was 148-4 when winning the first set since 2011, according to the AT

BOSTON - Questioned on whether the Blackhawks could escape the clenches of the Bruins, from which the equally potent Penguins were unable to break free, Dave Bolland responded with a sly grin and definitive response. "Well do it," he said, before repeating the phrase. "Well do it. Its an easy answer right." Not much has come easy for Chicago in recent days. After outlasting Boston in a triple OT thriller, the Hawks - save for a dominant opening frame in Game 2 - have been squeezed into submission by their stingy Bruin counterparts, who have allowed just 17 goals in the past 12 games, an incredible run of defensive prowess. Engulfed in a slide of 120-plus minutes without scoring, the Blackhawks now trail the series 2-1 with Game 4 on deck at TD Garden on Wednesday evening. "I know its ugly sometimes out there and people can look from the outside and say that the series is lopsided or whatever," Patrick Sharp opined on Tuesday afternoon, "[but] we win Game 4 were in great shape and thats our focus right now." Generating some pop to a typically potent attack will be the starting point, helped immeasurably by the likely return of Marian Hossa, who missed Game 3 with a mysterious upper-body injury. Sharps goal midway through the first frame of Game 2 was the last Chicago managed, this from a team that led the West in scoring by a pretty sizeable margin (Anaheim was second with 15 fewer goals). Tested with similar circumstance in the second round against Detroit, during which they combined for two goals in three straight losses, the Blackhawks managed to rally with a trio of victories, sniping 10 in the process. "We found a way to get ourselves back into it and thats what were looking for," head coach Joel Quenneville said, looking for the split in Boston before heading back to Chicago for Game 5. "We stuck to our game-plan," added Bolland of the process for a comeback against the Red Wings. "We threw pucks at the net, we got bodies to the net and we did things to crowd [Jimmy] Howard." More of the same against the locked in Tuukka Rask is on the agenda. The 26-year-old Bruins keeper owns a .946 save percentage so far in the postseason, a mark that no goaltender - with at least 10 starts - has bested in the past 15 seasons (Jonathan Quick in 2012 and Patrick Lalime in 2002 equaled the mark). Quenneville suggested a rougher and more consistent line to the Boston crease by those without the puck, anything to create a disturbance in front of Rask. "Thats where weve got to be looking to travel and get there," Quenneville said. "And make sure that he doesnt see the puck. Conveniently, we put a lot of pucks right in his mitt; I think weve got to make sure that [we get] better puck placement as well." "They do a good job of protecting their net," added Sharp, "so its tough to do that. When we cant get inside their goaltender makes those saves." Additionally, the Hawks must, according to Bolland, pick their spots for rushes of speed and skill. "They sort of wait for us to make those mistakes and they pounce on them," he said of Bostons stealth neutral zone. Despite the Bruins widening advantage overall, the battle at even-strength is actually equal through three games - each team has scored five - but while the Bruins have scored a pair on the man advantage, the Blackhawks have come up consistently empty - 0 for 11 - their often shambled attempts stunting any chance at momentum. In Game 3 for example, Chicago had two power-plays in an otherwise scoreless first frame and failed to muster much on either. Boston meanwhile, sniped its second of the series from Patrice Bergeron to seal a second straight victory. "They cashed in on their power-play and our power-play slowed us down a little bit," said Quenneville, noting his teams struggles in the faceoff circle, which included six losses on seven draws with the man advantage. More pop and finish from Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews would also aid in the cause. Kane and Toews finished 1-2 in scoring for the Blackhawks during the regular season, but have combined for just a point so far in this series, Toews grinding through a 10-game goal drought. The Chicago captain has been blanketed with the Zdeno Chara treatment throughout, also matched up against the top line of the postseason, the hard to handle trio of David Krejci, Nathan Horton and Milan Lucic. "I know he wants to score," Sharp said of Toews, "but he takes a lot of draws, he plays well defensively, he plays heavy minutes for us. Im not too concerned with [Jonathan], hes a pro, hes knows what hes doing out there." With Hossa sidelined, Toews began Game 3 alongside Marcus Kruger and Michael Frolik before joining Sharp and Viktor Stalberg as the game wore on. The 25-year-old finished with five shots, including one fairly decent chance on a power-play in the first, totaling nearly 19 minutes. Separated so far in the Cup Final, Toews and Kane, who has tallied a single assist against the Bruins, have flashed brilliance together in the past, most recently in the series-clincher against Los Angeles during which they combined for a pair of goals including the overtime winner from Kane. Likely opting for balance throughout the lineup with Chara on the prowl against Toews, Quenneville has kept the duo apart, thus leaving Kane free from the 6-foot-9 mountain that is the Boston captain. But perhaps with his offence stunted in the past two games, Quenneville will turn back to the pair (or opt to reunite Toews and Hossa) though he declined to reveal his plans ahead of Game 4. Ultimately, Chicago will have to find the means to accomplish what Crosby, Malkin and the Penguins could not do and that is to break the grip of an iron-clad defence. Boston has found its swagger again, looking to snatch a second Cup in three years. "We have to win [Wednesday] night," concluded Quenneville. "We come up with a good result and were right where we want to be." Nike Air Force 1 Outlet . