May 17--ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The wait is almost over.
While in a holding pattern awaiting the start of the Western Conference finals, the Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks on Saturday held their final practices prior to Game 1 on Sunday afternoon at the Honda Center.
The Hawks haven't played since dispatching the Minnesota Wild in Game 4 of the second round May 7.
"This time of year you take the rest when you can to heal the body and get geared up for the next series but I think think was a little longer than we'd all want to wish for," Hawks winger Patrick Sharp said. "Having said that, I think we're prepared. We had a good week of practice. We're healthy and ready to go for Game 1."
The Ducks have experienced their own layoff as they completed their second-round series against the Calgary Flames last Sunday.
"It's been a long time coming," Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf said. "It was much needed that you have time to rest your body. We've gone through the last three days of preparation, now we're just waiting for (Sunday)."
The Hawks held a five-on-five scrimmage during their practice while the Ducks ramped up the physicality during theirs.
"That's pretty much the norm of what we've been doing, especially since the playoffs have started," Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler said. "We have a good formula that we've been kind of going by. (Saturday) was another part of that. I think the big reason why we've had some success is because how we've been practicing has carried over into the games. That's really important, especially when you have six, seven days off. It might be easy to kind of sit back and relax for a second.
"The good thing about our group is we continue to push each other in practice," Fowler added. "That just means that we're getting prepared, getting ready for a good challenge on Sunday."
