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CHICAGO -- The Chicago Blackhawks recorded five total hits against the Minnesota Wild when they met in the regular season on April 9.

Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw, alone, had seven hits against the Wild in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Tuesday. As a team, the Blackhawks had 40 hits, four more than the Wild.

The Blackhawks may not have been the most physical team during the regular season, but they’re out to prove differently now the playoffs have arrived.

“I think it goes up a notch for everybody,” Blackhawks defenseman Johnny Oduya said. “You’re trying to wear the opposition down as much as you can. Every little thing you do in a series, in the end you’re going to benefit from doing it. I think it goes for us and the other team, too. They’re trying to do the same thing.”

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CHICAGO -- When Minnesota Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom left the ice with an injury before the game started, Chicago Blackhawks fans probably expected an easy win over backup goalie Josh Harding.

Maybe the Blackhawks did, too.

The last time the Hawks faced Harding on Jan. 30, he was pulled from the game after two goals in the first seven minutes. Harding, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the fall, hasn't started a game since then, and played only twice.

But this is the playoffs, after all, and in the NHL it's often hard to tell the seeds apart, let alone the dominant goaltenders (read: Corey Crawford) from the benchwarmers.

That's why everyone loves the Stanley Cup playoffs. The game begins with a goalie change and ends with Bryan Bickell celebrating an overtime goal.

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CHICAGO -- Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville wasn’t pleased with forward Bryan Bickell after a shift during the third period Tuesday, and Bickell heard all about it when he returned to the bench.

Bickell sat there and accepted the criticism. He knew he’d get another chance on the ice and planned to redeem himself.

“I know Q wasn’t happy with me on one shift in the third and gave me a little wrist slap, but he threw me back out there,” Bickell said. “He has confidence in our line and knows what we can do.”

Bickell and the third line rewarded that confidence by putting together the game-winning goal, which was finished by Bickell, to defeat the Minnesota Wild 2-1 in overtime in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.

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CHICAGO -- Here’s a quick look at the Chicago Blackhawks' 2-1 overtime win over the Minnesota Wild at the United Center on Tuesday in Game 1 of the Western Conference quarterfinals.

How it happened: Blackhawks forward Bryan Bickell continued to be a playoff star as he scored the game-winner in overtime off a pass from Viktor Stalberg. It was Bickell’s fifth playoff goal in the past three seasons. The eighth-seeded Wild initially shocked the sold-out Blackhawks crowd by scoring on their first shot of the game. The Wild went ahead 1-0 when Cal Clutterbuck beat Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford from the left circle at 4:48 of the first period. Crawford bounced back from the early goal and stopped the Wild’s next 26 shots. The Blackhawks evened the game at 1-1 when Patrick Kane dished the puck off to Marian Hossa on the rush, and Hossa finished from the left circle at 2:06 of the second period. Wild goaltender Josh Harding replaced Niklas Backstrom as the team’s starter just before the game. Harding, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis earlier this year, played in five games during the regular season. He made 36 saves.

Player of the game: Harding stepped up in a difficult situation. He hadn’t started since Jan. 30 and found out just before Tuesday’s game he was going to have to replace Backstrom. In his last start, which also happened to be against the Blackhawks, he allowed two goals on four shots and was pulled from the game.

What it means: The Blackhawks and Wild played in some tight games during the regular season, and that carried over into their first game of the playoffs. Two of the teams’ three regular-season games were decided by one goal. Both were also two of the top teams in the league in one-goal games. The Blackhawks were 19-3-5 in one-goal games in the regular season, and the Wild were 13-5-3. The Wild proved they’re not going to allow the Blackhawks to roll through the first round. The Wild kept themselves in the game most of the night by getting in the way of the Blackhawks’ shots. The Wild blocked 21 shots. The Blackhawks played in five overtime games in the first round last season and two in the opening round in 2011. Eight of the Blackhawks’ last nine playoff games dating back to 2011 have gone to overtime.

What’s next: Game 2 of the series will be held in Chicago on Friday. The series will then move to Minnesota for the following two games.

CHICAGO -- Chicago Blackhawks forward Bryan Bickell tweeted at 6:30 a.m Tuesday, "This is where boys turn into men playoff time. #gameone."

Bickell was sharing with his 29,000-plus followers his excitement for Tuesday's Game 1 of the Blackhawks-Minnesota Wild series, but his tweet was also in a way a message to himself. Bickell has excelled in the playoffs the past two seasons, and he's out to do so again this year.

Bickell has scored as many goals as any Blackhawks player in the playoffs in the past two seasons. With four goals, he's tied for the team lead with Michael Frolik, Duncan Keith and Patrick Sharp. Bickell scored two goals in six games in the 2012 playoffs and had two goals and two assists in seven games in the 2011 playoffs.

