Bruins vs Red Wings

Scott Darling will start in net for the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday at United Center in Game 3 of a Western Conference First Round Series against the Nashville Predators (3 p.m. ET; NBC, TVA Sports, SN).

Darling gets the call ahead of Corey Crawford, who started the first two games at Bridgestone Arena.

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 the Predators' 6-2 win that evened the best-of-7 series at 1-1.

NASHVILLE -- Much has been written about the Chicago Blackhawks having a lot of Stanley Cup Playoff experience, and now they'll depend on it.

Rather than focusing on a 6-2 loss to the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena on Friday, the Blackhawks will head home satisfied with splitting the first two games of their Western Conference First Round series.

Chicago was outplayed for most of Game 2, was outshot by a total of 89-68 in the two games and might have a goalie controversy on its hands.

Still, the Blackhawks know they've been in worse spots.

NASHVILLE -- Nashville Predators defenseman Shea Weber sustained a lower-body injury Friday in a 6-2 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks at Bridgestone Arena in Game 2 of their Western Conference First Round series.

The Predators did not have an update on Weber, who had an assist and was plus-1 in 13:25 before he exited the game with the injury at 9:20 of the second period.

Weber was injured on a hit by Chicago forward Brandon Saad behind the Nashville net. The Predators captain appeared unable to put weight on his right leg as he left the ice.

"If you lose your captain and your best player, it's never a good thing," said Nashville defenseman Roman Josi, who played 24:31 and had a goal. "Hopefully he'll be OK."

When Peter Laviolette was hired to be the new coach of the Nashville Predators, one of the things general manager David Poile charged him with was improving the offense.

The Predators had a distinct defensive identity under former coach Barry Trotz, and are still a team built from the net out. With goaltender Pekka Rinne and a defensive corps that features Shea Weber (who is out Games 3 and 4 with a lower-body injury), Roman Josi, Seth Jones and Ryan Ellis, Nashville has plenty of talent from the blue line down.

What Laviolette has done is taken those assets and re-appropriated them. The Predators defensemen combined to score 193 points this season, up from the 171 they scored last season. Laviolette has used the same ingredients but changed the recipe, and the results for the Predators have been nearly half a goal more averaged at even-strength per game (2.52, up from 2.25), the highest-scoring even-strength blue line in the League, and a team that no longer has to keep a game low-scoring for it to win.

NASHVILLE -- Scott Darling rescued the Chicago Blackhawks with a great relief appearance in Game 1 of a Western Conference First Round series against the Nashville Predators, but Corey Crawford will be back in goal to start Game 2 at Bridgestone Arena on Friday (9:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, SN360, TVA Sports 3, CSN-CH, SPSO).

During a conference call Thursday, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville doused the notion of a goalie controversy brewing one game into the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He's standing firmly by Crawford, who was replaced by Darling on Wednesday after allowing three goals on 12 shots in the first period; Chicago rallied for a 4-3 double-overtime victory.

"I think it kind of was an easy decision," said Quenneville, who gave the Blackhawks a day off. "He [Crawford] is our starting goalie. He's been our strength all year long. It was one period and it was won collectively as a team, goaltending all the way out through the forwards. I thought our first period was ordinary at best and we look forward to him getting back in the net [Friday]."

NASHVILLE -- Scott Darling's dream season continued for the Chicago Blackhawks at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday.

The 26-year old rookie goalie made his debut in the Stanley Cup Playoffs when he relieved starter Corey Crawford after one period, and he played a critical role in the Blackhawks' 4-3 comeback win in double overtime against the Nashville Predators in Game 1 of a best-of-7 series in the Western Conference First Round.

Darling made 42 saves, didn't allow a goal and gave the Blackhawks a big lift midway through the third to keep it 3-3 by making a great save on a backdoor play during a Nashville power play.

Chicago Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford allowed three goals in the first period of Game 1 of a first-round series against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday and was replaced by Scott Darling to start the second.

Crawford, who had a 2.27 goals-against average during the regular season, allowed two goals in a span of 2:13 late in the period after Colin Wilson scored 6:07 into the game. Viktor Stalberg made it 2-0 at 17:20 and Wilson scored on a power play at 19:33.

Crawford faced 12 shots in the first period.

CHICAGO -- Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane made it official after practice Tuesday that he will play against the Nashville Predators in Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday (8:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, TVA Sports, SN360, CSN-CH, FS-TN).

Kane will play seven weeks after surgery Feb. 25 to repair his fractured left collarbone. He'll be in his familiar spot at right wing on the second line and take a spot on the Blackhawks' top power-play unit.

"Yeah, that's the plan," Kane said of playing Game 1. "It's exciting. It's been a long 50 days here so it's a credit to a lot of hard work from, obviously, the doctors and the trainers and just listening to them and trying to heal as fast as possible."

It was a speedy recovery.

NASHVILLE -- Defenseman Roman Josi embodies the makeup of the Nashville Predators heading into 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He's young, talented and has relatively limited experience in the postseason.

Josi was a big part of the Predators returning to the playoffs after missing out the previous two seasons. He was third on the Predators with 55 points and his play put him in the Norris Trophy conversation for the first time in his career, and will be a big part of the Predators' playoff push, which starts with Game 1 of their Western Conference First Round series against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday (8:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, TVA Sports, SN360, CSN-CH, FS-TN).

He played in 10 games in the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs when the Predators advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals. He was a rookie at the time, and the speed and emotional grind of the playoff run left an impact on him.

"Playoffs are just a different thing," Josi said. "I don't have a lot of playoff games. I played just one [playoff run], and it's just an up and down in feelings, like a new high and a new low. You've just got to find kind of that middle balance. It's a grind but it's definitely a lot of fun. I had a great time playing playoffs so I'm definitely excited."