CHICAGO -- Chicago Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford was hard on himself after Game 2 against the St. Louis Blues, saying the defending Stanley Cup champions have no chance to get out of the Western Conference First Round if he doesn't improve.

Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville agreed, in a very matter-of-fact way.

"He said he needs to be better," Quenneville said. "He needs to be better."

Crawford has allowed eight goals on 83 shots (.904 save percentage) in 166 minutes in the series. He's made some spectacular saves, such as when he robbed Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko with a diving right arm stop in the second period of Game 1.

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Blackhawks coughed up 3-2 leads against the St. Louis Blues late in regulation of each of the first two games of their Western Conference First Round series at Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

The Blues scored in overtime each game to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 series.

Chicago is a combined 1:51 away from heading into Game 3 at United Center on Monday (8:30 p.m. ET; CNBC, CBC, RDSI, FS-MW, CSN-CH) as the team with the 2-0 series edge. The Blackhawks were 6.4 seconds from closing out Game 2 on Saturday, but Vladimir Tarasenko tied it 3-3 on a power play caused by defenseman Brent Seabrook's major penalty for an illegal hit.

"Six seconds away," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said Sunday at United Center. "I thought we killed that penalty … I was going to say 'perfect.' It was six seconds away from perfect."

HAZELWOOD, Mo. -- If Game 3 of the Western Conference First Round series between the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks was Sunday, one thing is certain: Blues captain David Backes would not be playing in it.

Backes, who was injured on a hit by Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook with 4:51 remaining in the third period, did not take the ice Sunday at the Blues' training facility inside the Ice Zone at St. Louis Outlet Mall for an optional skate.

"All I know is he's upright and that's about it right now," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. "We don't have any further information and probably won't have until late [Monday]."

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Blues forward T.J. Oshie is back in the lineup for Game 2 of the Western Conference First Round series Saturday at Scottrade Center.

The Blues lead 1-0 in the best-of-7 series against the Chicago Blackhawks,

Oshie missed Game 1 on Thursday and the last two games of the regular season after getting hit in the head by Minnesota Wild forward Mike Rupp on April 10. Rupp was suspended four games for an illegal check to the head.

Oshie started the game on the Blues first line with David Backes and Alexander Steen. Steve Ott played in that spot in Game 1 and assisted on Steen's triple-overtime winning goal, but he was moved to the third line with Derek Roy and Ryan Reaves.

HAZELWOOD, Mo. -- The lingering question hanging over the St. Louis Blues since they ended the regular season Sunday is, how can they recapture the winning ways that led to a franchise-best 52 victories?

Even with several injuries and their scoring down nearly a goal-and-a-half the final 41 games, six straight losses to end the regular season was something that needed to be overcome quickly with the Chicago Blackhawks the opponent in the Western Conference First Round.

The Blues' 4-3 triple-overtime win in Game 1 of the best-of-7 Stanley Cup Playoff series was a subtle reminder that St. Louis hasn't forgotten how to win. The Blues knew reinforcements were on the way; as veteran left wing Brenden Morrow calmly said, "The cavalry's coming."

ST. LOUIS -- The brace around Patrick Kane's left knee is hidden by his red socks, but there's no hiding the fact that the Chicago Blackhawks star right wing has to learn to deal with the new, cumbersome piece of equipment if he's going to be as valuable in the Stanley Cup Playoffs as he was last year, when he won the Conn Smythe Trophy.

Kane will wear the knee brace for Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round series Thursday at Scottrade Center against the St. Louis Blues (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, RDS2, CSN-CH, FS-MW). It'll be his first game since injuring his knee on March 19. He missed the final 12 regular season games.

Kane anticipates having to wear the knee brace for the foreseeable future, but insists it doesn't affect the way he skates or his range of motion. He said he's comfortable, doesn't feel limited, and isn't thinking about the brace when he's playing.

"I feel like the same player," said Kane, who had 29 goals and 69 points in 69 regular season games. "Once you kind of get into skating with the puck or other game situations like we've done in some practices, it's the last thing on my mind. When you're out there playing and skating around, it's not like I'm thinking, 'How does my brace feel?' I'm thinking about making a play and making the right one. It's something I have to deal with, but I'm not really worried about it."

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Blues coach Ken Hitchcock has maintained that the lineup for Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round series Thursday against the Chicago Blackhawks (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, RDS, FS-N, ALT) is fluid.

After the morning skate Thursday, there is a clearer picture of who will be in the lineup to start the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Right wing Vladimir Tarasenko, who's missed 15 games after a hand injury sustained against the Nashville Predators on March 15, is in. Tarasenko, who originally was projected to be re-evaluated in six weeks following surgery March 19, will play with Vladimir Sobotka and Jaden Schwartz.

CHICAGO -- Last year, the Chicago Blackhawks proved just how valuable a great penalty-killing effort can be through the regular season and Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Despite having a power play that ranked 19th in the regular season (16.7 percent) and 13th out of 16 playoff teams (11.4 percent), the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup for the second time in four seasons.

A year later, Chicago's season on special teams was a tale of two halves heading into Game 1 of their series against the rival St. Louis Blues on Thursday at Scottrade Center in the Western Conference First Round (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, RDS2, CSN-CH, FS-MW).

HAZELWOOD, Mo. -- The St. Louis Blues went through a full practice Wednesday at their training facility inside the St. Louis Mills Outlet Mall in preparation for the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The vibes after the team's first full practice since the regular season ended were positive in regards to the multiple injuries key players are dealing with, but leave it to coach Ken Hitchcock to keep everyone in suspense despite the majority of the team skating together for the first time in at least a week or more.

Game 1 of their Western Conference First Round series against the Chicago Blackhawks is Thursday at Scottrade Center (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, RDS, FS-N, ALT).

HAZELWOOD, Mo. -- The St. Louis Blues ended the regular season missing eight regulars from their lineup. When they open the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Thursday against the Chicago Blackhawks, veteran forward Brenden Morrow, one of those injured, declared, "The cavalry's coming."

Morrow (foot), along with forwards David Backes (foot), T.J. Oshie (upper body), Vladimir Sobotka (lower body) and Patrik Berglund (upper body), and defensemen Barret Jackman (undisclosed) and Alex Pietrangelo (undisclosed) missed the season finale against the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday. Some have missed multiple games.

The Blues finished the regular season losing six straight, and scored two goals or fewer in nine straight and 10 of 12.

All the injured players returned to the ice except Backes, Berglund and Sobotka for an optional skate Tuesday in preparation for Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round at Scottrade Center (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, CSN-CH, FS-MW). Morrow may have been the biggest surprise.