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CHICAGO -- In a season where Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane hasn’t had the luxury of skating with consistent linemates, he has been more consistent than anyone offensively on the Blackhawks. His linemates have often changed from game to game, but he’s continued to rack up points and still ranks among the league’s leaders in goals and assists.

“I’ve always been a guy who doesn’t think it matters who you play with,” said Kane, who leads the Blackhawks and is tied for fourth in the NHL with 51 points. “I think as long as you’re working hard, you’re supporting each other, trying to make the right plays and simple plays, you’re going to have success. That’s what I’ve tried to stress to either one of my linemates.”

Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville’s plan entering the season was utilize Kane alongside Patrick Sharp and Dave Bolland on the second line. Quenneville has been able to execute that plan in just 18 games. Because of various injuries, Sharp and Bolland have combined to miss 28 games.

In their place, Quenneville has mixed and matched a variety of linemates with Kane. Kane has started games with 10 different pairings and skated with nine different players on the second line.

Aside from the 18 games with Bolland and Sharp, Kane has started nine games with Bolland and Jimmy Hayes, seven games with Sharp and Marcus Kruger, three games with Bolland and Kruger, two games with Kruger and Daniel Carcillo, one game with Bolland and Michael Frolik, one game with Bolland and Carcillo, one game with Bolland and Bryan Bickell, one game with Sharp and Andrew Shaw and one game with Bolland and Viktor Stalberg.

Despite all the changes, Kane’s play hasn’t fluctuated. He’s recorded a point in 33 of his 44 games this season. He once went three games without a point and once two games. Other than that, he’s bounced back six times with a point after not having one the game before.

Kane has had two eight-game point streaks and another of five games. He had 10 points in seven games in January, 14 points in 13 games in February, 18 points in 14 games in March and currently has nine points in 10 games in April. He started April off slow, but has registered five points in his last three games.

“I think there’s been some injuries obviously to both of my linemates,” said Kane, who has 21 goals and 30 assists. “There’s been certain guys who have played well in those roles, certain guys I have kind of clicked off with. I know it’s changed a little bit, but for me, personally, just try to work hard, find my game where it was at the beginning of the season and get back to that level.”

Quenneville has been impressed with Kane from the start of the season to the end of it. Quenneville recently said he thought Kane and Jonathan Toews were worthy of Hart Memorial Trophy consideration.

“I think all year long he’s been productive,” Quenneville said of Kane last week. “That line has a lot of different looks on it be it your centerman, be it your left winger. He’s played [with] some different [lines.] He keeps doing his thing.

“It seems like he’s got the puck a lot. He’s a threat. He gives the opponent something to be concerned about when he’s on the ice. When you got that 1-2 punch [in lines,] I think that makes us a different type of team.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- His spotless record might be in the past, but Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Ray Emery returned to the form he displayed throughout his 12-0-0 start to the 2013 season in Chicago’s 1-0 win over the Nashville Predators on Saturday.

Emery made 20 saves, stood tall in the face of a frenetic final sequence and melted down the Predators’ best scoring chances with a handful of big stops on his way to his second shutout of the season.

“Rock solid, he did what he had to do,” Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. “I thought he was in control around the net. Against that team, there’s a lot of scrambles, a lot of loose stuff. They create traffic, and I thought he found pucks and froze them and looked very big.”

Emery faced only five shots in the first period, but a handful of defensive lapses opened up opportunities for Nashville in the second and third. In the opening minutes of the second period, he stopped David Legwand’s backhand from the slot after defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson was stripped in his own end. Less than two minutes later, he stayed deep in his net to deny Nick Spaling’s open look from the top of the crease with a glove save.

Then in the final 90 seconds of the third period, he turned away all comers with the Nashville net empty and an extra attacker on the ice.

“That’s a tough team to play against,” Emery said. “We got the lead, I thought we did a great job of keeping that lead and playing well defensively, we got a few chances and made some big saves, and we were able to just keep that one-goal lead and win with it.”

Playing in his first game since a 2-1 loss to Anaheim on March 29, Emery’s goals-against average dropped to 1.95 with the shutout.

“He was a wall back there,” Bryan Bickell said. “He was our best penalty-killer, and in the late part of the game, he was there. They had some tight chances, but Ray Ray said no, and I think we were happy to get the shutout for him and go back home with the two points.”

NASHVILLE -- Here's a quick look at the Chicago Blackhawks’ 1-0 win over the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena on Saturday afternoon.

How it happened: The Blackhawks jumped out to an early lead when Bryan Bickell fired home his seventh goal of the season at 5:31 of the first period. From then on, both offenses tightened up and struggled to put away their scoring chances. Daniel Carcillo took a 4-minute minor for high-sticking a 7:58 of the third period, but the Blackhawks killed it off without incident. Blackhawks goalie Ray Emery made 20 saves, and Predators goalie Pekka Rinne made 29 saves.

