CHICAGO -- Kris Versteeg summed it up perfectly.
"It was a lot of fun," Chicago's right wing said after the Blackhawks wacky 6-5 win in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. "And, I almost had a heart attack."
How many fans watching Saturday night actually did need an ambulance or at least a phone nearby so they could dial 9-1-1?
MORE COVERAGE: HOSSA | BRIERE | KOPECKY
"Bizarro night in the NHL" saw the Blackhawks and Flyers combine for 11 goals off 20 assists, and not one of the 31 points came from a first-line player. Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Dustin Byfuglien, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter and Simon Gagne combined to go minus-16.
Bizarro night also had Philadelphia goalie Michael Leighton, he of the three shutouts in the Eastern Conference Final, give up 5 goals on 20 shots in just over 35 minutes before he was mercifully replaced by Brian Boucher.
It had four lead changes and 5 tying goals.
Chicago threw the final punch of the night to gain a 1-0 lead in the series with Game 2 scheduled for Monday back at United Center (8 p.m. ET, NBC, CBC, RDS). But in keeping with theme of the wacky night, the winner came from a player, Tomas Kopecky, who was in the lineup only because of an injury.
A healthy scratch for the last five games, Kopecky was playing because Andrew Ladd's shoulder injury meant he could not. He took Ladd's spot on the third line with Versteeg and Dave Bolland, and the trio combined for the winner with 11:35 to play.
Brent Seabrook kept the puck in the zone at the right point before Bolland sent it into the corner for Versteeg, who zipped a diagonal cross-ice feed to Kopecky's stick. Kopecky skated through the left circle and patiently waited for Boucher to come far enough out of his crease so he couldn't get back in time. Just before he got to the goal line, Kopecky shoveled the puck into the net and started his celebration at the end boards.
"I saw it from the corner, so I thought Boucher took it all away, and he did, but it was just a great goal," Versteeg said. "I think Boucher played the puck perfectly, but it was just a great patient play by him (Kopecky) and a great goal."
There was some thought that the puck actually hit Kopecky while he was still on the edge of bench, and the play should have been blown dead.
"That's neither here nor there right now," Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said. "They scored."
Even though they were putting the pressure on, the Flyers managed only four more shots the rest of the way and finally, after a rough first two periods, Blackhawks goalie Antti Niemi got his wits about him and made some nice saves to preserve the victory.
Niemi wound up with 27 saves against 32 shots, but he was 6-for-6 in the third period.
"I think I felt more comfortable in the first period and then the second was pretty tough," Niemi said. "In the third, I was pretty much waiting for it to end."
He might have been, but the remaining residents in the hockey world were on the edge of their seats for the entire 60 minutes. It wasn't pretty and neither team would like to bottle up their performances for Game 2, but it sure was fun to watch.
The five goals scored in the first period were the most scored in the opening period of a Stanley Cup Final in 28 years. Not that they were trying to outdo themselves, but the Flyers and Blackhawks scored five more in a similarly wild second period.
Ironically, the last time at least 11 goals were scored in a Cup Final game was the last time the Hawks played in a Cup Final game. They lost, 6-5, to Pittsburgh on June 1, 1992 at Chicago Stadium as the Penguins completed the sweep for their second straight title.
Troy Brouwer scored twice and Versteeg, Patrick Sharp and Dave Bolland also tallied for the Hawks.
Bolland's goal, which put the Hawks up 2-1 with 8:10 left in the first period, was off a short-handed breakaway. Brouwer's second goal with 4:42 left was Boucher's cue to come off the bench in relief of Leighton.
Ville Leino staked the Flyers a 1-0 lead 6:38 into the game. Scott Hartnell, Danny Briere, Blair Betts and Arron Asham also scored for Philadelphia. Asham scored his with 71 seconds left in the second period to tie the game at 5-5.
"I don't think we're going to see that every game," Boucher said. "It seemed like every chance that was there had a chance to go in. Some nights it's like that. Tonight was one of those crazy nights."
Boucher hadn't played since suffering a double knee injury in Game 5 against Boston on May 10. He delivered with 11 saves, and didn't feel he could do anything more on Kopecky's game-winner.
"I thought maybe he ran out of room, but he made a pretty good play," Boucher said. "You don't expect him to be that open on a cross-ice play, but he had the poise not to shoot it, just made a pump and deke. It's a good move by him."
As the game unfolded, Versteeg said the Hawks bench got wild.
"It was pretty much just screaming and yelling," he said.
They finally gained some control in the third period.
"The first period was a little jittery for both teams and in the second I still think we were a little bit more emotional than we normally are," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "Then all of a sudden we picked up the tempo, and pace that we wanted to set and continue. That's the standard we want to move on going forward to the next game."
Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger, who led the game with 32:21 of ice time, lamented on the Flyers mental errors. He didn't think nerves were a problem, but a lot needs to be corrected for a better result in Game 2.
"Both teams are confident offensively, but defense wins championships and we need to tighten it up in our own end and play with a little gusto in our own end," Pronger said. "Everybody has a little experience now, got their feet underneath them, and I'm sure we'll tighten things up for Monday."
Monday, May 31, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
RED VS. ORANGE
THE SKINNY--The Flyers and Blackhawks are relative strangers to one another, having played only one regular-season game this, won by the Flyers, 3-2, on March 13. The only time Chicago and Philadelphia met in the playoffs previously was a 1971 Quarterfinals sweep by the Blackhawks.
So there figures to be a feeling-out process early on in the Final as the clubs experience first hand what will have been dissected in great detail prior to Game 1.
What we know this Final will bring is perhaps the most unlikely goaltending matchup in the history of the Stanley Cup Final as Antti Niemi and Michael Leighton, two names far from the tip of the tongue at the start of the season, will look to continue postseason brilliance.
The 2010 Final also will be a showcase of some of the NHL's top young players with both sides able to offer up quite a contingent of precocious talent, Chicago boasting Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. Philadelphia counters with Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Claude Giroux and Ryan Parent.
FORWARDS--Jonathan Toews(7 goals, 19 assists) and Patrick Kane (7-13) are Nos. 1 and 3, respectively, in playoff scoring thus far, but despite those excellent performances, it is the overall balance among the Blackhawks' forwards that has set this team apart.
Patrick Sharp has been just that with 7 goals and 9 assists, and while Marian Hossa (2 goals, 9 assists in 16 games) has been struggling to hit the net, Dustin Byfuglien (8 goals, 2 assists, 16 games, 4 game-winning goals) has been an absolute terror for the opposition, channeling his inner Phil Esposito into a his huge frame.
But wait, there's more. Dave Bollard (5G, 5A), Kris Versteeg (4G, 5A) and Andrew Ladd (2G, 1A) all have played valuable roles for the 'Hawks. Ditto Stanley Cup veteran John Madden (1G in 16 games), whose experience is incalculable to Chicago. Like Chicago, the Flyers have received balanced scoring from two solid offensive lines and two others that are thriving in a checking, two-way role. Philadelphia has five forwards with at least 10 points -- one less than the Blackhawks. The Flyers have four forwards with at least 5 goals -- again, one less than Chicago. Scott Hartnell and Ville Leino are 2 points and 1 goal, respectively, from evening the score.
