Dale Weise finally in right place at the right time

ST. LOUIS — Dale Weise endured a difficult transition to the Blackhawks after he was acquired from the Montreal Canadiens in February. But it was no surprise he became a key player in the Hawks’ run to Game 7 against the Blues on Monday night at Scottrade Center.

Weise, who did not score a goal in 15 regular-season games with the Hawks and was a healthy scratch in Games 1, 2 and 4, played well in the Hawks’ Game 5 victory and scored the game-winning goal in their 6-3 victory in Game 6 at the United Center. It was a nice pay off for a player who persevered through difficult times as a scratched player.

“For sure,” Weise said. “I started to feel comfortable [in Game 5]. My confidence never really wavers. It’s just that when you get the opportunity to play a little more, it’s easier to make plays. And I just tried to carry that [into Game 6] — get on the forecheck, be physical, be north-south. I think that worked.”

Still, it’s a tough situation for a player used to being part of the forward rotation. But Weise, like others in his position, did not make waves and waited for his opportunity.

“You need everybody and it’s a long run if you want to win a championship,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “When you’re on the outside looking in you wonder if you’ll get the opportunity. As a staff, as a teammate, you have make an awareness of guys who aren’t in the lineup that they’re part of the mix and enthusiasm and culture in that, ‘Hey, we need these guys on board.’

“In this case, he’s proven that he’s a very good playoff player and as he’s progressed in this series, he’s come back with a good game [in Game 5] and an excellent game [in Game 6]. I told him earlier to expect to get in here. And he came in and did a great job.”

Weise hoped to continue his knack for big playoff goals in Game 7. In his previous Game 7, with the Canadiens against the Bruins in the 2014 Eastern Conference semifinals, he scored 2:18 into the game — providing the Canadiens with a lead they would not lose in a 3-1 victory.

‘We’re gonna fight, fight, fight …’

Joel Quenneville makes a difference for the Blackhawks — his subtle moves helped rally the Hawks from a 3-1 deficit to force a Game 7 against the Blues on Monday night. But he leaves the motivation to his veteran players and leaders.

“I’m not great at giving motivational speeches,” Quenneville said after the Hawks’ morning skate before Game 7 at Scottrade Center. “We just try to get them excited whatever way we can about playing the right way. From Game 5 on, we wanted to keep the enthusiasm, recapture momentum and build off that.”

Strike first mentality

The Hawks remember the advantage of scoring first and early against the Ducks last year in Game 7 of the Western Conference final. Jonathan Toews scored two goals in the first 13 minutes and the Hawks built a 4-0 lead before coasting to a 5-3 victory.

Coming into this season, road teams were 18-3 when they scored first in Game 7 — including 14-1 since 2010.

“It’s definitely an advantage when the team scores first,” forward Marian Hossa said. “You become more calm, more of a puck-possession team. And I felt like in my career, that’s what’s happened.”

Exorcising demons … or not

The Blues were trying avoid the ignominy of not only losing a 3-1 lead in Game 7, but a fourth consecutive first-round exit. If their history was a problem, they weren’t letting on.

“We don’t talk about the past internally in this room,” Blues captain David Backes, who has been with the Blues for 10 seasons. “We’ve learned lessons and worried about it in the summer.

“Those lessons have been learned. Those demons have been buried. Now we’re moving forward to having great success [in Game 7] and write a new story and new chapter where we talk about [having] success in Game 7 in the first round … and we can perpetuate that moving forward.”

Finishing fast

The Hawks came into Monday night’s game 2-2 in Game 7s under Joel Quenneville, but the two losses were in overtime — 2-1 to the Canucks in Vancouver in 2011 and 5-4 to the Kings at the United Center in 2014.

In fact, the Hawks have never trailed by more than a goal in any of their Quenneville-era Game 7s, and never trailed at all — until the Kings won in OT — in the last three.

“I don’t think there’s really too much nerves involved,” defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson said. “These are the kind of games that you want to play — unless you win in four, five or six.”