll see.”

Both Emery and Bolland are suffering from lower body injuries. Bolland hasn’t played since leaving a game against the Canucks on April 22. Emery has missed the last four games.