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CHICAGO -- Chicago Blackhawks forward Marcus Kruger found himself in an unfamiliar spot during Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinal series against the Detroit Red Wings.

Normally, Kruger receives advice and motivation from Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews in the locker room. But on Wednesday, Kruger was the one dishing out the encouragement.

"I told him the same thing [as he tells me] -- go to the net, get a dirty one," Kruger said on Thursday.

It didn't work out for Toews, who hasn't scored a goal in six playoff games, but Kruger scored for a second time in the playoffs when he retrieved a loose puck in the slot and flung it into the net with a backhanded shot. The goal put the Blackhawks up two goals in the third period and helped secure a 4-1 win.

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CHICAGO -- The last time the Chicago Blackhawks were on the winning side of a playoff series they were lifting the Stanley Cup over their heads.

Following that glory in 2010, the Blackhawks endured the agony of being bounced from the first round the past two seasons -- first by the Vancouver Canucks and then the Phoenix Coyotes.

While the Blackhawks arranged themselves with much higher goals again by beginning the season on a 24-game points streak and capturing the Presidents' Trophy, they never forgot that feeling of consecutive first-round defeats. So when the Blackhawks finally moved beyond the Western Conference quarterfinals with a 4-1 series win over the Minnesota Wild on Thursday, they didn't downplay the significance of it.

"It feels good," Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews said. "We worked hard all season to get to this point. Nothing is for sure. Whether you're the first or eighth seed, it doesn't really matter. You got to go out there and work hard to get out of that first round. We did that, too."

The Blackhawks defeated the Wild 5-1 in Game 5 Thursday and took the entire series by doing what they did throughout the regular season to be the NHL's premier team.

• After proving himself in the regular season, Corey Crawford showed he could be a big-game goaltender in the playoffs as well. He stopped 132 of 139 shots and had a 1.32 goals-against average in the series.

"It's a good feeling knowing you have a rock in net back there," Patrick Sharp said.

• The Blackhawks' penalty kill shut out the Wild on all 17 of their power-play opportunities in the series.

• The Blackhawks received contributions from everywhere. They scored two goals on the power play. Marian Hossa on the top line scored three goals and dished out three assists. Sharp and Patrick Kane on the second line combined for five goals and six assists. Bryan Bickell on the third line had three goals. Michael Frolik and Marcus Kruger on the fourth line combined for three goals.

"It's been there all year,” Kane said of the team's depth. "Really no surprise when a new guy steps up."

• The Blackhawks' defense held the Wild to seven goals over five games. No Wild player scored more than one goal. Mikko Koivu had no points in the series. Zach Parise had just one goal.

"I think this series we can probably talk about our defense more than anybody as far as getting the attention it's deserved," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "Different nights some guys score, some lines are more productive offensively, but at the end of the day our consistency was one of our strengths this year."

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.

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Patrick Sharp and Corey Crawford will deservedly receive plenty of recognition for their individual performances in the Chicago Blackhawks' 3-0 win over the Minnesota in Game 4 on Tuesday.

Sharp scored the goals, and Crawford stopped them.

But while Sharp and Crawford’s performances will be celebrated, 11 Blackhawks will likely go unnoticed -- at least by their individual names -- for their major contribution to Tuesday’s win. Those 11 Blackhawks comprise the team’s penalty-kill unit.

On Tuesday, the Blackhawks’ Duncan Keith, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Marcus Kruger, Jonathan Toews, Brandon Saad, Michal Handzus, Johnny Oduya, Michal Rozsival, Marian Hossa, Michael Frolik and Brent Seabrook all assisted to hold the Wild scoreless on six power-play chances. The penalty kill hasn’t allowed a goal in 15 power plays in the series.

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CHICAGO -- Chicago Blackhawks forward Michael Frolik knows all too well what it’s like to not have luck on his side, which is why he embraced the luck he received Friday like a long-lost relative.

Frolik was nearly as active offensively as any of the Blackhawks’ stars throughout the regular season. He was tied for fifth on the team with 98 shots on goal. But unlike those top-tier players, Frolik wasn’t as fortunate to finish his chances. He was tied for 12th with three goals and had the lowest shooting percentage (3.1) among players who had scored.

On Friday, that all changed for Frolik. While he might have found a post or a goaltender’s pad during the regular season, his shots finally found the inside of the net. He scored twice, both on rebounds, to help lift the Blackhawks to a 5-2 win over the Minnesota Wild in Game 2 of their first-round series.

“The first one was a pretty lucky bounce, and I just tried to go to the net,” Frolik, who had a goal in the first and second periods, said. “The puck came to me. I didn’t have much of those lucky bounces [during the regular season], so I’m glad I have it tonight. The second goal was a good play by [Duncan Keith] and he just put it back in there, and it came to me again and [I] just shot it.”

