2013 Stanley Cup Final: Keys to Chicago Blackhawks Regaining Home-Ice Advantage

After being blanked 2-0 by the Boston Bruins in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, the Chicago Blackhawks find themselves down 2-1 heading into their next game in Boston.

Only one team has come back in the finals when down 3-1, and that was the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1942. With that history in mind, Game 4 is a must-win for Chicago.

In order to even the series and regain home-ice advantage, here are three things that the Blackhawks need to address by their next faceoff.

Marian Hossa Needs to Play

17 shots, five hits and a steady defensive presence during his first two games in the final round. To say that Marian Hossa is a playmaker would be an understatement.

He was scratched after pregame warm-ups in Game 3 and Chicago missed him dearly. With one offensive catalyst out of the way, the Bruins put the clamps on Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. They had very few, if any, scoring opportunities, which is a continuing trend in this playoff series.

Having Hossa on the ice gives Boston a big body to worry about and eases the already-high pressure on Kane and Toews to produce offensively.

Hossa is also one of the top penalty-killers on the team and Chicago needs every advantage it can get at this point.

Power-Play Issues

This one’s a no-brainer.

The Hawks haven’t scored a power-play goal in their last 18 chances dating back to the Western Conference Final. That has to change if they want to extend this series.

Hossa’s return could help, but he’ll need assistance from the rest of the struggling power-play unit for the team to cash in on the man advantage.

As previously stated, they need every mismatch they can get. However, they have to convert their chances too.

Remain Calm

Chicago only had to split the games in Boston to turn this into a three-game series and earn back home-ice advantage. With that mindset, nothing has changed, as the Blackhawks still have Game 4 to play in Beantown.

Despite their current struggles, this is a loaded team that got to the Stanley Cup Final for a reason. Staying mentally focused will go a long way in determining how they rebound from Game 3.