Chicago Blackhawks Head Back Home for Must-Win Games

Game 2: Vancouver 4, Chicago 3

As Pat Foley said on the Comcast SportsNet broadcast, there are two times in which you must not allow the other team to score a goal: in the first minute of a period and in the last.

In the second period, the Blackhawks did both. Thirty second into the period, Daniel Sedin scored a power-play goal to put the Canucks up 2-0.

Then, after Chicago cut the lead in half with a Ben Smith goal, Alexander Edler killed whatever momentum the Blackhawks may have gained by scoring a goal with 14 seconds left in the second period.

Edler's tally put the Canucks up 3-1 heading into the second intermission and gave his team the driver's seat.

In the third period, Viktor Stalberg shot a wrister past Roberto Luongo to cut the lead to 3-2. Following another goal by Daniel Sedin, Ben Smith scored a second goal as well to again cut the Canuck lead to one.

Despite some quality chances, the Blackhawks could not get the tying goal in the final minutes.

This time around, the Blackhawks were able to get some pressure on Luongo. This is a step up from the first game.

As the series shifts to the Madhouse on Madison, there are two things the Blackhawks must do to make this a competitive series.

First, they need to come out of the gate with the same intensity they had at the end of Game 2. This is the second time Vancouver started out with a 2-0 lead; Chicago cannot play catch-up throughout the series and expect to win it.

Second, they will need more production from Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Neither superstar has been able to do anything, and Joel Quenneville will need to find a way to spark some life in his top lines.