Chicago Blackhawks looking for a little elbow room against Kings
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The Chicago Blackhawks need some space, if you don’t mind.
They’ve been feeling a bit suffocated of late and would not mind one bit if the Kings stepped back and gave them room to breathe in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals on Thursday night.
“They’re a great defensive team,” winger Marian Hossa said. “You’re not going to find too much open area.”
Chicago found enough to win the first and second games of the series, but the Kings responded with more energy in Game 3 at Staples Center on Tuesday night. Blackhawks Coach Joel Quenneville says the playoffs can be like that.
“Teams are well-prepared for what they’re trying to prevent,” he said. “You’re playing against top guys that know how to defend.”
Hossa and others vowed to match the Kings’ intensity from the start on Thursday. Bryan Bickell, who scored his team’s only goal in Game 3, believes the Blackhawks should get back to what made them successful earlier in the series.
“We were going to the net for second and third opportunities,” he said. “We need to bring that at the start of the game.”
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