The top line of captain Mike Richards centering Simon Gagne and Jeff Carter is formidable, though Carter (4-1-5, 6 games) is still finding his way after sitting out 11-straight games with a foot injury. Scoring twice in the series-clinching Game 5 against Montreal was a great sign. Richards is second in postseason points (21) and assists (15). He's also been terrific on the power play with 1 goal and 9 assists, and has recorded an assist on 53 percent of Philadelphia's 17 man-advantage goals. Goal scorers don't come much hotter than Gagne, who has 7 in his last nine games (4 on the power play and 2 game-winners).
Daniel Briere is second on the team in scoring with 18 points and centers the second line with Hartnell and Ville Leino, who would be the top surprise of the playoffs if not for Michael Leighton. Briere's 9 goals are tied for second in the League, and his 4 game-winners are tied for first. Leino arrived in Philly in early February and was a scratch for 14 of 27 games. In the playoffs he's been indispensable with five 2-point performances. Leino leads all rookies with 12 postseason points.
Giroux has stepped up to become a point-a-game playoff performer. He's in the top 10 in points (17), tied for fourth with 8 goals and is second with plus-10 rating.
Hard-nosed winger Ian Laperriere is a guy nobody wants to play against, and his return from a Round 1 concussion also is an emotional lift for the Flyers. Put Arron Asham, Dan Carcillo and Blair Betts in the same category of peskiness.
DEFENSEMEN--What else can you say about Duncan Keith except he is a most worthy Norris Trophy finalist? He has 1 goal and 9 assists in 16 games and as anyone who saw Game 4 against the Sharks knows, Keith is as tough as they come, losing a handful of teeth, but returning to the game.
Brian Campbell is adroit at jumping into the attack and while he has 3 assists in 13 games, he return to the lineup allowed Dustin Byfuglien to return to the forward ranks and added another puck-mover to the defense. Brent Seabrook (3G, 6A in 16 games) is another highly skilled puck-mover and strong all-around player.
Outside of Chicago, Niklas Hjalmarsson was a virtual unknown, but he has been excellent in the playoffs with 1 goal, 4 assists and a plus-6 in 16 games. Veteran Brent Sopel and Jordan Hendry round out Chicago's top six on defense.
Chris Pronger has been remarkable in leading the Flyers back to the Cup Final since 1997. Even at the advanced age of 35 and with nearly 1,300 career games of wear and tear, Pronger is playing a League-leading 28:48 of ice time per game. Thus far he's been one of three players to average better than 4 minutes a game on the power play (4:30) and penalty kill (4:25), along with teammate Kimmo Timonen and Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom. And it's not just that Pronger eats up minutes, but he's scoring too, tied for first in points by a defenseman (14) with San Jose's Dan Boyle. Pronger hasn't scored this many points in a postseason since recording 15 in his Cup-winning year with Anaheim in 2007.
Matt Carle, Pronger's partner, has 10 assists in 17 games while averaging 25:25, and his plus-8 rating is among the League leaders.
GOALIES--There is little doubt that Antti Niemi was unknown to the majority of hockey fans until this season. Now, he is a legitimate Conn Smythe Trophy candidate after leading the Blackhawks to the Final with a splendid brand of goaltending.
Niemi is 12-4 with a 2.33 goals-against average and .921 save percentage and two shutouts.
The unheralded goaltender -- until this postseason -- has been a savior since subbing for injured teammate Brian Boucher. Despite not making an appearance until Game 5 against Boston, Leighton is first in the postseason in goals-against average (1.45), save percentage (.948) and shutouts (3). He has stopped 199 of 210 shots faced and has six wins and one loss.
COACHES--Joel Quennville, Blackhawks -- This will be Joel Quenneville's first trip to the Final, but he is among the most experienced coaches in the NHL with 12 seasons as an NHL head coach, including seven seasons with the Blues and three with the Avalanche. In all, 10 of his 12 teams have made the playoffs and seven have gone to at least the second round.
Quenneville is one of only three men in the history of the NHL to have played in and coached 800 or more games, Quenneville has notched at least 40 wins in eight of his nine full seasons as a head coach, which includes a career-best 51 victories – and 113 points – in 1999-2000 with St. Louis when the team captured the Presidents' Trophy for the league’s best record. Quenneville was awarded the 2000 Jack Adams Trophy as the league’s top coach.
Peter Laviolette, Flyers -- Peter Laviolette has now guided two teams to the Stanley Cup Final in five years, and he's the eighth mid-season replacement coach in NHL history to reach the Final. Unlike when his 2006 Carolina Hurricanes faced little adversity in winning the title, Laviolette has had to maneuver the Flyers through tons of injuries -- most notably to goaltender Brian Boucher -- and perhaps the greatest comeback in playoff history. Whether re-working his lines or keeping his media sessions free of revealing details, Laviolette has been on top of his game in outdueling Jacques Lemaire, Claude Julien and Jacques Martin.
Timonen has 8 assists in 17 games, and 5 have come on the power play, were his 5:06 of man-advantage ice time per game is the best among all players still active in the playoffs. Timonen's partner, Braydon Coburn, is a plus-7.
The combined 35 points from the Flyers' top four defenders is the best in the NHL.
SPECIAL TEAMS--Important safety tip: Do not take penalties at home against the Blackhawks. Chicago is clicking at a 31.2 success rate away from home (10 goals on 32 chances) and is 22.6 for the playoffs, hitting on 14 goals in 62 opportunities.
The Blackhawks are third in the postseason killing penalties, denying the opposition 86.6 percent of the time. The Blackhawks also have scored 3 shorthanded goals in 16 games.
"It just feels like there've been a lot of obstacles. There've been injury situations during the year that have put us in all kinds of different emotions at times, and playing well, and not playing well, and the coaching change, and there's been so much distractions. But since we started the playoffs, it feels like everything has turned around. The focus has been strictly on the game, that next game."
-- Philadelphia's Daniel Briere
In the postseason, the Flyers have the second-ranked penalty killing unit at 87 percent (67-for-77), and only Montreal (84) has been shorthanded more times. They have been slightly better at home (87.5, 35-for-40) than on the road (86.5, 32-for-37). Philadelphia leads the NHL in power-play goals with 17 and is eighth with a success rate of 20.7 (82 chances). They have scored 9 man-advantage goals on the road (20.9 percent, 43 chances) and 8 at home (20.5 percent, 39 chances).
SERIES CHANGER--Dustin Byfuglien, Chicago -- "Big Buff" has been a one-man wrecking crew for the Blackhawks so far, posting up in front of the opposition to screen the goalie and just make life miserable for anyone in a different jersey. Going against Chris Pronger will be one of the most entertaining battles of the Final and one that could determine how the series plays out.
