FEATURE: 'Perfect' Sharp Steps Up in Game 2

Patrick Sharp had a message for his Blackhawks teammates heading into the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

"I always told the boys, 'Sharp had a perfect season this year - don't screw it up,'" Sharp said with a laugh.

Indeed, thanks to a shoulder injury that limited him to 28 regular-season contests during the truncated 48-game campaign, Sharp hadn't experienced a loss in regulation by the time the postseason rolled around. The veteran winger appeared in the first 24 games of the 2013 season during which the Blackhawks made NHL history by avoiding a regulation loss and racked up a 21-0-3 record at the halfway point.

In Game 25, a loss to the Avalanche in Colorado on March 8, 2013 to snap the streak, Sharp suffered a separated shoulder when he was checked into the boards and was sidelined until April 9 when the Blackhawks faced the Wild in Minnesota. The Blackhawks won that game and the next one three nights later against the Red Wings at the United Center to run Sharp's personal record to 23-0-3 and the team's overall mark to 31-5-4.

The problem was that Sharp's shoulder was still hurting so coach Joel Quenneville had a talk with the alternate captain.

"Joel said, 'OK, take a few weeks off and get this thing ready for playoffs,'" Sharp said.

2013 REWIND

**REWIND**: Schedule and More Info

**SET THE STAGE**: Conf. Quarterfinals, Gm. 2

**GALLERY**: Conf. Quarterfinals, Gm. 2

Sharp played Games 46 and 47 of the season before sitting out a meaningless finale in St. Louis along with most of the rest of the Blackhawks' regulars. With victories in the final two regular-season games during which Sharp played, the Blackhawks had gone a remarkable 25-0-3 with him in the lineup.

"I played 28 games and hadn't suffered a (regulation) loss so that tells you how good that teams was," Sharp said.

The next step was the proving it in the postseason and Sharp played a big role in doing just that.

In Game 2 of the Western Conference quarterfinals, Sharp led the way during a 5-2 victory over the Wild at the United Center with two goals to kick off a strong first-round offensive effort for himself and his teammates.

"I was excited to play," Sharp said. "The shoulder was nagging me all season long and I didn't get very many regular-season games in so I wanted to get going and contribute and help out," Sharp said. "I knew we had a great team and we were all planning on going a few rounds and we wanted to win that Stanley Cup. I wanted to start fast and whenever you get one on home ice and you get a chance to play with Patrick Kane you want to make sure you cash in.

"Getting those two goals early in the playoffs kind of gets that monkey off your back and then you can just focus on doing the little things," Sharp continued. "From that, you just keep riding that confidence. So it was a good way to start that playoff series and it turned out well for us."

Sharp finished with 10 goals and add six assists during the Blackhawks' 23-game run to the 2013 Stanley Cup and it all started with the pair in Game 2.

The first came when Sharp scooped up a loose puck near the Wild net and batted a backhander past goaltender Josh Harding to give the Blackhawks a 3-1 third-period lead.

"I was able to stick-check a defenseman behind the net and kind of tuck one, catching the goaltender off-guard to get things going personally," Sharp said. "And then as the game was winding down it was all about Patrick Kane."

Kane, who had assisted on Sharp's first goal, made a highlight-reel play to pick up another apple on the second. Kane drew three Wild defenders into the high slot before spinning and finding a wide-open Sharp near the left post. Sharp did the rest, firing a one-timer into the gaping net for his second goal of the game.

"(Kane) made a great pass, a spin-o-rama and I tapped one in backdoor," said Sharp, who finished with five goals in the opening series. "I remember during the celebration Kaner coming in full steam and guess what he was yelling? You bet, he was saying, 'Showtime! Showtime! That's hockey!'"

When the dust had settled on Game 2, the Blackhawks held a 2-0 advantage in the best-of-seven series and were well on their way to winning the series in five games.

"When you go into a series and you're at home you want to make sure you win those games," Sharp said. "We had a strong team with not a whole lot of weaknesses. That first round against the Wild I know they had some issues with some injuries as well so we wanted to put our foot to the gas and really jump on them early. Winning those first two games was key for us and then we were pretty confident going to Minnesota."