Preview: Blues at Blackhawks

[April 19, 2016]  Patrick Kane scored a career-high 46 goals this season and captain Jonathan Toews, Andrew Ladd and Marian Hossa are capable of giving goaltenders nightmares with their offensive play as well. Despite collectively unleashing 48 shots on net, the Chicago Blackhawks' quartet still is in search of its first goal heading into Tuesday's Game 4 of the first-round series versus the visiting St. Louis Blues.

"I don't think frustration’s the word,” Kane (13 shots) told the Chicago Sun-Times. "(But) obviously, when it’s not going in, you’re not doing your job. That's something we'll have to step up here the rest of the series." Brian Elliott certainly has been doing his job, stopping 105-of-109 shots - including a playoff career-high 44-save performance in a 3-2 win on Sunday to give St. Louis a 2-1 advantage in the series. The 31-year-old has recorded a stingy 1.28 goals-against average and scintillating .963 save percentage to keep the defending Stanley Cup champions on edge. "Yeah, he's been OK," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said with a smile.

TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, TVAS, SN, FSN-Midwest (St. Louis), CSN Chicago

ABOUT THE BLUES: Captain David Backes set up Jaden Schwartz's power-play goal with 6:38 remaining in the third period on Sunday to extend his point streak to seven games (three goals, six assists). Fellow forward Steve Ott didn't dent the scoresheet in his return from a four-plus-month absence due to a hamstring injury, but his abrasive style during his 13 shifts scored points with his teammates. "He was in everybody's face. We need that from him," defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said. "That's why I used to hate playing against him, but I like him now."

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS: Chicago isn't about to get hang its head with its current deficit in the series - after all, it lost the first two games of its first-round series versus St. Louis in 2014 and won the next four contests. Taken a step further, the Blackhawks own a sizzling 43-14 mark in Games 4-7 of a postseason series under the watchful eye of coach Joel Quenneville. "You look back at what we've done and how we've been successful in the past, coming back in the series, I think it's the character in the room from the coaching staff to all the players," forward Andrew Shaw told the team website on Monday. "We feed off each other and we always stick together through thick and thin, and we always seem to come out on top."

OVERTIME

1. St. Louis RW Vladimir Tarasenko had an assist on Schwartz's goal on Sunday, giving him 13 points in 16 career playoff games.

2. The Blackhawks are 2-for-12 on the power play in the series and have just one tally during 5-on-5 play.

3. The Blues added depth on Monday by recalling F Ty Rattie from Chicago of the American Hockey League.

PREDICTION: Blackhawks 2, Blues 1

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