Chris Pronger, Philadelphia -- Chicago has Marian Hossa (3 straight trips to Final), but the Flyers have the hulking defender and dressing room leader who is making his third Stanley Cup Final appearance since 2006 and actually won the Cup (2007, Anaheim), something Hossa can't say. Pronger (6-6, 220) makes all the difference in the world because he can play in any situation and dominate (except for one poor performance in Game 3 against Montreal). He's a lock to lead all skaters in ice time and play against Chicago's top line, specifically to neutralize red hot power forward Dustin Byfuglien (6-4, 257), who enters the Cup with a five-game goal streak.
WHAT IF...--Blackhawks will win if ... They keep on keeping on. The Blackhawks are a finely tuned machine at present with all elements clicking from Niemi in goal to a strong defense and deep and productive forward corps.
Flyers will win if ... Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Byfuglien don't score enough for Chicago. That trio should see plenty of Pronger, Laperriere, Betts and Darroll Powe, especially when the Flyers have the last change in home games. If Philadelphia can put pressure on Chicago's secondary scorers -- Patrick Sharp and Dave Bolland have been ok, Marian Hossa not so much -- to carry the load, the Blackhawks might not enjoy too many leads.
So there figures to be a feeling-out process early on in the Final as the clubs experience first hand what will have been dissected in great detail prior to Game 1.
What we know this Final will bring is perhaps the most unlikely goaltending matchup in the history of the Stanley Cup Final as Antti Niemi and Michael Leighton, two names far from the tip of the tongue at the start of the season, will look to continue postseason brilliance.
The 2010 Final also will be a showcase of some of the NHL's top young players with both sides able to offer up quite a contingent of precocious talent, Chicago boasting Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. Philadelphia counters with Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Claude Giroux and Ryan Parent.
FORWARDS--Jonathan Toews(7 goals, 19 assists) and Patrick Kane (7-13) are Nos. 1 and 3, respectively, in playoff scoring thus far, but despite those excellent performances, it is the overall balance among the Blackhawks' forwards that has set this team apart.
Patrick Sharp has been just that with 7 goals and 9 assists, and while Marian Hossa (2 goals, 9 assists in 16 games) has been struggling to hit the net, Dustin Byfuglien (8 goals, 2 assists, 16 games, 4 game-winning goals) has been an absolute terror for the opposition, channeling his inner Phil Esposito into a his huge frame.
But wait, there's more. Dave Bollard (5G, 5A), Kris Versteeg (4G, 5A) and Andrew Ladd (2G, 1A) all have played valuable roles for the 'Hawks. Ditto Stanley Cup veteran John Madden (1G in 16 games), whose experience is incalculable to Chicago. Like Chicago, the Flyers have received balanced scoring from two solid offensive lines and two others that are thriving in a checking, two-way role. Philadelphia has five forwards with at least 10 points -- one less than the Blackhawks. The Flyers have four forwards with at least 5 goals -- again, one less than Chicago. Scott Hartnell and Ville Leino are 2 points and 1 goal, respectively, from evening the score.
The top line of captain Mike Richards centering Simon Gagne and Jeff Carter is formidable, though Carter (4-1-5, 6 games) is still finding his way after sitting out 11-straight games with a foot injury. Scoring twice in the series-clinching Game 5 against Montreal was a great sign. Richards is second in postseason points (21) and assists (15). He's also been terrific on the power play with 1 goal and 9 assists, and has recorded an assist on 53 percent of Philadelphia's 17 man-advantage goals. Goal scorers don't come much hotter than Gagne, who has 7 in his last nine games (4 on the power play and 2 game-winners).
Daniel Briere is second on the team in scoring with 18 points and centers the second line with Hartnell and Ville Leino, who would be the top surprise of the playoffs if not for Michael Leighton. Briere's 9 goals are tied for second in the League, and his 4 game-winners are tied for first. Leino arrived in Philly in early February and was a scratch for 14 of 27 games. In the playoffs he's been indispensable with five 2-point performances. Leino leads all rookies with 12 postseason points.
Giroux has stepped up to become a point-a-game playoff performer. He's in the top 10 in points (17), tied for fourth with 8 goals and is second with plus-10 rating.
Hard-nosed winger Ian Laperriere is a guy nobody wants to play against, and his return from a Round 1 concussion also is an emotional lift for the Flyers. Put Arron Asham, Dan Carcillo and Blair Betts in the same category of peskiness.
DEFENSEMEN--What else can you say about Duncan Keith except he is a most worthy Norris Trophy finalist? He has 1 goal and 9 assists in 16 games and as anyone who saw Game 4 against the Sharks knows, Keith is as tough as they come, losing a handful of teeth, but returning to the game.
Brian Campbell is adroit at jumping into the attack and while he has 3 assists in 13 games, he return to the lineup allowed Dustin Byfuglien to return to the forward ranks and added another puck-mover to the defense. Brent Seabrook (3G, 6A in 16 games) is another highly skilled puck-mover and strong all-around player.
Outside of Chicago, Niklas Hjalmarsson was a virtual unknown, but he has been excellent in the playoffs with 1 goal, 4 assists and a plus-6 in 16 games. Veteran Brent Sopel and Jordan Hendry round out Chicago's top six on defense.
Chris Pronger has been remarkable in leading the Flyers back to the Cup Final since 1997. Even at the advanced age of 35 and with nearly 1,300 career games of wear and tear, Pronger is playing a League-leading 28:48 of ice time per game. Thus far he's been one of three players to average better than 4 minutes a game on the power play (4:30) and penalty kill (4:25), along with teammate Kimmo Timonen and Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom. And it's not just that Pronger eats up minutes, but he's scoring too, tied for first in points by a defenseman (14) with San Jose's Dan Boyle. Pronger hasn't scored this many points in a postseason since recording 15 in his Cup-winning year with Anaheim in 2007.
Matt Carle, Pronger's partner, has 10 assists in 17 games while averaging 25:25, and his plus-8 rating is among the League leaders.
GOALIES--There is little doubt that Antti Niemi was unknown to the majority of hockey fans until this season. Now, he is a legitimate Conn Smythe Trophy candidate after leading the Blackhawks to the Final with a splendid brand of goaltending.
Niemi is 12-4 with a 2.33 goals-against average and .921 save percentage and two shutouts.
The unheralded goaltender -- until this postseason -- has been a savior since subbing for injured teammate Brian Boucher. Despite not making an appearance until Game 5 against Boston, Leighton is first in the postseason in goals-against average (1.45), save percentage (.948) and shutouts (3). He has stopped 199 of 210 shots faced and has six wins and one loss.
COACHES--Joel Quennville, Blackhawks -- This will be Joel Quenneville's first trip to the Final, but he is among the most experienced coaches in the NHL with 12 seasons as an NHL head coach, including seven seasons with the Blues and three with the Avalanche. In all, 10 of his 12 teams have made the playoffs and seven have gone to at least the second round.
Quenneville is one of only three men in the history of the NHL to have played in and coached 800 or more games, Quenneville has notched at least 40 wins in eight of his nine full seasons as a head coach, which includes a career-best 51 victories – and 113 points – in 1999-2000 with St. Louis when the team captured the Presidents' Trophy for the league’s best record. Quenneville was awarded the 2000 Jack Adams Trophy as the league’s top coach.
