Viktor Stalberg has seen enough of teammate Jonathan Toews to know the Hawks' captain will break out of his playoff scoring slump.

''I've got a feeling he'll probably score here tonight,'' Stalberg said prior to Game 4 of the Blackhawks conference semifinal series against the Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. ''He's usually that guy that when we need him the most he's going to find a way to get it done. So I wouldn't be surprised to see him have a big game here tonight.''

Though Toews is in a scoring slump, he has a history of making an impact eventually.

''He is like that. It's kind of remarkable to see,'' Stalberg said. ''I just remember my first year in the playoffs when we were down a goal to Vancouver in Game 7 -- shorthanded he finds a way to score. That's just how he is. When we needed him the most, in stretches when we neeed to win games he's been the best player. I'm sure he'll be even better and he'll find a way to get it done.''

Stalberg is a perfect example of how fickle fate can be in playoff hockey. In the Hawks' 3-1 loss to the Red Wings in Game 3 on Monday night, he had an almost certain goal hit the crossbar and stay out of the net, then had the tying goal disallowed for goaltender interference.

''Tough bounce, but it happens. You can't complain about it,'' Stalberg said. ''It's something we don't think about too much right now. We lost the game, so be it. We've got to be hungry tonight.''

A little less than eight hours before the critical Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals, Jonathan Toews didn't look like a guy who was frustrated, who was angry, who was worried.

He looked like a guy who was, well, having fun.

"The talk the last few days has been the adversity that we're facing, but we knew that this was going to be tough series -- this is Detroit," Toews said with his team trailing the Red Wings 2-1 in the series. "So we're not running into anything that we didn't expect. ... It seems to be the first time that we're running into some tough adversity, but there's nothing wrong with that. It's something you have to embrace come playoff time. You don't win a Stanley Cup without going through something like that. We have to welcome it. And whatever they throw at us, we've got to smile and throw it right back in their face. That's what playoff hockey's all about. We've got to enjoy it."

Toews was indeed smiling, and most of the Hawks seemed to be in a rather good mood after an unusually focused morning skate at Joe Louis Arena. If the pressure's mounting, they weren't showing it.

"Our group's been fine. We're definitely disappointed, we haven't been in this position all year. We've quietly gone about our business and [they've] gotten our attention over the last couple of games. The focus has got to be in the right place. We want to play our best game of the year tonight, and we're going to need it."

After a disastrous Game 2, the Hawks felt they played a strong game in Game 3, particularly in the third period. The way they see it, if a break or two had gone their way, they'd be the team up 2-1 in the series. Of course, they're not. And the fact that one of their better efforts wasn't good enough to beat the surging Red Wings might not have damaged the Hawks' confidence, but it certainly boosted Detroit's.

"It shows that we have a lot of confidence and we're playing close to our best hockey right now, and that's what we want to keep doing," said defenseman Brendan Smith. "I think we've still got to work on a few things. I don't think we've played a full 60 minutes and that's something we're going to need to do tonight, because we all know Chicago's going to come out blazing. It's such an important game. Seems like every game gets more important -- it's unbelievable how that works. They're going to up their ante and we're going to have to do the same."

The sense in the Red Wings dressing room is that they're getting better every game, and that they're peaking at the right time.

"I think so," Justin Abdelkader said. "I think we've seen it before, where we've been a top seed in the playoffs and playing a team that's hot coming into the playoffs and playing well. That says something. For a team that's been fighting for our playoff lives the last month, we kind of found our game and know the way we've got to play to be successful. So I think that's been good for us."

Toews didn't deny that the Wings are gaining confidence with each game. But he believes if the Hawks put forth their best effort, it shouldn't matter.

"Maybe so, but so are we," Toews said. "We're going to keep believing in ourselves. There was a reason we made it this far. We're a good team -- we're a really good team. We have a lot of players with some great ability in this locker room, and when you put it all together and we play the right way, we're an amazing, amazing bunch of guys. We've got to be confident in this locker room. Just have fun with it. There's not going to be any panic in our game tonight, we're going to go out there and do a job and keep fighting the way we have.

"We're a confident, happy group right now. We're excited to play tonight."

Jonathan Toews, mired in a playoff scoring slump with no goals and three assists in eight games, usually makes his presence felt eventually. And Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith knows it's coming.

''He's going to find his way on the board. It's something that we know,'' Brendan Smith said. ''We're going to try to keep him off as long as possible. These players, they're so competitive. They're so good that they'll find a way. It's something that we're just going to keep trying to eliminate. He's had some bad bounces where he's hit the post and stuff.''

The Red Wings have neutralized Toews with even more physical play than the Minnesota Wild did in the opening series. Toews responded with an outstanding effort in Game 3 -- all that was missing were the points.

"I think it's just being very aware of him and playing him hard,'' Smith said. ''I think just the will to battle. He's a very strong guy. He battles so hard. If you battle just as hard it'll help our whole game and that's what's been good for us in shutting him down.''

