CHICAGO – Brandon Saad didn't hesitate when asked whether he needs more offensive production for the Blackhawks.
"You always want to produce," he said after Monday's practice at the United Center. "Especially being an offensive forward, that's something you want to do. There's still time."
And there's no time like the Stanley Cup Finals to find a spark.
Saad and his teammates on the third line have not been difference-makers. But the Hawks have not suffered much from their lack of scoring, getting goals from their top two lines and relying on the third line's defensive assistance.
Through much of the regular season, the Hawks' third-line players were a force. But in the playoffs, Saad and Viktor Stalberg have no goals, while Andrew Shaw has four but scored only one in the Western Conference finals against the Kings.
"You look at the teams that won the Cup, it's those third and fourth lines playing defensively and chipping in offensively that wins Cups," Shaw said. "It's tough for those top two lines battling against each other. It's those third and fourth lines that are going to help you win it.
"We have to play solid defensively. We can't get scored on. We have to create momentum for the next shift coming."
Coach Joel Quenneville has tinkered with the lines during the playoffs. Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp have skated with Michal Handzus, while Jonathan Toews is centering a new top combination with Marian Hossa and Bryan Bickell, who was promoted from the third line.