Peter Laviolette, Flyers -- Peter Laviolette has now guided two teams to the Stanley Cup Final in five years, and he's the eighth mid-season replacement coach in NHL history to reach the Final. Unlike when his 2006 Carolina Hurricanes faced little adversity in winning the title, Laviolette has had to maneuver the Flyers through tons of injuries -- most notably to goaltender Brian Boucher -- and perhaps the greatest comeback in playoff history. Whether re-working his lines or keeping his media sessions free of revealing details, Laviolette has been on top of his game in outdueling Jacques Lemaire, Claude Julien and Jacques Martin.
Timonen has 8 assists in 17 games, and 5 have come on the power play, were his 5:06 of man-advantage ice time per game is the best among all players still active in the playoffs. Timonen's partner, Braydon Coburn, is a plus-7.
The combined 35 points from the Flyers' top four defenders is the best in the NHL.
SPECIAL TEAMS--Important safety tip: Do not take penalties at home against the Blackhawks. Chicago is clicking at a 31.2 success rate away from home (10 goals on 32 chances) and is 22.6 for the playoffs, hitting on 14 goals in 62 opportunities.
The Blackhawks are third in the postseason killing penalties, denying the opposition 86.6 percent of the time. The Blackhawks also have scored 3 shorthanded goals in 16 games.
"It just feels like there've been a lot of obstacles. There've been injury situations during the year that have put us in all kinds of different emotions at times, and playing well, and not playing well, and the coaching change, and there's been so much distractions. But since we started the playoffs, it feels like everything has turned around. The focus has been strictly on the game, that next game."
-- Philadelphia's Daniel Briere
In the postseason, the Flyers have the second-ranked penalty killing unit at 87 percent (67-for-77), and only Montreal (84) has been shorthanded more times. They have been slightly better at home (87.5, 35-for-40) than on the road (86.5, 32-for-37). Philadelphia leads the NHL in power-play goals with 17 and is eighth with a success rate of 20.7 (82 chances). They have scored 9 man-advantage goals on the road (20.9 percent, 43 chances) and 8 at home (20.5 percent, 39 chances).
SERIES CHANGER--Dustin Byfuglien, Chicago -- "Big Buff" has been a one-man wrecking crew for the Blackhawks so far, posting up in front of the opposition to screen the goalie and just make life miserable for anyone in a different jersey. Going against Chris Pronger will be one of the most entertaining battles of the Final and one that could determine how the series plays out.
Chris Pronger, Philadelphia -- Chicago has Marian Hossa (3 straight trips to Final), but the Flyers have the hulking defender and dressing room leader who is making his third Stanley Cup Final appearance since 2006 and actually won the Cup (2007, Anaheim), something Hossa can't say. Pronger (6-6, 220) makes all the difference in the world because he can play in any situation and dominate (except for one poor performance in Game 3 against Montreal). He's a lock to lead all skaters in ice time and play against Chicago's top line, specifically to neutralize red hot power forward Dustin Byfuglien (6-4, 257), who enters the Cup with a five-game goal streak.
WHAT IF...--Blackhawks will win if ... They keep on keeping on. The Blackhawks are a finely tuned machine at present with all elements clicking from Niemi in goal to a strong defense and deep and productive forward corps.
Flyers will win if ... Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Byfuglien don't score enough for Chicago. That trio should see plenty of Pronger, Laperriere, Betts and Darroll Powe, especially when the Flyers have the last change in home games. If Philadelphia can put pressure on Chicago's secondary scorers -- Patrick Sharp and Dave Bolland have been ok, Marian Hossa not so much -- to carry the load, the Blackhawks might not enjoy too many leads.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
SWEET SWEEP
i am totally speechless. this is just amazing once again BIG BUFF saves the day. Just think about this the blackhawks just swept the #1 seed. if the blackhawks face the #7 seed flyers or the #8 seed canadiens think what they can do to them. I'm also happy because i just went to sports authority a couple minutes after they won and got the western conference champion T-SHIRT. well any ways lets get to the recap. CHICAGO -- Dustin Byfuglien's second winning goal in as many games has the Chicago Blackhawks in their first Stanley Cup Final in 18 years.
Two days after scoring in overtime in Game 3, Byfuglien's power-play goal with 5:55 remaining capped a two-goal rally and gave the Blackhawks a 4-2 victory against the San Jose Sharks in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals on Sunday afternoon.
The victory capped a four-game sweep and gives Chicago a chance to play for its first championship since 1961.
"It doesn't get any better," defenseman Duncan Keith said in an on-ice interview immediately following the game. "This is what we play for and dream of since we're kids. It's going to be a hell of a time and we're going to have a lot of fun."
Byfuglien's goal was set up after Dany Heatley took a slashing penalty against Patrick Kane. With the power play in its waning seconds, Kane fired the puck toward the crease, where Byfuglien was able to stuff the puck past Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov. It was his third game-winning goal of the series, as he also had the decisive tally in Game 1.
The bedlam officially started when Kris Versteeg scored into an empty net with 42 seconds remaining.
Dave Bolland and Brent Seabrook scored in the second period for the Blackhawks to erase a 2-0 deficit. Patrick Marleau picked up his eighth of the playoffs, while Logan Couture also scored for the Sharks.
"They certainly deserved the series," San Jose coach Todd McLellan said. "I thought we played hard with them. We competed with them. You know, we battled. We were in every minute of every game, but we were the second-place team."
Antti Niemi hardly broke a sweat while making just 16 saves. Nabokov wasn't much busier, stopping 23 of 26 shots.
"We didn't get the start we wanted but we stuck with it," Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews said. "We wanted to get it done at home. It was just four games, but it felt longer than that."
For the third time in those four games, the Sharks struck first.
Devin Setoguchi fired a long shot from the left wing boards that didn't get through to Niemi. However, it took a fortuitous bounce off the stick of Keith and right onto the tape of Couture, who whipped a quick wrister over Niemi's catching glove at 11:08.
The Blackhawks struggled to find their game in the first period. After 15 minutes of play, they had just one shot on goal. They also lost Andrew Ladd to an undisclosed injury, forcing coach Joel Quenneville to mix and match his bottom-eight forwards for the rest of the game.
San Jose grabbed a 2-0 lead 7:35 into the second period thanks to some great defense and a lucky bounce.
With the Blackhawks on a power play, Kane was set up in the right circle for a one-timer into a mostly empty net. But Sharks defenseman Marc Edouard Vlasic went down to block the shot. The puck found Marleau, who tried to send it the length of the ice.
That's when good fortune found the Sharks.
Marleau's clearing attempt caught Keith up high around his face and stunned him. Marleau was able to start the shorthanded rush the other way. Vlasic moved up on the 3-on-2 and set up Marleau for the one-timer that gave the Sharks their first two-goal lead of the series.
"We got some bad breaks, Dunc got one in the mouth that caused a goal, but we stayed with it," center John Madden said.