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team. Wholesale Nike Air Force 1 Online ., for the next three years with the signings on Monday of Daryl Townsend and Michael Carter. http://www.airforce1wholesale.com/ . -- Jimmie Johnson held off a teammate, passed a pair of Hall of Famers, and dominated once more at Dover. Nike Air Force 1 Clearance .Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled forward Kevin Porter and defenceman Chad Ruhwedel from the minors as part of a five-player roster shuffle made by the NHLs worst team. Wholesale Nike Air Force 1 For Sale . Arsenal failed to take full advantage of its main rivals stumbles on Saturday as substitute Gerard Deulofeu levelled with a hard shot from a tight angle in the 84th minute to give Everton a deserved point. Ahead of a crucial fortnight that will see them play against Napoli in the Champions League, Manchester City and Chelsea, Arsenal leads by five points ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea. ROME -- Novak Djokovic cant seem to find any consistency on clay courts. And with the French Open less than 10 days away, he will enter Roland Garros on the back of two early defeats. The top-ranked Serb wasted a chance to serve out the match and was beaten 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 by sixth-seeded Tomas Berdych in the Italian Open quarterfinals Friday. In the semifinals, Berdych will face six-time Rome champion Rafael Nadal, who defeated fellow Spaniard David Ferrer 6-4, 4-6, 6-2. While he struggled at times, Nadal appeared sharper than in his three-set win over Latvian qualifier Ernests Gulbis a day earlier. In the other half of the draw, Roger Federer overcame an early break in the second set to edge rising Polish player Jerzy Janowicz 6-4, 7-6 (2) in a night match at the Foro Italico. Attempting to win this tournament for the first time, Federers next opponent will be Benoit Paire. The 36th-ranked Frenchman routed Marcel Granollers of Spain 6-1, 6-0 to reach his first Masters series semifinal. In the womens tournament, top-ranked Serena Williams rolled past Spanish opponent Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 6-0 to extend her winning run to a career-best 22 matches. Williams will next face Romanian qualifier Simona Halep, who rallied past two-time Rome champion Jelena Jankovic 4-6, 6-0, 7-5. Meanwhile, two-time defending champion Maria Sharapova withdrew before her quarterfinal against seventh-seeded Sara Errani due to illness. Errani, the first Italian semifinalist in this tournament since Raffaella Reggi won the 1985 event in Taranto, will face third-seeded Victoria Azarenka, who held off ninth-seeded Sam Stosur 6-4, 1-6, 6-3. Its the second consecutive week that Djokovic has struggled, having also lost to Grigor Dimitrov in the second round of the Madrid Open after being bothered by a right ankle injury. Djokovic said he had been playing pain free this week. Still, he will need to get his game in shape in a hurry with the French Open, the years second Grand Slam, starting May 26. "I know I can play well on clay and so I shouldnt allow myself to have these drops, and lets hope it wont happen for Roland Garros," Djokovic said of the only major he hasnt won. "Im fine. I just lost my rhythm." Djokovic served for the match at 5-3 in the second set, but Berdych ripped a backhand winner that landed on the line on his first break point and won the final four games of the set. "Its a very strange situation," Djokovic said. "I played very well and was two points from winning. Then the entire match changed and I was a different player." Its the first time Berdych has reacheed the semifinals in eight appearances in Rome, having been eliminated four times in the quarters.dddddddddddd The tall Czech took control of the match with his big first serve, and by coming forward to angle shots into the corners to set up easy volleys. Djokovic had trouble returning Berdychs first serve and also complained about the courts surface early on. In the third set, Berdych went ahead with an early break and then shook off some nerves to close the match out on his fourth match point with a big serve out wide that Djokovic could barely get his racket on. As overcast skies gave way to sunshine, the court dried out, favouring Berdychs power game. "I lost the concentration," Djokovic said. "I started playing more defensively. ... He started playing more confidently, stepping into the court and taking advantage of his opportunities." It was only Berdychs second win in 15 career meetings with Djokovic, with his only previous victory coming in the 2010 Wimbledon semifinals. It was also only Berdychs fourth win versus a top-ranked player in 20 attempts, with all three previous wins coming against Federer. "He has been for quite a few years just behind the top four," Djokovic said. "Hes able to play big matches. He has proven that. So (he) is definitely a very dangerous player on any surface with a serve like that." Djokovic was 148-4 when winning the first set since 2011, according to the ATP. Williams had twice won 21 in a row before, although both of those runs came a decade ago, in 2002 and 2003. "Ive been pretty consistent, and pretty healthy -- knock on wood," Williams said. "I feel great -- never felt better." Martina Navratilova established the longest womens win run in the Open Era at 74 matches in 1984. Williams only title here came in 2002, when she beat Justine Henin in the final. That was also the year she won her only French Open title. Last year in Paris, Williams lost in the opening round of a major for the first time, falling to 111th-ranked Virginie Razzano of France. Sharapova said he was struggling with an illness she first contracted last week, when she was runner-up to Williams in Madrid, although she showed no problems Thursday as she beat 16th-seeded Sloane Stephens 6-2, 6-1. "I was already a bit off in Madrid and played though it and it came back last night and I got sick again and its not smart to compete again," said Sharapova, adding that she had a fever after beating Stephens. "Obviously with the French Open coming up it is important to make smart decisions." ' ' '