CHICAGO (AP) ― 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 Western Conference finals.

Corey Crawford made 21 saves, and the Blackhawks generated just enough offense to improve to 7-1 at home in the playoffs.

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 playoffs.

Williams has scored the last three goals for the defending Stanley Cup champion Kings. He was responsible for all of Los Angeles’ offense in a 2-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks in Game 7 of the second-round series on Tuesday.

The Blackhawks and Kings returned to the ice after getting through strenuous second-round series.

Top-seeded Chicago stormed back to beat Detroit after trailing 3-1 in the series, winning Game 7 on Brent Seabrook’s overtime goal Wednesday night. Fifth-seeded Los Angeles was pushed to the brink of elimination by the Sharks in a series in which the home team won every game.

For the first period and much of the second of the conference finals opener, Chicago looked hopeless against Quick and Los Angeles’ talented defensemen.

Rask leads Bruins past Pens

PITTSBURGH (AP) ― Round 1, make that Game 1, to the Boston Bruins.

David Krejci scored two more goals during his torrid postseason and the Bruins shut down the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0 in the opening game of the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night.

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 playoffs but couldn’t solve Rask. The Penguins hit the post six times and seemed a little bit off following an eight-day break between rounds.