The Blackhawks appeared to cut the lead to 2-1 with a power-play goal with 7:12 left in the second period, but the goal was waved off because Toews cross-checked Vlasic to the ice seconds before the puck crossed the line.
Just 27 seconds later, the Blackhawks did get on the board, but it wasn't easy.
The teams were skating 4-on-4 with Toews in the box for his cross check on Vlasic and Heatley in the box for hooking Brian Campbell. The open ice gave Seabrook enough room to glide to the front of the net and get a shot on Nabokov. The puck sat at Nabokov's feet for what seemed like an eternity before it was whacked through his legs.
However, it was originally ruled no goal because the puck was quickly swept back out of the net. Replays showed the puck crossed the line entirely and the goal was awarded to Seabrook, his third of the postseason.
Bolland drew the Blackhawks even with his fifth goal of the playoffs with 1:22 left in the second period. He beat Couture to the puck behind the net and wheeled out in front. His wrist shot ricocheted off the mid-section of Sharks defenseman and past Nabokov to set the stage for the decisive third period.
The Sharks nearly grabbed the lead in the first minute of the final period when Setoguchi let a long wrist shot go that hit Marleau on the way to the net, then the crossbar. But the rebound landed in the crease and Niemi covered it.
Two days after scoring in overtime in Game 3, Byfuglien's power-play goal with 5:55 remaining capped a two-goal rally and gave the Blackhawks a 4-2 victory against the San Jose Sharks in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals on Sunday afternoon.
The victory capped a four-game sweep and gives Chicago a chance to play for its first championship since 1961.
"It doesn't get any better," defenseman Duncan Keith said in an on-ice interview immediately following the game. "This is what we play for and dream of since we're kids. It's going to be a hell of a time and we're going to have a lot of fun."
Byfuglien's goal was set up after Dany Heatley took a slashing penalty against Patrick Kane. With the power play in its waning seconds, Kane fired the puck toward the crease, where Byfuglien was able to stuff the puck past Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov. It was his third game-winning goal of the series, as he also had the decisive tally in Game 1.
The bedlam officially started when Kris Versteeg scored into an empty net with 42 seconds remaining.
Dave Bolland and Brent Seabrook scored in the second period for the Blackhawks to erase a 2-0 deficit. Patrick Marleau picked up his eighth of the playoffs, while Logan Couture also scored for the Sharks.
"They certainly deserved the series," San Jose coach Todd McLellan said. "I thought we played hard with them. We competed with them. You know, we battled. We were in every minute of every game, but we were the second-place team."
Antti Niemi hardly broke a sweat while making just 16 saves. Nabokov wasn't much busier, stopping 23 of 26 shots.
"We didn't get the start we wanted but we stuck with it," Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews said. "We wanted to get it done at home. It was just four games, but it felt longer than that."
For the third time in those four games, the Sharks struck first.
Devin Setoguchi fired a long shot from the left wing boards that didn't get through to Niemi. However, it took a fortuitous bounce off the stick of Keith and right onto the tape of Couture, who whipped a quick wrister over Niemi's catching glove at 11:08.
The Blackhawks struggled to find their game in the first period. After 15 minutes of play, they had just one shot on goal. They also lost Andrew Ladd to an undisclosed injury, forcing coach Joel Quenneville to mix and match his bottom-eight forwards for the rest of the game.
San Jose grabbed a 2-0 lead 7:35 into the second period thanks to some great defense and a lucky bounce.
With the Blackhawks on a power play, Kane was set up in the right circle for a one-timer into a mostly empty net. But Sharks defenseman Marc Edouard Vlasic went down to block the shot. The puck found Marleau, who tried to send it the length of the ice.
That's when good fortune found the Sharks.
Marleau's clearing attempt caught Keith up high around his face and stunned him. Marleau was able to start the shorthanded rush the other way. Vlasic moved up on the 3-on-2 and set up Marleau for the one-timer that gave the Sharks their first two-goal lead of the series.
"We got some bad breaks, Dunc got one in the mouth that caused a goal, but we stayed with it," center John Madden said.
The Blackhawks appeared to cut the lead to 2-1 with a power-play goal with 7:12 left in the second period, but the goal was waved off because Toews cross-checked Vlasic to the ice seconds before the puck crossed the line.
Just 27 seconds later, the Blackhawks did get on the board, but it wasn't easy.
The teams were skating 4-on-4 with Toews in the box for his cross check on Vlasic and Heatley in the box for hooking Brian Campbell. The open ice gave Seabrook enough room to glide to the front of the net and get a shot on Nabokov. The puck sat at Nabokov's feet for what seemed like an eternity before it was whacked through his legs.
However, it was originally ruled no goal because the puck was quickly swept back out of the net. Replays showed the puck crossed the line entirely and the goal was awarded to Seabrook, his third of the postseason.
Bolland drew the Blackhawks even with his fifth goal of the playoffs with 1:22 left in the second period. He beat Couture to the puck behind the net and wheeled out in front. His wrist shot ricocheted off the mid-section of Sharks defenseman and past Nabokov to set the stage for the decisive third period.
The Sharks nearly grabbed the lead in the first minute of the final period when Setoguchi let a long wrist shot go that hit Marleau on the way to the net, then the crossbar. But the rebound landed in the crease and Niemi covered it.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
THIS THING COULD HAPPEN
CHICAGO -- What a difference a year makes.
The young, wide-eyed Chicago Blackhawks were admittedly just happy to participate in the 2009 Western Conference Finals against the Detroit Red Wings and were bounced in five games. This year's more grizzled, playoff-savvy team didn't take anything for granted against the San Jose Sharks in Game 3 of the West Finals on Friday night.
After relinquishing a one-goal lead with 4:23 left in the third period, the Blackhawks showed toughness and resiliency before Dustin Byfuglien ignited the United Center by scoring 7:36 into overtime to give Chicago a 3-2 victory and 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series."I think last year, it was almost like we were in the situation where we felt good to be there. It was exciting," said Patrick Kane, who has four assists in this series after having just 1 goal and 1 assist in last year's West Final. "It was almost like it wasn't supposed to happen for such a young team. Everyone was making us out to be such a young team.
"I think this year we gained some experience from what we had last year. We've been on a pretty good roll."
Seven wins in eight games is a roll that has Chicago one win from a trip to the Stanley Cup Final. The last time the Blackhawks won it all was 1961, and they will look to return to the Final for the first time since 1992 by sweeping the Sharks out the door in Game 4 on Sunday.
"You often hear people say the fourth win is the hardest to win in a playoff series, and we expect that's going to be the case," Blackhawks center Patrick Sharp said. "We don't want to go back to San Jose and play in that building. It's a tough one to play in. We're in a good position, but the series is far from over."
Just in case the Blackhawks have any thoughts of coasting and winning one of the next four games, coach Joel Quenneville can pop in a DVD of highlights of the Philadelphia Flyers' epic comeback from a 3-0 deficit against the Boston Bruins in this year's Eastern Conference Semifinals.
And with the Sharks showing no signs of having their confidence shaken by three straight losses, there's no reason to think Sunday's Game 4 will be a walkover for the Blackhawks.