Player of the game: Emery withstood the Predators’ frantic pressure late in the game and recorded his second shutout of the season, pushing his record to 13-1-0.

What it means: If the Blackhawks get a similar effort from Michal Handzus the rest of the way, they’ll be more than satisfied with their primary trade deadline move. Handzus set up the lone goal and logged 15:00 of ice time in his second game with the team. Pending a few results from later on Saturday, the Blackhawks kept alive their opportunity to become the first team to clinch a playoff berth this season on Saturday. If the Edmonton Oilers lose in regulation and the Phoenix Coyotes lose in overtime or regulation, the Hawks are in.

What’s next: Both teams will head to Chicago for the back end of a home-and-home on Sunday evening, the teams’ third meeting this week. The Blackhawks are now 3-0 against the Predators this season.

CHICAGO -- If Chicago Blackhawks forward Bryan Bickell had his choice between hitting or scoring, he would always opt to nail an opponent against the boards.

Bickell can’t help that. That’s just who he is.

“You know I’m a big guy,” the 6-foot-4, 233-pound Bickell said recently. “I like to bang and have some fun on the boards and get the fans into it, which gets me into the game, too.”

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CHICAGO -- Here’s a quick look at the Chicago Blackhawks' 5-3 win over the Minnesota Wild at the United Center on Tuesday.


How it happened: The Wild scored first, but the Blackhawks responded with four first-period goals. Blackhawks rookie forward Brandon Saad scored the team’s first goal and assisted on two more in the period. Bryan Bickell scored twice in the period, and Marian Hossa netted the fourth goal. Hossa was honored before the game for recently reaching 1,000 career regular-season games. The Wild made it interesting in the third period by scoring twice and pulling within a goal with less than 10 minutes left. Patrick Kane put the Blackhawks back ahead by two goals with his 12th goal of the season. Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford improved to 11-0-3.

Player(s) of the game: Bickell and Saad share this honor. Bickell had his first two-goal regular-season game. Saad had his first three-point performance. With four points in March so far, Saad has matched his total in January and February combined.

What it means: The Blackhawks won their 10th straight game, a franchise record, and extended their NHL-record points streak to start a season to 23 games. They also have an overall points streak of 29 regular-season games, which dates back to last season. They moved ahead of the 1977-78 Montreal Canadiens, who had a 28-game streak, and now trail only the 1979-80 Philadelphia Flyers’ 35-game streak. The Blackhawks are now 20-0-3 with an NHL-best 43 points on the season.

What’s next: The Blackhawks play the Colorado Avalanche for the first time this season. It’s the only Western Conference team the Blackhawks haven’t faced. The Blackhawks play the Avalanche in Chicago on Wednesday and in Colorado on Friday.

CHICAGO -- Here’s a quick look at the Chicago Blackhawks' 4-3 overtime win over the Columbus Blue Jackets at the United Center on Friday.

How it happened: Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook scored the game winner off a pass from Jonathan Toews in overtime. The Blue Jackets tied the game at 3-3 when Ryan Johansen scored with 7:37 remaining in the third period. The Blackhawks scored consecutive goals within 59 seconds in the second period. Patrick Sharp scored the first on a backhanded shot from the left circle at 17:20, and Bryan Bickell followed up by scoring at 18:19. Viktor Stalberg had the Blackhawks’ other goal in the first period. Chicago goaltender Ray Emery improved to 9-0-0 on the season.

Player of the game: Bickell had a goal and five hits in the win.

What it means: The Blackhawks extended their NHL record points streak to start a season to 21 games. They also have an overall points streak of 27 regular-season games, which dates back to last season. They rank behind the 1977-78 Montreal Canadiens (28 games) and the 1979-80 Philadelphia Flyers (35 games). Chicago is now 18-0-3 with an NHL-best 39 points on the season. The Blackhawks had their 200th consecutive sellout at the United Center.

What’s next: The Blackhawks travel to face the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday. The Blackhawks won their first meeting 2-1 in overtime in Chicago on Jan. 27.

Here's a quick look at the Chicago Blackhawks' 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday.

How it happened: The Blackhawks looked sluggish early and fell behind 1-0 in the first period, but they came alive as the game wore on. They evened the score at 1-1 when Dave Bolland knocked in a rebound off a Patrick Kane shot at 17:54 of the first period. Bryan Bickell put the Blackhawks ahead when he redirected a slap shot by Niklas Hjalmarsson into the net. Jonathan Toews also added a third-period goal. Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford didn't face a lot of shots, but he did his job. He made 24 saves and improved to 4-0-0 on the year. The game did include some controversy as a Blue Jackets' goal was disallowed in the second period when it was ruled a Blue Jackets' player had interfered with Crawford. It appeared on the replay that the goal should have counted.

