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2010 Stanley Cup finals: Top stars for Blackhawks, Flyers must improve

Chicago Blackhawk vs Vancouver Canucks - Game Four

VANCOUVER, CANADA - MAY 7: Jonathan Toews #19 of the Chicago Blackhawks celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Vancouver Canucks during the second period in Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 07, 2010 at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images)

Rich Lam

The Chicago Blackhawks might have won Game 1 on Saturday, but neither team should be too pleased with their overall efforts. Sure, the Hawks should be happy that their supporting cast contributed so much and the Flyers can at least take some positivity from giving their opponents a good run, but both teams played horrible defense. One other area that both teams want to see improvement is in the work of their top guns.

NHL.com reveals captain Jonathan Toews dejected reaction ... to a win.

“We’re not happy with the way we played, especially in the first couple periods,” said Toews, who had his franchise record 13-game point-scoring streak snapped Saturday. “You’re bound to have a game like that where things don’t go your way. When you look at the score sheet and it doesn’t look pretty for our line. You get ticked off about it and you move on. We’re not going to let it become anything bigger than it actually is.”

On the other end of the fence, NHL.com captures the interestingly upbeat mood of the Flyers’ biggest offensive threats. Philadelphia captain Mike Richards seemed pretty optimistic about bouncing back as the series goes along.

“I thought we had good looks (on Saturday) and just didn’t score, and did everything but, so I think persistence is something we need to have as a line,” Richards said. “We can’t get discouraged by one or two bad bounces.”

It’s an odd scenario, at least when taking quotes and post-game reactions at face value. Members of the winning team seem angry and upset with their play while the squad that came up short is almost full of sunshine. Of course, if Richards and Co. don’t pick up their play in Game 2, my guess is that the reactions won’t be so positive.