"We're down 3-0 and we're not going to quit, that's all I can say," Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle said. "We need something good to happen to us, a good bounce to turn this thing around. Regardless had (the Flyers) done it or not, we'd still be believing in ourselves that we can come back. But seeing that it just happened, we know that it can happen."
After a scoreless first period, the Sharks used a 5-on-3 power play to open the scoring.
by far San Jose's most effective player in this series, snapped a rebound over the catching glove of Antti Niemi to make it 1-0. It was the first of two goals in the game for Marleau, who has four of the Sharks' five goals in this series.
But Patrick Sharp answered with a power-play goal of his own 3:01 later. He slammed home a cross-crease pass from Jonathan Toews, who extended his point-scoring streak to a franchise record 12 games with the assist.
The game remained tied at 1-1 until late in the third period thanks mostly to the outstanding play of Niemi, who stopped 44 shots in a game for the second time this series. He has stopped 113 of 118 shots in three games.
"If no one knows who Antti Niemi is, they know him now," Blackhawks defenseman Brian Campbell said.
"We have confidence in Antti and we have all year," Blackhawks center Patrick Sharp said. "He's proven to a lot of people what kind of goalie he is, especially in this series. I know our captain's doing a heck of a job over there, but Antti's our MVP. He's been solid every game and hopefully it stays that way."
Dave Bolland was on the verge of being the goat after he took his third minor penalty of the game with 9:25 left in the third period. He was in the penalty box for Marleau's power-play goal, and it looked like he could be there for another goal at a crucial time in the game.
But the Blackhawks killed it off, and 30 seconds later, Bolland beat Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov on a breakaway to put his team ahead 2-1.
The lead would be short-lived, however, as Marleau's second goal of the game with 4:23 remaining evened the score and led to overtime.
The Sharks had a couple great chances to win in overtime, perhaps none better than Devin Setoguchi's chance from the right faceoff circle that was stopped by Niemi. Not long after, Byfuglien became the hero.
Defenseman Brian Campbell made a great play to hold the puck in the zone and send it behind the net for Bolland. The checking-line center capped off his brilliant offensive night by feeding a streaking Byfuglien in the slot for the winner that blew the roof off the United Center.
Now it's just a matter of closing out the series.
"As soon as we get away from playing our game, you know, we're a mediocre, average team," Toews said "We got to go out there, work hard, stick to our guns, stick to how we learned to play this year. That way we're going to be tough to beat." THIS YEAR MIGHT BE THE YEAR
The young, wide-eyed Chicago Blackhawks were admittedly just happy to participate in the 2009 Western Conference Finals against the Detroit Red Wings and were bounced in five games. This year's more grizzled, playoff-savvy team didn't take anything for granted against the San Jose Sharks in Game 3 of the West Finals on Friday night.
After relinquishing a one-goal lead with 4:23 left in the third period, the Blackhawks showed toughness and resiliency before Dustin Byfuglien ignited the United Center by scoring 7:36 into overtime to give Chicago a 3-2 victory and 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series."I think last year, it was almost like we were in the situation where we felt good to be there. It was exciting," said Patrick Kane, who has four assists in this series after having just 1 goal and 1 assist in last year's West Final. "It was almost like it wasn't supposed to happen for such a young team. Everyone was making us out to be such a young team.
"I think this year we gained some experience from what we had last year. We've been on a pretty good roll."
Seven wins in eight games is a roll that has Chicago one win from a trip to the Stanley Cup Final. The last time the Blackhawks won it all was 1961, and they will look to return to the Final for the first time since 1992 by sweeping the Sharks out the door in Game 4 on Sunday.
"You often hear people say the fourth win is the hardest to win in a playoff series, and we expect that's going to be the case," Blackhawks center Patrick Sharp said. "We don't want to go back to San Jose and play in that building. It's a tough one to play in. We're in a good position, but the series is far from over."
Just in case the Blackhawks have any thoughts of coasting and winning one of the next four games, coach Joel Quenneville can pop in a DVD of highlights of the Philadelphia Flyers' epic comeback from a 3-0 deficit against the Boston Bruins in this year's Eastern Conference Semifinals.
And with the Sharks showing no signs of having their confidence shaken by three straight losses, there's no reason to think Sunday's Game 4 will be a walkover for the Blackhawks.
"We're down 3-0 and we're not going to quit, that's all I can say," Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle said. "We need something good to happen to us, a good bounce to turn this thing around. Regardless had (the Flyers) done it or not, we'd still be believing in ourselves that we can come back. But seeing that it just happened, we know that it can happen."
After a scoreless first period, the Sharks used a 5-on-3 power play to open the scoring.
by far San Jose's most effective player in this series, snapped a rebound over the catching glove of Antti Niemi to make it 1-0. It was the first of two goals in the game for Marleau, who has four of the Sharks' five goals in this series.
But Patrick Sharp answered with a power-play goal of his own 3:01 later. He slammed home a cross-crease pass from Jonathan Toews, who extended his point-scoring streak to a franchise record 12 games with the assist.
The game remained tied at 1-1 until late in the third period thanks mostly to the outstanding play of Niemi, who stopped 44 shots in a game for the second time this series. He has stopped 113 of 118 shots in three games.
"If no one knows who Antti Niemi is, they know him now," Blackhawks defenseman Brian Campbell said.
"We have confidence in Antti and we have all year," Blackhawks center Patrick Sharp said. "He's proven to a lot of people what kind of goalie he is, especially in this series. I know our captain's doing a heck of a job over there, but Antti's our MVP. He's been solid every game and hopefully it stays that way."
Dave Bolland was on the verge of being the goat after he took his third minor penalty of the game with 9:25 left in the third period. He was in the penalty box for Marleau's power-play goal, and it looked like he could be there for another goal at a crucial time in the game.
But the Blackhawks killed it off, and 30 seconds later, Bolland beat Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov on a breakaway to put his team ahead 2-1.
The lead would be short-lived, however, as Marleau's second goal of the game with 4:23 remaining evened the score and led to overtime.
The Sharks had a couple great chances to win in overtime, perhaps none better than Devin Setoguchi's chance from the right faceoff circle that was stopped by Niemi. Not long after, Byfuglien became the hero.
Defenseman Brian Campbell made a great play to hold the puck in the zone and send it behind the net for Bolland. The checking-line center capped off his brilliant offensive night by feeding a streaking Byfuglien in the slot for the winner that blew the roof off the United Center.
Now it's just a matter of closing out the series.
"As soon as we get away from playing our game, you know, we're a mediocre, average team," Toews said "We got to go out there, work hard, stick to our guns, stick to how we learned to play this year. That way we're going to be tough to beat." THIS YEAR MIGHT BE THE YEAR
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
playing at home on the road
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Dustin Byfuglien and Jonathan Toews scored on deflections 90 seconds apart in the second period and the Chicago Blackhawks rolled to their record-tying seventh straight road win in the playoffs, 4-2 over the San Jose Sharks in Game 2 of the Western Conference final Tuesday night.
