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Blackhawks try to avoid sweep in Game 4 vs. Canucks

Apr 19, 2011 - 3:10 PM (Sports Network) - The defending Stanley Cup champions could see their reign come to an end tonight, as the Chicago Blackhawks will try to avoid a sweep when they host the Vancouver Canucks in Game 4 of the Western Conference quarterfinals at United Center.

The Blackhawks won it all for the first time since 1961 last spring, but an offseason salary purge contributed to Chicago just making the playoffs as the West's eighth seed. Joel Quenneville's club now finds itself down 3-0 in this best-of-seven series to the top-seeded Canucks, a team Chicago ousted from the playoffs in the conference semifinal round in each of the previous two springs.

After losing Games 1 and 2 in Vancouver, the Blackhawks had a chance to get on the board Sunday in the third meeting at the United Center, but the Canucks recorded a 3-2 victory to push Chicago to the brink of elimination.

Mikael Samuelsson scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period, to lift the Presidents' Trophy winners to Sunday's road win. Samuelsson, who missed Game 2 with an illness, found the back of the net at the 6:48 mark of the third period.

Christian Ehrhoff and Daniel Sedin both had a goal and an assist for Vancouver, which also got 30 saves from Roberto Luongo. The Canucks netminder has stopped 85-of-90 shots in this series for an excellent .944 save percentage.

"It's my job, obviously, to make the save at key times," Luongo said. "Usually you get an adrenaline boost off that and obviously we were able to turn the tables and get two goals in the second."

Duncan Keith and Patrick Sharp lit the lamp for the Blackhawks, who have never come back from a three games to none deficit to win a series in their history. Chicago was last swept in a seven-game series by the Canucks in the 1995 conference semifinals.

Corey Crawford turned aside 23-of-26 shots for Chicago, which went 2-for-7 on the power play.

Sunday's game also featured a bit of controversy, as Canucks forward Raffi Torres, playing in his first game since a four-game suspension, delivered a nasty hit on Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook behind the net.

Torres put Chicago on the power play at the 12:14 mark of the second period, but the officials deemed the hit on Seabrook to be worthy of only a two-minute minor for interference. Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville thought the penalty should have been called a major.

"Brutal. Major. Absolutely," Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville said. "He (the referee) missed it. We could have scored four goals on that play. Is it a suspension? I don't have to worry about that. The guy didn't even get through his first game back off one. It's not my call."

The league announced Monday that Torres will not be given a suspension for Sunday's incident. Torres, who had 14 goals during the regular season, had served his four-game suspension for elbowing Edmonton's Jordan Eberle late in the regular season.

Seabrook was not injured on the play and he is expected to play tonight.

However, Chicago forwards Bryan Bickell (right wrist) and Tomas Kopecky (upper body) are questionable for today. Bickell was injured in Game 2 and sat out Sunday's game, while Kopecky hasn't played since getting hurt in the opener.

Chicago is expected to get forward Dave Bolland back tonight for the first time since early March. Bolland, who had 15 goals and 37 points in 61 games this year, missed the final 15 games of the regular season and the first three tests of this series with a concussion.

"He's been waiting a long time to get back in the lineup," Quenneville said of Bolland. "Based on the timing, he's ready to play and he wants to play."

The Blackhawks had a strong 24-17-0 record as the home team this season and were 8-3 at United Center during last year's playoffs. The Canucks had an excellent 27-10-4 as the road club this season.

Chicago and Vancouver have met two other times in the postseason in addition to their 2009 and 2010 semifinal bouts, and the Blackhawks own a 3-1 edge all- time against the Canucks in the playoffs.

If necessary, Game 5 of this series will be played Thursday night in Vancouver.