NHL: Chicago Blackhawks open Western Conference finals with win

Boston Bruins blank Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 1 of Eastern Conference finals.

Los Angeles Kings centre Trevor Lewis, right, dives for the puck against Chicago Blackhawks centre Michael Frolik during Game 1 of their Western Conference finals on Saturday. Nam Y Huh / AP Photo

Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa scored in the second period, and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 on Saturday in Game 1 of the NHL's Western Conference finals.

Corey Crawford made 21 saves, and the Blackhawks generated just enough offense to improve to 7-1 at home in the play-offs. Crawford faced only two shots in the first period and stopped one.

Game 2 is scheduled for Sunday.

Jonathan Quick stopped 34 shots, and Justin Williams scored for Los Angeles, which has won just one of seven road games in the play-offs. Williams has scored the last three goals for the defending Stanley Cup champion Kings. He was responsible for all of Los Angeles' offence in a 2-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks in Game 7 of the second-round series on Tuesday.

Boston Bruins 3 Pittsburgh Penguins 0

David Krejci scored two more goals during his torrid postseason and Boston shut down Pittsburgh in the opening game of the Eastern Conference finals.

Nathan Horton added an insurance goal in the third period, and Tuukka Rask stopped 29 shots for the Bruins, who silenced Sidney Crosby and the rest of the NHL's top-scoring team.

Pittsburgh came in averaging a league-high 4.27 goals in the play-offs but could not solve Rask. The Penguins hit the post six times and seemed a little bit off following an eight-day break between rounds.

The Bruins were coming off a similar lay-off but had no such issues. Krejci scored early, and the Bruins handed Pittsburgh its worst loss of the play-offs.

Game 2 is Monday night.

Tomas Vokoun stopped 27 shots but surrendered a soft goal to Krejci, and Pittsburgh's sizzling power play cooled off. The Penguins came in leading play-off teams with the man advantage, scoring on 28 per cent of their chances, but they went 0 for 4 in the opener.

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