Andrew Ladd and Troy Brouwer also scored and Antti Niemi made 25 saves for the Blackhawks, who have a 2-0 series lead. This is the closest Chicago has been to making the Stanley Cup finals since getting there in 1992.
The series moves to Chicago for Game 3 on Friday night and Game 4 on Sunday. That may not be the best thing for the Blackhawks, who are only 3-3 at home this postseason.
Chicago has had its greatest success on the road, clinching the first two series in Nashville and Vancouver before taking the first two against the top-seeded Sharks in a heavyweight conference final.
The Blackhawks are the fifth team to win seven straight road games in a postseason, joining Colorado (1999), New Jersey (1995) and the New York Islanders (1980 and '82), according to STATS LLC.
Patrick Marleau scored both goals for the Sharks, who dropped to 0-5 at home in two trips to the conference final. They also lost the first two at home to Calgary in 2004 before tying the series with two road wins. They lost Game 5 at home and were eliminated the following game — the closest they've ever been to the Stanley Cup.
Now, unless they can win at least one game in Chicago to avoid the sweep, the Sharks won't have another shot to win at home this postseason. San Jose has lost all seven playoff series after falling behind 2-0.
Byfuglien also played a big role in the opener, scoring the tiebreaking goal in the third period.
Andrew Ladd and Troy Brouwer also scored and Antti Niemi made 25 saves for the Blackhawks, who have a 2-0 series lead. This is the closest Chicago has been to making the Stanley Cup finals since getting there in 1992.
The series moves to Chicago for Game 3 on Friday night and Game 4 on Sunday. That may not be the best thing for the Blackhawks, who are only 3-3 at home this postseason.
Chicago has had its greatest success on the road, clinching the first two series in Nashville and Vancouver before taking the first two against the top-seeded Sharks in a heavyweight conference final.
The Blackhawks are the fifth team to win seven straight road games in a postseason, joining Colorado (1999), New Jersey (1995) and the New York Islanders (1980 and '82), according to STATS LLC.
Patrick Marleau scored both goals for the Sharks, who dropped to 0-5 at home in two trips to the conference final. They also lost the first two at home to Calgary in 2004 before tying the series with two road wins. They lost Game 5 at home and were eliminated the following game — the closest they've ever been to the Stanley Cup.
Now, unless they can win at least one game in Chicago to avoid the sweep, the Sharks won't have another shot to win at home this postseason. San Jose has lost all seven playoff series after falling behind 2-0.
Byfuglien also played a big role in the opener, scoring the tiebreaking goal in the third period.
just 8 more to go
What a fitting way to cap a series. There's no doubt now that the Blackhawks are better than the Vancouver Canucks. Not after the way they dispatched them, 5-1, on Tuesday.
Not now that they've eliminated the Canucks in the Western Conference semifinals for the second year in a row, again winning the series, 4-2.
The Hawks had their chances Tuesday, and they took advantage. The previously benched Troy Brouwer got a redemption goal, Dave Bolland got a shorthanded goal, and Vancouver enemy-in-chief Dustin Byfuglien got a rub-it-in goal.
The Hawks got their wish to avoid Game 7. Given the way the Hawks beat up the Canucks in this series, that's for the best.
As though it wouldn't have been uncomfortable enough for the Hawks to play an elimination game, watching Vancouver defenseman Sami Salo grimace his way through it with that cringe-inducing groin injury would have made it even worse.
The Hawks said before they left that they had packed their bags for the trip to Vancouver, and for their next stop, San Jose.
Then before the game, Hawks center Adam Burish called the game a "must-win," which can be a risky proposition when a game really isn't.
There was an awful lot about winning, dictating the pace of the game, a lot of confidence in general on the Hawks side, especially for a road game against a desperate opponent.
The Hawks backed up the talk. On Tuesday, as they had for most of the series, they showed that they were the more skilled team. They were the harder-hitting team. They were the mentally tougher team.
They will continue to advance through the playoffs until they meet their equal; few teams this postseason have shown the bounce-back ability that the Hawks have.
After world-class goaltender Roberto Luongo shut them down in Game 5 at the United Center, rapid-fire goals by Patrick Kane and Dustin Byfuglien put the game away and had the Vancouver fans jeering him in the third period.
They held Henrik Sedin, the NHL's leading scorer, off the scoresheet for the game and to only two goals for the series. His brother, Daniel, did worse – only one goal for the series for him.
Not to mention that they won all three games played at GM Place, where the Canucks won 30 games on their home ice. That was best in the NHL.
It's a good series win for the Hawks. But beating the Canucks to reach the Western Conference finals isn't anything the Hawks haven't done. We saw this last year.
The next series against top-seeded San Jose will be the one that shows whether the Blackhawks are a better team than last year.
If they play with the skill and resolve they showed in this series, they will win that one, too.
Not now that they've eliminated the Canucks in the Western Conference semifinals for the second year in a row, again winning the series, 4-2.
The Hawks had their chances Tuesday, and they took advantage. The previously benched Troy Brouwer got a redemption goal, Dave Bolland got a shorthanded goal, and Vancouver enemy-in-chief Dustin Byfuglien got a rub-it-in goal.
The Hawks got their wish to avoid Game 7. Given the way the Hawks beat up the Canucks in this series, that's for the best.
As though it wouldn't have been uncomfortable enough for the Hawks to play an elimination game, watching Vancouver defenseman Sami Salo grimace his way through it with that cringe-inducing groin injury would have made it even worse.
The Hawks said before they left that they had packed their bags for the trip to Vancouver, and for their next stop, San Jose.
Then before the game, Hawks center Adam Burish called the game a "must-win," which can be a risky proposition when a game really isn't.
There was an awful lot about winning, dictating the pace of the game, a lot of confidence in general on the Hawks side, especially for a road game against a desperate opponent.
The Hawks backed up the talk. On Tuesday, as they had for most of the series, they showed that they were the more skilled team. They were the harder-hitting team. They were the mentally tougher team.
They will continue to advance through the playoffs until they meet their equal; few teams this postseason have shown the bounce-back ability that the Hawks have.
After world-class goaltender Roberto Luongo shut them down in Game 5 at the United Center, rapid-fire goals by Patrick Kane and Dustin Byfuglien put the game away and had the Vancouver fans jeering him in the third period.
They held Henrik Sedin, the NHL's leading scorer, off the scoresheet for the game and to only two goals for the series. His brother, Daniel, did worse – only one goal for the series for him.
Not to mention that they won all three games played at GM Place, where the Canucks won 30 games on their home ice. That was best in the NHL.
It's a good series win for the Hawks. But beating the Canucks to reach the Western Conference finals isn't anything the Hawks haven't done. We saw this last year.
The next series against top-seeded San Jose will be the one that shows whether the Blackhawks are a better team than last year.
If they play with the skill and resolve they showed in this series, they will win that one, too.
WAY TO COMEBACK
Go ahead, pick a cliche. It's not about how you start, it's how you finish. Better late than never. Never say die. There's not a wrong answer. They all apply.