Frolik has followed a similar pattern for the Blackhawks the past three seasons, in which he’s struggled to score in the regular season and then come through in the postseason. He had three goals in 28 regular-season games in the 2010-11 season and then scored twice in seven playoff games. Last season, he had five goals in 63 regular-season games and then scored two goals in four playoff games. He now has six goals in 13 career playoff games.

Frolik couldn’t explain why he’s been able to find the net regularly in the playoffs and not in the regular season.

“It’s hard to say like that,” Frolik said. "I don’t really know what it is. I would be happy to have it in the season, too. But I just try not to think about it and just go there and play the game. I got a few lucky bounces tonight, and I’m glad they went in.

“Obviously, always when you score a few goals, the confidence goes a little higher. Hopefully, it’ll help me in the next few games and I can build on it.”

Frolik’s teammates were happy for him, too.

“That’s the third year in the playoffs he’s been able to step up and score key goals for us,” Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp said. “He’s a great athlete. He’s in great shape. He works hard, makes the most of his minutes. You can see the bench get excited when he puts those in.”

CHICAGO -- Here’s a quick look at the Chicago Blackhawks’ 5-2 win over the Minnesota Wild in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series at the United Center on Friday.

How it happened: The Blackhawks came out the aggressors on Friday, unlike in Game 1. After compiling just six shots on goal in the first period on Tuesday, Chicago surpassed that number within the game’s first six minutes on Friday. The Blackhawks’ steady attack first paid off when Andrew Shaw put a shot on net and Michael Frolik knocked in the rebound at 8:34 of the first period. Frolik continued with the hot stick in the second period and added a short-handed goal to put the Blackhawks ahead 2-0. The Wild’s Devin Setoguchi pulled his team within a goal later in the second period, but Patrick Sharp gave the Blackhawks some breathing room again with an early third-period goal. Sharp added his second goal when Patrick Kane delivered a spinning, no-look pass to him in front of the net later in the period. Blackhawks forward Bryan Bickell scored an empty-net goal in the game’s final seconds. Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford made 26 saves. Wild goaltender Josh Harding made 43 saves in the loss.

Player of the game: Frolik hasn’t had the best of luck converting chances in the regular season the past few seasons, but that seems to change every postseason. He now has six goals in 13 career playoff games. He’s had eight regular-season goals in the past two seasons.

What it means: The Blackhawks took a 2-0 advantage in the best-of-seven series and are in good shape as the series moves to Minnesota for the next two games. The Blackhawks took control of the game early by placing shot after shot on net. The Wild were still able to block 21 shots, but it didn’t matter with the 48 shots Chicago still got through to the net. The Blackhawks haven’t allowed a power-play goal in six chances this series.

What’s next: Game 3 of the series will be held in Minnesota on Sunday.

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.”

DETROIT -- Life without forward Marian Hossa has been a bit rocky of late for the Chicago Blackhawks.

Sunday afternoon in Detroit, it got a little more tolerable.

Chicago’s newly formed top line of Brandon Saad, Jonathan Toews and Michael Frolik combined for seven points -- three goals and four assists -- and finished a plus-9 in the Blackhawks’ 7-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena.

“That line was good,” Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said.

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CHICAGO -- The Chicago Blackhawks had valid excuses for their first three regulation losses. There wasn’t one for Monday’s.

Their first two losses came in the final games of a seven-game, 11-day span, and exhaustion was an acceptable reason for defeat. Those losses also allowed followed a 24-game points streak, so no one really cared. Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville also shrugged off last week’s 4-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks because it was at the end of a four-game road trip.

But when the Blackhawks fell 5-4 to the Los Angeles Kings at the United Center on Monday, there wasn’t a justifiable excuse other than the Blackhawks had been outplayed on their home ice.

“We’re going into the game, and it’s a dangerous game for us,” Quenneville said. “(The Kings) getting shut out two games in a row, they’re going to be hungry, they’re going to try to get the scrappy goals they got. But we didn’t respond to the challenge that was there tonight. I was disappointed with how we played and what we gave them.”

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CHICAGO -- Here’s a quick look at the Los Angeles Kings' 5-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center on Monday.

How it happened: The Kings broke a 4-4 tie when Dustin Brown scored with 1:27 left in the third period. The Blackhawks went ahead 4-3 early in third period on a goal by Jonathan Toews, but Tyler Toffoli tied it for the Kings at 8:06. The Blackhawks’ other goals were scored by Michael Frolik (2) and Patrick Kane. The Kings’ three other goals were scored by Anze Kopitar, Jarret Stoll and Dwight King. Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford allowed five goals and made 31 saves.

Player of the game: Frolik hadn’t scored since the season opener, which also happened to be against the Kings.

What it means: The Blackhawks fell to 25-4-3 with the loss. The Kings improved to 18-12-2. The Kings had been shut out in their previous two games.

