Chicago’s top line lights way to victory

> BLACKHAWKS 4

> PREDATORS 2

HAWKS LEAD SERIES 3-1

CHICAGO— Marian Hossa was everywhere, Jonathan Toews powered Chicago to a big second period and Brandon Saad had a key play for the Blackhawks.

Chicago’s skilled top line found plenty of room to roam with Shea Weber out with an injury.

Toews had a goal and an assist and Hossa had two assists in a dazzling performance as the Blackhawks beat the Nashville Predators 4-2 on Sunday for a 2-1 lead in the first-round playoff series.

Toews, Saad and Brent Seabrook scored in the second to help Chicago earn its 20th win in its last 24 home playoff games. Scott Darling made 35 saves and Andrew Desjardins got his third career playoff goal in the first as the Blackhawks bounced back after Friday night’s 6-2 loss in Nashville.

“We’ve been here awhile and went pretty deep the past two years,” Saad said. “We know what we need to do. At the same time, after Game 2, we know we needed to be better. I think everyone brought it tonight.”

Mike Ribeiro and Mattias Ekholm scored for Nashville and Pekka Rinne had 26 saves.

The Predators were without Weber and forward Mike Fisher, who were sidelined by lower-body injuries. Fisher is day to day, but Weber did not travel with the team to Chicago and the star defenceman likely will be out for Game 4 on Tuesday night as well.

“Obviously, Shea’s a big presence and we’re going to miss him on our back end,” said Roman Josi, who usually plays with Weber on Nashville’s top defensive pairing. “But I thought we played a pretty good game and it could have gone the other way, too.”

Darling, a native of the Chicago suburb of Lemont, was solid in his first post-season start after Corey Crawford was ineffective in the first two games of the series. The rookie also replaced Crawford in Game 1 and made 42 stops as the Blackhawks rallied for a 4-3 victory in double overtime.

“The guys have been unbelievable and really helped me out today,” Darling said.

Coach Joel Quenneville did not announce his goaltender for Game 4, but talked as if Darling would get another start.

“We’ll talk about it, but certainly he did everything he could to put himself back in the net,” Quenneville said.

The Preds’ convincing victory in Game 2 led Quenneville to try a different look for the Blackhawks’ first home game of the playoffs. Darling was in goal, and forwards Antoine Vermette and Desjardins entered the lineup after they were healthy scratches for the first two games.

Chicago acquired Vermette and Desjardins in a pair of trades right before the deadline, but the veterans had struggled with the Blackhawks.