Blackhawks' Top Line Ready for Breakout Game

PHILADELPHIA -- Captain Serious' line has been similarly understated as his Chicago Blackhawks earned victories in the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final.

Center Jonathan Toews is a minus -2 and doesn't have a point as the best-of-seven series against the Philadelphia Flyers shifts to the Wachovia Center for Game 3 Wednesday night. Winger Dustin Byfuglien does have an assist, but he's a minus-2, and linemate Patrick Kane has been blanked and sits at a minus-3.

"We know the offense is going to come," Toews said after the morning skate. "Obviously, the last couple games, it worked out for the team where we didn't need to score to win, but we know we want to come up big in one of the games here."

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Six different Blackhawks have scored in the Blackhawks' one-goal victories over the Flyers, wins that Toews said helps cushion his line's mini-slump.

"The easy thing to do is get frustrated. We are not going to do that."
-- Jonathan Toews "As a team, we won most of those little battles that have helped us win those games," Toews said. "As a line, we are going to keep getting better and we are going to break through and get chances. The easy thing to do is to get frustrated. We are not going to do that."

The job gets a little more difficult in Game 3 since the Flyers, as the home team, get the final change before the faceoff. Flyers coach Peter Laviolette can now toss his shutdown line centered by Daniel Briere on the ice whenever Toews' line is sent out. It will also make it more difficult for Blackhawks coach Joel Quennville to send out Dave Bolland's line to keep track of the Flyers' No. 1 line centered by Mike Richards.

"I know that it's been a challenge when we've been on the road," Chicago coach Joel Quennville said. "Sometimes you have to work for it and you don't always get [the right matchup]. It's a give and take."

Getting away from the United Center isn't all that horrid of a thing for the Blackhawks on a couple different levels, including trying to play up to the home fans.

"Sometimes in those types of games, you are trying to create something where they are no plays," Toews said. "That's the last thing you want to be doing."

Chicago has won seven consecutive road games, the fifth team to pull of such a run, and a victory here in Game 3 would set a new NHL mark. During the stretch, Toews has 17 points (six goals, 11 assists), Byfuglien has eight (six goals, two assists) and Kane has 11 (two goals, nine assists).

"I think we can bring the confidence we had back that we had in the previous series," Toews said. "We are really going to try to get after that tonight and use that. When you are on the road, you spend more time as a team. We're together. For us, that's where we want to be."