CHICAGO _ As Lionel Richie once sang, Sunday morning is easy, and that's how it felt inside the United Center for the Blackhawks' final home game of the regular season.
It was carefree on and off the ice, even a little nonchalant in the first period. The lack of tension was palpable, the decibel level never rose above uncomfortable, and Sunday's game seemed like it was a good way for fans to have a few drinks before the Cubs came on.
The result mattered more to the Bruins, who came away with a 3-2 victory as they try to secure a playoff spot in a tight Eastern Conference race. The Bruins opened a 2-0 lead in the first period thanks to goals from Ryan Spooner and Patrice Bergeron, then put away the pressing Hawks late with a goal from Kevan Miller.
The Hawks, meanwhile, started like a team that had clinched the top seed in the Western Conference a day earlier. They picked up their play as the game progressed and finished with a commendable 43 shots on goal.
Perhaps the Hawks can be forgiven for their uneven, easy Sunday since they have little to play for before the playoffs begin.
The next time they take the ice at the United Center, it won't feel like this. The music will be pumping, the drama will be compelling and the invective will be flying from the 300 level.
Clinching home ice early gives coach Joel Quenneville more wiggle room this week when it comes to resting players and toying with line combinations.
"You go in with the best possible lineup," Quenneville said. "The score dictates some of the decisions you make and the way the game's being played. You go into it with a balanced approach, knowing you want to make sure everyone's getting some ice time and you get to see how the lines are playing. ... Going into the game and forecasting that, we play it a little by ear."
Quenneville did a little tinkering, mixing up his top two defensive pairings. He put Duncan Keith back with Brent Seabrook for stretches while Niklas Hjalmarsson was with Johnny Oduya. Quenneville had paired Keith with Hjalmarsson and Seabrook with Oduya for the last few weeks.
"That's just because we were chasing and trying to get a more offensive group together," Quenneville said.
But perhaps it's a sign of how Quenneville might use them in the playoffs.
The Hawks have three road games left before the postseason begins, and Quenneville did not rule out giving some of his veterans a game or two off. He said he would manage ice time for his veterans, although the indefatigable Keith still played 25 minutes, 54 seconds, 14 seconds above his average.
"We're trying to play four lines, trying to roll everyone into the game," Quenneville said. "The nice thing is we've had that consistency the last two games (before Sunday). That's the motivation right now, playing the right way defensively, trying to get four lines going and trying to get some balance in ice time."
The Hawks' fourth line scored when rookie John Hayden made a heady pass to Jordin Tootoo, who scored his second goal of the season. Artemi Panarin scored his 29th goal in the second period.
It wasn't enough for a win, but it didn't matter all that much.
