Darling earns Game 4 start for Blackhawks

Goaltender Scott Darling will start for the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 4 of the Western Conference First Round series against the Nashville Predators at United Center on Tuesday (9:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, TVA3, FS-TN, CSN-CH), according to coach Joel Quenneville.

Darling, a 26-year-old rookie from the Chicago suburb of Lemont, Ill. replaced starter Corey Crawford in Game 1, stopping all 42 shots he faced to help the Blackhawks rally from a three-goal deficit to win 4-3 in double overtime. Darling's 67:44 of shutout relief was the longest in Stanley Cup Playoff history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Crawford started Game 2 despite being pulled from Game 1 after allowing three goals on 12 shots in the first period of the Blackhawks' 4-3 double-overtime win. Crawford, who went 32-20-5 this season, played all of Game 2 on Friday and struggled in a 6-2 loss.

Quenneville responded by going with Darling for Game 3. It was Darling's first Stanley Cup Playoffs start Darling responded with 35 saves in a 4-2 victory.

Chicago leads the best-of-7 series 2-1.

Crawford has allowed nine goals on 47 shots through four periods, but he started all 23 games when the Blackhawks won the 2013 Stanley Cup. He was voted by fans as an All-Star for the first time this season and was the main reason Chicago tied the Montreal Canadiens for the fewest goals allowed in the NHL, earning a share of the Jennings Trophy.