It seems unlikely that Toews will stay this quiet. The Wings just hope he doesn't break through at a critical time -- like when Toews had a hat trick and five-point game in a critical Game 4 at Vancouver in 2010; or when he scored the tying goal shorthanded with two minutes to go in Game 7 against Vancouver in 2011; or when he scored the winning goal in overtime in Game 6 against the Phoenix Coyotes to keep the Hawks alive in that first-round series in 2012.

''He's a great player. Don't get me wrong. We know it's going to happen,'' Smith said. ''We just have to make sure that we keep playing him hard and making sure that we're very aware of him because he is arguably their best player.''

Joel Quenneville tried putting all his top guys on one power play unit, and it didn't work. So now he's trying to spread the wealth again.

At Wednesday's practice, the Blackhawks' top power play unit had Marian Hossa and Duncan Keith at the points, with Patrick Sharp, Brandon Saad and Bryan Bickell up front. The second unit featured Michal Rozsival and either Brent Seabrook or Nick Leddy at the point, with Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Andrew Shaw.

"We're just looking for a little more balance on the units," Quenneville said. "Hopefully, we'll get some production."

The Hawks are just 3-of-22 on the power play this postseason, including 0-of-6 in losses to Detroit in Games 2 and 3. Even a unit featuring all-stars Keith, Sharp, Hossa, Toews and Kane struggled to get anything past Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard.

"The last couple games, it hasn't been very good," Keith said. "So probably expect some changes there."

Bickell's addition in front of the net gives the Hawks a big body to both deflect shots and block Howard's vision.

"Howard's playing great, he's a hot goaltender right now," Shaw said. "Getting big bodies like Bicks in front of the net and finding those loose pucks and putting them home, I think it's going to be great for us. ... They have big defensemen and they can move you pretty well. We've just got to battle and compete and try to take his eyes away as much as possible."

As for 5-on-5 scenarios, Sharp again skated on the top line, to the left of Toews and Hossa. Saad again was with Dave Bolland and Kane on the second line. Quenneville made that move in Game 3, and liked the results. Toews and Saad have combined for no goals and four assists this postseason.

"We weren't having a ton of success, so we mixed up the lines a little bit," Saad said. "And I thought we played well last time."

Frustration seemed on the verge of boiling over in the final minute of the Blackhawks' 3-1 loss to the Red Wings that put them in a 2-1 hole in their Western Conference playoff series. But the Hawks are acting like they've been here before. And they have.

''We're down 2-1, but it's not the end of the world,'' defenseman Michal Rozsival said Tuesday at the United Center. ''We're playing a good opponent. It's not over yet.''

After winning the series opener 4-1 at the United Center, the Blackhawks lost 4-1 at home in Game 2 and 3-1 in Game 3 at Joe Louis Arena on Monday night. They are undaunted by the prospect of going down 3-1 with another game at Joe Louis Arena on Thursday night.

''It's gonna be a long series. I think we knew that going in,'' Hawks forward Patrick Sharp said. ''You never want to lose games, but you can certainly take positives out of it and build off things.''

After a less-than-stellar effort in Game 2, the Hawks increased their ''compete level'' in all phases of the game in Game 3 and still lost by two goals. But after missing out on several good scoring opportunities -- particularly Viktor Stalberg's close-in shot that hit the crossbar and Stalberg's third-period goal that was disallowed for goaltender interference -- the Hawks figure the same effort could bring better results in Game 4.

''I don't think there's any worry or panic in our locker room,'' Sharp said when asked about the team's scoring troubles -- two goals in the last two games. ''We created a few chances. There were plenty of opportunities out there, hit a couple of posts. Goals are gonna come when you least expect them.''

Jonathan Toews knows his team needs him to step up, but the Blackhawks captain isn't going to force the issue. While stars like Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin take over games seemingly at their whim, Toews just kind of happens. And he isn't going to change his approach now.

''I just have to play with energy every single shift and be as tough as [possible] to play against,'' Toews said Monday at Joe Louis Arena after the team's morning skate prior to Game 3 of the Hawks' Western Conference semifinal series against the Red Wings.

''You keep working, eventually you chip away, something's going to happen for you. Somebody's going to make a mistake on the other team and you just hope for those breaks.''

In seven playoff games, Toews has zero goals and three assists with an even plus-minus rating. He doesn't deny that he feels the pressure to score goals.

''I always do,'' he said. ''Maybe a little added pressure given the situation. Right now I'm just not letting it build up too much in my own mind. Sometimes you start squeezing the stick and the rest of your game goes down hill. I'm not letting that happen. But I know that sooner or later something's got to give. Hopefully I'll be able to find a way to contribute in a big way for my team.''

Crawford sighed and said, "No, not at all."

Of course, Crawford was hardly to blame the Game 2 defeat. His defense -- which has been so good all season -- all but abandoned him. On Detroit's second goal, Niklas Hjalmarsson fell down in his own end, leading to Brendan Smith's go-ahead goal. On the next one, Hjalmarsson was burned by Johan Franzen on a Jonathan Ericsson stretch pass. And on the last one, Brent Seabrook was beaten to a loose puck off a faceoff the Hawks actually won, leading to an end-to-end rush and a Valtteri Filppula goal.