What’s next: The Blackhawks are back at it on Tuesday when they host the Calgary Flames. The Blackhawks defeated the Flames 3-2 in a shootout on Feb. 2.

CHICAGO -- Chicago Blackhawks forward Michael Frolik's numbers probably don’t suggest he warrants a chance on the team’s top line beside Jonathan Toews and Brandon Saad.

Frolik has scored just once this season, and that goal came in the first period in the season opener. He’s been shut out ever since.

But when Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville chose to replace injured forward Marian Hossa with Frolik on the first line during Sunday’s practice, he looked beyond the numbers and focused in on Frolik’s actual play.

“(Frolik) has been playing well,” Quenneville said after Sunday’s practice at the United Center. “The (fourth) line has been effective for us. I think for Fro an opportunity to play up a couple spots … Let’s see how he does.

“I think he’s been good. His play overall has been very consistent. He doesn’t have the production to reflect how well he’s been playing. He’s been effective on our penalty killing, that niche with him and (Marcus Kruger) has been in place. But 5-on-5, that line on the last trip was very efficient in a lot of ways, a lot of offensive zone time.”

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CHICAGO -- Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Steve Montador has been activated, but will not play against the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.

The Blackhawks assigned forward Brandon Bollig to the Rockford IceHogs on Wednesday and will now carry eight defensemen.

"Defense is a position where you love depth," Quenneville said. "I think this year we've utilized all six in the lineup over the course of a game where everybody gets more minutes than maybe in the past, a little bit more shared minutes. I think the more you get, the better you're going to play.

"I think the first seven (defensemen) we're playing to date are playing extremely well. To have to sit one out right now is always a tough decision. They're deserving of playing. We'll see with (Montador) working his way in is something we'll measure."

Montador hasn't played in a game since March 27. He missed time on two occasions due to head injuries last season. He had five goals, nine assists and a plus/minus rating of plus-4 in 52 games last season.

Montador signed a four-year, $11 million contract with the Blackhawks in June of 2011. He has played 571 career NHL games.

Quenneville said goaltender Ray Emery will start against the Avalanche. Emery is 9-0-0 with a 2.02 goals-against average and .926 save percentage.

Forward Michael Frolik will miss his second consecutive game because of the flu. Quenneville is uncertain if Frolik will travel to Colorado for Friday's game.

CHICAGO -- Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson recently described the penalty kill this season as one seeking “revenge” against opponents’ power plays.

The Blackhawks’ penalty kill wasn’t something the team was proud of last season. They ranked 27th in the league with a 78.1 penalty-kill percentage and allowed 51 goals on 233 short-handed chances. It was sometimes embarrassing as opponents scored multiple power-play goals in nine games, including five by the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 6, 2011.

Heading into this season, the Blackhawks understood their penalty kill had to improve if they were going to improve. Through 17 games, it has, and they have.

The Blackhawks can attribute their record-setting 14-0-3 start to the season to plenty of factors, but none has been more important than their penalty-kill success. The Blackhawks rank third with an 88.7 penalty-kill percentage and have given up seven goals on 62 chances this season.

After the Blackhawks set the NHL record for consecutive points to start a season with Friday’s 2-1 win over the San Jose Sharks -- a game that included a Blackhawks’ short-handed goal and killing off all four power plays -- coach Joel Quenneville proudly spoke of how far his penalty kill has come in a season.

“Special teams on a lot of nights can be the difference,” Quenneville said. “[Friday], definitely, you can say the key factor was our PK. Everybody takes a part of that, goaltending as well. But it was certainly an area we wanted to make sure we improved upon this year, and the guys have been very diligent in doing the right thing.”

The Blackhawks’ penalty kill has especially been vital because they’ve played in so many close games. One goal has decided 11 of their 17 games. A power-play goal here or there and the Blackhawks could have seen their streak stopped anywhere in the season’s first five weeks.

They weren't as fortunate last season. Chicago allowed 13 power-play goals on 53 chances for a 75.5 percent penalty-kill rate last season through 17 games.

“There’s a lot of things, probably a combination of things, that have helped,” Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith said. “I think getting key contributions from a lot of different players has helped. When you have that depth, everything is easy. It doesn’t come down to one or two guys. It’s a group effort; it’s a team effort.”

Defensemen Keith, Hjalmarsson, Brent Seabrook and Johnny Oduya and forwards Jonathan Toews, Dave Bolland, Patrick Sharp, Marcus Kruger, Michael Frolik and Marian Hossa have all been essential on the penalty kill. Rookie Brandon Saad has also been given more time on it recently, and he scored the team’s first short-handed goal of the season Friday.

Kruger and Frolik, who also play together on the fourth line, have been penalty-kill superstars this season.

