June 02--First round: Blackhawks 4, Predators 2
After Hawks goaltender Corey Crawford allowed three goals in the first period of Game 1, coach Joel Quenneville turned to Scott Darling, who made 42 saves as the Hawks came back to win in double overtime. After Crawford struggled again in a Game 2 loss, Darling took over and guided the Hawks to a 3-2 series lead. In between, the Hawks won a triple-overtime thriller in Game 4 at the United Center. The goaltending situation came full circle when Crawford replaced Darling in Game 6 after Darling allowed three first-period goals. The Hawks won the series clincher 4-3, and Crawford hasn't left the net since.
Second round: Blackhawks 4, Wild 0
In what's becoming an annual ritual, the Hawks ran into the Wild, who were determined to finally defeat the Hawks after the Hawks ended their season the last two seasons. It didn't quite work out that way. The Hawks took care of business in the first two games at the United Center. Crawford pitched a shutout in Game 3 at the Xcel Energy Center as the Hawks rode a Patrick Kane power-play goal to a 1-0 victory. With the Wild on the ropes, the Hawks didn't let them come back, finishing off the series with a 4-3 victory in Game 4 after withstanding a late Wild charge. The Hawks earned nine days off by finishing the series so quickly.
Western Conference finals: Blackhawks 4, Ducks 3
Throughout the series, the physical Ducks made a big deal about wearing down the Hawks should the series last six or seven games. They got to test their theory after taking a 3-2 series lead in an overtime thriller in Game 5 at the Honda Center. However, the Hawks were hardly done. They dominated the next 120 minutes of hockey. In Game 6 at the United Center, the Hawks scored three consecutive goals in the second period en route to a 5-2 victory. With the series returning to Anaheim for Game 7, the Ducks faced the prospect of losing a Game 7 at home for the third consecutive season. The Hawks took advantage of the Ducks' perilous psychological state and used two first-period goals by Jonathan Toews to score a 5-3 victory and reach the Stanley Cup Final for the third time in six years.