The Hawks defense was determined to redeem itself in Monday's Game 3.

"Absolutely," Seabrook said. "We weren't happy with the way we played defensively as a group of defensemen. We've got to come out and have a better effort and give Crow a better opportunity to make some saves, and give him the chance to play well in there and not leave him out to dry."

Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said the defensive problems went beyond the blue line. The Hawks' success this season has been built on team defense, from the forwards on back. But the Red Wings had their way in Game 2.

"Our whole team defensively was off," Quenneville said. "They attacked us well. And we didn't do a good job in certain areas of the rink. We gave up a lot more than we obviously did in the first game. We can be better in all areas, defensively."

In other news, Viktor Stalberg is indeed back in the lineup for Game 3, as Quenneville will reunite the highly successful third line of Bryan Bickell, Andrew Shaw and Stalberg. Stalberg had been benched for the first two games, with Dave Bolland playing center and Shaw moving to right wing. Bolland appears to be back on the second line with Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane, while Michal Handzus drops to the fourth line, moving Marcus Kruger (who has struggled mightily with faceoffs lately) to right wing and bumping Daniel Carcillo from the lineup.

"We have some options in games," Quenneville said. "We'll see how things are going. We came out of that first series, I thought as a team we could be better. But that [third] line for the majority of the season played together, and I thought they did a good job throughout most of the season. Viktor gives them some speed to that line, as well, that unpredictability off the rush. They did have a lot of offensive zone time this year."

Said Shaw: "It's good to get back together. We played well this year as a group, and having Stally back gives us that speed. We're ready to go."

Speedy winger Viktor Stalberg will be a healthy scratch for the second straight game today as the Blackhawks host the Red Wings for Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals.

Stalberg was scratched for Game 1 to make room for Dave Bolland, returning from a groin injury that kept him out of the first-round series against the Minnesota Wild. Bolland moved to third-line center, bumping Andrew Shaw to right wing and Stalberg out of the lineup.

After an impressive Game 1 win, there was virtually no chance Quenneville was going to put Stalberg back in and shake things up.

"We had to get Bolly in a winning lineup from Minnesota," Quenneville said. "I don't like changing too much, but we wanted to get him in the lineup. It's comparable to what we've done throughout the season. We'll see. We can adapt and we can change at any moment."

The other candidate to be scratched with Bolland's return was fourth-line left wing Daniel Carcillo. But Carcillo played well in Game 1 in limited action, playing just 6:04 but picking up the primary assist on Marcus Kruger's third-period goal.

"I liked his game," Quenneville said. "I liked when he came in the last series, as well. I thought he gave us some energy and purpose behind his game, as well. Not a lot of minutes, but I thought he brought energy to all the shifts, and was in the right spots, too."

Blackhawks winger Viktor Stalberg is still in Joel Quenneville's dog house. | AP

Blackhawks winger Viktor Stalberg was still in a white jersey, still skating outside the top four lines at Friday's practice, meaning he'll likely be a healthy scratch again in Saturday's Game 2 against the Detroit Wings.

"It's frustrating, obviously," Stalberg said. "Can't really make it too much about yourself, it's about winning games right now, and we won. It was a good start to the series, that's what it's about right now."

Stalberg shed a little light on to what his benching's about. While Hawks coach Joel Quenneville wouldn't get into specifics, Stalberg said he was told to be more intense and play harder.

"It's nothing you've never heard before," Stalberg said. "Most guys, when they're not playing, get to hear that. Nothing too different, but he wants me to produce more and be more effective out there. Hopefully I can get back and I'll try to make a difference."

Joel Quenneville refuted multiple reports Wednesday that Viktor Stalberg was benched for Game 1 against the Detroit Red Wings because he complained about his lack of a role on the power play during the first-round series against the Minnesota Wild.

A source said Tuesday that Stalberg had been benched for questioning his role after getting only one power play shift during the five-game series.

"That story's 100 percent inaccurate," Quenneville said. "Viktor didn't play, he knows the reasons why. It has nothing to do with anything about our conversation. It was strictly nothing to do with that. At all. That situation wasn't even addressed."

Quenneville still did not elaborate on why Stalberg was benched, pointing out that with Dave Bolland re-entering the lineup after being out with an injury, "Somebody had to come out."

He pointed to some of the tough decisions he's had to make all year, particularly with the rotation of defenseman Michal Rozsival and Sheldon Brookbank throughout the regular season, as an example of players sitting despite deserving to play. Stalberg played 47 of 48 games this year, and all five against the Wild.

"This year we had some tough decisions as far as who plays and doesn't plays," Quenneville said. "We had the rotation on our back end with Brooksie and Rozy ... every game one of them had to sit out. It was definitely unfair for those guys, but that's the situation we're in, where we have to make some tough decisions."

Quenneville has been reluctant all season to tinker with his lineup after victories. When asked if Stalberg could be sitting out again for Saturday's Game 2, all he said was, "We'll see."