Player of the game: Kane is off to a stellar start to the season and he continued it Saturday. He recorded assists on the Blackhawks' final two goals. He now has nine points in the Blackhawks' first five games. That's more points than he had in any five-game span last season.

What it means: The Blackhawks matched their best start to a season in franchise history with their fifth consecutive win. The Blackhawks also began the 1971-1972 season with five wins. The Blackhawks have won eight consecutive games against the Blue Jackets. The Blackhawks' victory Saturday looked a lot like their other wins this season. They continued their offensive consistency. They've scored in all but one period this season. Their penalty kill was also strong again. The Blue Jackets were 0-for-4 on the power play.

What's next: The Blackhawks return home to face the Detroit Red Wings at the United Center at 6 p.m. on Sunday. It's the Blackhawks' last home game until Feb. 12. They'll play six consecutive road games after Sunday.

CHICAGO -- Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp found the easiest part of Wednesday’s simulated game day to be the hardest.

With everything from a morning skate, to wearing a suit to the United Center, to a three-period game placed on his schedule, Sharp actually struggled most with the time slot made for a nap on Wednesday

“It was a little different trying to lay down and have a nap,” Sharp said. “Baby schedule: I’m up all day with my daughter. It felt kind of weird laying down. I didn’t (sleep). I laid there and watched TV. I watched a college hockey game. I couldn’t quite fall asleep, so I was a little tired out there. All in all, I felt my conditioning was great. Right when I got off the ice, I was ready to go back. That’s a good sign.”

All in all, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville also thought Wednesday’s scrimmage, which resulted in the Red Team defeating the White Team, 3-2, went well for everyone.

“I thought the guys worked hard,” Quenneville said. “Whether it’s conditioning. Whether it’s your thought process in the course of a game. Got some exposure to [power play] and [penalty kill] and to situational things.

“A lot of things you might simulate in practice, and you get exposure to it all of a sudden, whether it’s an icing play that you got to remember, ‘Oh, I got to go back and touch that.’ It’s good to get that out there.”

The opening period was a bit of a trial period for some players. As much as the Blackhawks have held informal practices during the lockout and tried to simulate game play this past week in practice, a true game was a different animal.

“It was a bit of a wake-up call in the first period,” said Blackhawks forward Daniel Carcillo, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in January 2012. “The pace, the energy, playing in a hockey game is different than just skating hard in practice, even doing lines and lines. The physicality, the positioning and your reactions to certain things, it all needs to be driven back. It was nice to see all that again tonight.

“I felt terrible in the first [period]. As the second came on, it’s like, ‘Ok.’ It was a lot better, and the third was even better.”

Sharp felt everyone played better as the game progressed. That was especially true of the Red Team, which featured the team’s top three lines. After going down 2-0 in the first period, the Red Team struck back with goals by Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews in the second period to tie the game. Sharp fed Kane for his goal.

“It’s always nice to have a goal or two,” Sharp said. “I was able to be out there for a couple. I know no one is keeping stats or anything, but, personally, getting some goals and assists early always pays off down the road.”

Of the goals, Ray Emery allowed two and Corey Crawford gave up three. Quenneville had positive things to say about the play of both of them.

“I thought [Crawford] got better as the game went on, looked outstanding at the critical times in the game and did a really good job in the shootout," Quenneville said. “And Ray was really good. Ray had some high-quality chances in the game and he looked solid.”

Bryan Bickell scored on a rebound off a shot by Nick Leddy in the third period to provide the game winner for the Red Team.

Jimmy Hayes and Marcus Kruger scored in the first period for the White Team.

The Chicago Blackhawks announced their training camp roster on Sunday, and it included 15 forwards, nine defensemen and two goaltenders.

Twenty-three of the 26 players on the training roster played for the Blackhawks last season. The Blackhawks acquired defensemen Sheldon Brookbank and Michal Rozsival as free agents in the offseason and defenseman Ryan Stanton played for the Rockford IceHogs last season.

The Blackhawks will begin practice at Johnny’s IceHouse West in Chicago at noon on Sunday. The practice is open to the public.

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CHICAGO -- Chicago Blackhawks forward Bryan Bickell was expecting the NHL lockout to last at most a month when he decided to play in the Austrian Hockey League.

That month turned into 113 days, but he believes ultimately that worked out in his favor.

Bickell was back in Chicago on Friday and practiced with his Blackhawks teammates at Johnny's IceHouse West. He admitted it was different playing on a larger ice rink, living in a small town in the Czech Republic and having very few people to speak with in English, but he believes he benefited from the experience.

"Being over three months, I thought (the lockout) was going to be over in a month," said the 26-year-old Bickell, who believes his skating especially improved overseas. "But you know what? It worked out the best for me. I think for my career me going over there helped me a lot because this is my contract year. Just to have the edge to come into the season. It was nice to be over there. I'm happy to be back."

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