"The outlook was grim, doubts were spreading and criticism was rampant. That was the state of affairs for the Blackhawks a little more than a week ago. How quickly things can change. The Hawks now are on the cusp of advancing to their second consecutive Western Conference finals by eliminating the rival Vancouver Canucks for the second year in a row. Three straight wins - including two lopsided ones in Vancouver where the Canucks lost their poise - have put the Hawks in a commanding position to close out the series in Game 5 tonight at the United Center. By doing so, the Hawks have quelled the panic that ensued after their loss to the Canucks in Game 1 - in which they were thoroughly outplayed in every facet - and some of the lingering feelings of uncertainty that remained from their give-and-take first-round win over the Nashville Predators. ''We were just flat (in Game 1),'' Andrew Ladd said. ''We didn't like any part of our game for the first four periods (of the series). We just had to get the legs to our game and start playing hard and start skating. ''We got the pace of our game up, and it seems to be working. ... The assertiveness and the desperation got to another level in everyone in here.''" http://www.southtownstar.com/sports/2252284,050910spthawks2star.article
