May 08--ST. PAUL, Minn. -- After the Blackhawks completed their sweep of the Minnesota Wild on Thursday, winger Patrick Sharp said there was certainly some excitement in the dressing room.
But Sharp admitted it wasn't as raucous as it was in previous years. That's because advancing this far in the playoffs is something the Hawks are accustomed to this time of year.
"A little more reserved than years past but the guys felt good about it," Sharp said. "We appreciate how hard it is to win a playoff series, to beat a team like Minnesota. We're proud of the accomplishment to get out of our division, I think it's a pretty tough division to play in. We can't wait to get back to the conference finals and try to win another series."
This marks the fifth time in seven seasons the Hawks have reached the conference finals, an accomplishment that's not lost on the Hawks.
"It just shows that we like playing at this time of year," winger Patrick Kane said. "It's the best time of year to play. When you think of the playoffs and going through the whole process ... it is fun for us and we get excited. We have great fans at our backs. The weather gets a little nicer. The city of Chicago starts buzzing a little bit. It is just a fun city to play in."
Now the Hawks will sit back and watch the Ducks-Flames series to see who they will play in the conference finals. Anaheim leads 2-1 heading into Friday night's game in Calgary. Kane said there was no preference regarding whom they would play.
"I don't' think you take too much information or scouting reports right now," Kane said. "Just watch the games as a fan and see what happens."
chine@tribpub.com
