Hossa's approach to pivotal Game 4: 'It’s like Game 30 in the regular season'

It's simply another game day for Marian Hossa.

That's the approach the winger is taking into Saturday's critical Game 4 of the Western Conference Final against the Anaheim Ducks, a loss which would put the Chicago Blackhawks on the brink of elimination.

"You know what? It’s like Game 30 in the regular season," Hossa said after the morning skate. "Everybody’s relaxed, everybody’s just going to another game. Everybody knows how important the game is, but nobody speaks. Everybody knows what to do."

That's a mentality that can generally be adopted only after a few trips around the block, a reality backed up by captain Jonathan Toews' reminiscence of Chicago's last run to the Stanley Cup

"I think you can definitely think of when we get down three games to one (against Detroit in 2013) ... you feel like you’re losing hope, and you kind of regain your focus and say 'hey, wait a second, we just got to go out there win the next game and that’s all we need to worry about,'" said Toews. "So you never know until the end."

While the Ducks took Game 1 by a score of 4-1, the past two games have been decided by a single goal, including a triple overtime win for the Blackhawks in Game 2. Another tight contest is likely, with Toews giving the edge to the Blackhawks with the proverbial will to win.

"That’s NHL hockey and it’s playoff hockey," he said. "It comes down to will. It comes down to, as cliché as it is, who wants it more. It’s a big reason why these two teams have made it this far. We want to keep going, so it’s up to us to find a way."

Chicago has indeed found a way in the past, and it's that experience that can help tip the scales in their favor.