“Certainly Kruges and Fro carved out a niche for us,” Quenneville said. "That's helped us in other areas as well."

The Blackhawks’ penalty kill has also proved more important this season because they’ve been allowing opponents more power plays. Chicago allowed an average of 2.8 power plays a game last season, and that’s up to 3.7 this season.

Chicago is bouncing back on the penalty kill after allowing a power-play goal. Just once this year has an opponent scored more than one power-play goal. Opponents have been shut out on the power play in 11 games.

All in all, Hjalmarsson feels like the Blackhawks have turned a weakness from last season into a strength.

“Just being in shooting lanes, having a good structure, get pucks out, goaltending has been unbelievable so far -- it’s a lot of elements that affect the penalty kill,” Hjalmarsson said. “If you have a good specials team, it’s going to win a lot of games for you during a season. So far, it’s been [going] really well. Hopefully, we can keep it rolling.”

CHICAGO -- Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville was asked recently if he could compare this year’s team, which is off to the best start in franchise history, and his Stanley Cup-winning team in 2009-10.

Quenneville wouldn’t bite on the question. He answered by saying the two teams were different in their respective ways, not wanting to set the bar too high just yet for this year’s team. But Quenneville was willing to admit the one similarity he found was with both teams he was comfortable putting any line out on the ice at any time.

The Blackhawks currently stand atop the NHL with a 12-0-3 record and are one game away from tying the league’s record of 16 consecutive games with a point to start a season. There are a multitude of reasons for their early success, and depth has been one of them.

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The Chicago Blackhawks finally lost for the first time of the 2013 season on Wednesday.

It was likely a relief to some.

With Wednesday’s 3-2 road shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild, the Blackhawks can put aside all of the talk that comes with a winning streak, especially one to begin a season.

There’s no more discussion of how long the streak will last and when their first loss will come. It has arrived, and it’s time to move on.

The 2013 team did put itself into the record books by becoming the first in franchise history to win six consecutive games to start a season. But the Blackhawks can now focus on what’s truly important: trying to get into that same record book for winning another Stanley Cup.

While the wins added up over the past week and a half, they were secondary to what the Blackhawks were really showing the NHL. With each penalty killed off, successful power play, Corey Crawford save, Marian Hossa goal, Patrick Kane assist and so on down the line, the Blackhawks were proving to the league they might just have what it takes to be a Stanley Cup contender again.

What the Blackhawks must do now is find ways over the remaining 41 regular-season games to be consistent in those areas. Winning steaks will come and go in the NHL, but consistent play is what prevails -- at least in the regular season.

Even in Wednesday’s loss, the Blackhawks were nearly on par with how they’ve played most of the season and were just a goal away from pulling off another victory. Despite the shootout loss, they still took a point out of Minnesota and upped their total to a NHL-best 13 points.

“That’s a great start,” Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews said. “The best thing about that is we’re doing a great job of putting the last game behind us and getting ready for the next one. That’s what we got to keep doing: Keep it one game at a time.”

The Blackhawks’ penalty kill has to be the most impressive aspect to their season’s start. Last season, the penalty kill was near the bottom of the league. Now it’s the reason why the Blackhawks have had a chance to win every game so far. A lot of players deserve credit for that early success, but Michael Frolik and Marcus Kruger have noticeably stepped up.

The penalty kill units were clicking again on Wednesday. The Blackhawks killed off all four Wild power plays, including one during which Kruger, Johnny Oduya and Niklas Hjalmarsson were on the ice for 1:23 to battle off a five-on-three chance. They also killed off in the final three minutes of the third period.

All together, the Blackhawks have given up just one power-play goal on 27 opportunities this season.

“If we happen to be going to the box every once in a while, we have a lot of confidence if the game is on the line we can get the job done,” Toews said of the penalty kill.

The Blackhawks’ power play has also turned itself around this season. It was shut out on two power-play chances Wednesday, but the Blackhawks are still among the league leaders with seven power-play goals.

Crawford’s play also stood out again on Wednesday. He allowed the first goal only after the Wild took three consecutive shots on him, and the second one was off a redirected shot. He was sharp otherwise and made one highlight-worthy save during the 5-on-3 penalty kill, during which he threw his body at a shot and the puck deflected off his shoulder.

If anything, the Blackhawks would like to score more often. They were held to two goals the past two games and haven’t scored more than three goals since their second game of the season.

The Blackhawks’ attention will quickly turn to facing the Vancouver Canucks on Friday. With five more road games ahead of them, the Blackhawks are aware their great start can be equalized with a rocky two weeks away from home.

“We’re on a long road trip now,” Toews said. “Can’t look too far ahead. We especially can’t get satisfied if we win a game or two.

“We’ve put ourselves in a good spot at the top of the standings after seven games. We got to make it even tougher for team to catch us, I guess.”