Well, the Chicago Blackhawks were about finished after a miserable opening five minutes that saw them fall behind by two quick goals. But the gritty group proved resilient yet again as the Hawks rallied with three unanswered goals in the third period to elate a nervous United Center crowd in a 4-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks that ties the Western Conference Semifinal at a game apiece.
Kris Versteeg made a lot of plays - some good, some bad. But none was more important than the game-winning goal with 90 seconds left in a 2-2 contest. After the puck dribbled off the end of his blade during a 3-on-1 rush, the Hawks cycled the play back around to the winger in the right circle and Versteeg wristed a shot over Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo.
Brent Seabrook assisted on Versteeg's decisive strike as the physical defenseman was a force all night. He finished with one goal, two assists, eight hits and was a plus-four. Seabrook's complete performance was matched by goaltender Antti Niemi, who finished with 24 saves after surving a first period onslaught by the Canucks.
The Finnish netminder was the Blackhawks only line of defense against a swift Canucks attack in the opening minutes of the game. Mason Raymond struck 1:22 into the first period after driving the net and snapping a rebound over Niemi's shoulder. Vancouver's second tally was with a 2-man advantage after the Hawks received two consecutive delay of game infractions. Henrik Sedin waited until Brent Sopel allowed a passing lane and then dished the puck to Mikael Samuelsson who had an empty net for an easy 2-0 Canucks lead with 5:02 elasped in the game.
It was the new additions to the Blackhawks lineup that allowed head coach Joel Quenneville a chance to change momentum. John Madden was joined by both Adam Burish and Ben Eager. Neither hit the scoresheet, but their impact was felt. When the Hawks hit a lull, Q sent the fourth line out for a boost. Burish's hard work was rewarded with an unsuccessful breakway effort in a scoreless second period.
When the Hawks did build momentum, the buzz was killed by their own listless powerplay that mustered two shots in an 0-for-2 effort. As has been the case for much of the season, the Blackhawks proved more dangerous while shorthanded. Patrick Sharp went forehand-backhand around Luongo with Versteeg driving the net to tie the score 2-2 at 6:49 of the third period. If you take away Patrick Kane's empty netter that was assisted by Jonathan Toews, Sharp was the only "big gun" to get his name on the scoresheet when it mattered.
The Canucks will be kicking themselves all the way back to Vancouver as the visitors let a golden opportunity slip away. The Hawks had 14 giveaways that the Canucks weren't able to turn into a 2-0 series lead. They tried to sit on the lead and the Hawks finally made them pay.
It was a more physical contest then Game 1 with the Hawks holding a 38-31 edge in hits, but it still lacked the after-whistle chippiness that is sure to come as the series heads to the Great Northwest. After a flat opening, the Hawks played with a reckless abandon while the Canucks continued to display a calm steadiness. One would think that Vancouver will release their bottled-up emotions sooner or later.
The Hawks victory does little to ease the doubters among us. They were whiskers from being down three in the first and inches from falling down by two late in the second. But pessimists would have tuned out after the dreadful beginning. If the current group of Hawks have taught us anything, it's to never count them out.
Quenneville will almost certainly have more changes to the lineup when the teams step on the ice Wednesday night in Vancouver. Troy Brouwer began the night skating with Kane and Toews but was benched after a terrible start. Buff started the night on the blueline and then ended it with the young guns. And Marian Hossa and Tomas Kopecky combined for a lot of hard work but accomplished very little. Plus, Dave Bolland won 4 out of 15 faceoffs. A 27% win percentage won't do for a supposed third line defensive center.
But, hey, why talk about the Hawks problems. The Hawks have the Canucks right were they want them. At least that's what I think Quenneville said in his post-game remarks. Is he right?
Well, the Chicago Blackhawks were about finished after a miserable opening five minutes that saw them fall behind by two quick goals. But the gritty group proved resilient yet again as the Hawks rallied with three unanswered goals in the third period to elate a nervous United Center crowd in a 4-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks that ties the Western Conference Semifinal at a game apiece.
Kris Versteeg made a lot of plays - some good, some bad. But none was more important than the game-winning goal with 90 seconds left in a 2-2 contest. After the puck dribbled off the end of his blade during a 3-on-1 rush, the Hawks cycled the play back around to the winger in the right circle and Versteeg wristed a shot over Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo.
Brent Seabrook assisted on Versteeg's decisive strike as the physical defenseman was a force all night. He finished with one goal, two assists, eight hits and was a plus-four. Seabrook's complete performance was matched by goaltender Antti Niemi, who finished with 24 saves after surving a first period onslaught by the Canucks.
The Finnish netminder was the Blackhawks only line of defense against a swift Canucks attack in the opening minutes of the game. Mason Raymond struck 1:22 into the first period after driving the net and snapping a rebound over Niemi's shoulder. Vancouver's second tally was with a 2-man advantage after the Hawks received two consecutive delay of game infractions. Henrik Sedin waited until Brent Sopel allowed a passing lane and then dished the puck to Mikael Samuelsson who had an empty net for an easy 2-0 Canucks lead with 5:02 elasped in the game.
It was the new additions to the Blackhawks lineup that allowed head coach Joel Quenneville a chance to change momentum. John Madden was joined by both Adam Burish and Ben Eager. Neither hit the scoresheet, but their impact was felt. When the Hawks hit a lull, Q sent the fourth line out for a boost. Burish's hard work was rewarded with an unsuccessful breakway effort in a scoreless second period.
When the Hawks did build momentum, the buzz was killed by their own listless powerplay that mustered two shots in an 0-for-2 effort. As has been the case for much of the season, the Blackhawks proved more dangerous while shorthanded. Patrick Sharp went forehand-backhand around Luongo with Versteeg driving the net to tie the score 2-2 at 6:49 of the third period. If you take away Patrick Kane's empty netter that was assisted by Jonathan Toews, Sharp was the only "big gun" to get his name on the scoresheet when it mattered.
The Canucks will be kicking themselves all the way back to Vancouver as the visitors let a golden opportunity slip away. The Hawks had 14 giveaways that the Canucks weren't able to turn into a 2-0 series lead. They tried to sit on the lead and the Hawks finally made them pay.
It was a more physical contest then Game 1 with the Hawks holding a 38-31 edge in hits, but it still lacked the after-whistle chippiness that is sure to come as the series heads to the Great Northwest. After a flat opening, the Hawks played with a reckless abandon while the Canucks continued to display a calm steadiness. One would think that Vancouver will release their bottled-up emotions sooner or later.
The Hawks victory does little to ease the doubters among us. They were whiskers from being down three in the first and inches from falling down by two late in the second. But pessimists would have tuned out after the dreadful beginning. If the current group of Hawks have taught us anything, it's to never count them out.
Quenneville will almost certainly have more changes to the lineup when the teams step on the ice Wednesday night in Vancouver. Troy Brouwer began the night skating with Kane and Toews but was benched after a terrible start. Buff started the night on the blueline and then ended it with the young guns. And Marian Hossa and Tomas Kopecky combined for a lot of hard work but accomplished very little. Plus, Dave Bolland won 4 out of 15 faceoffs. A 27% win percentage won't do for a supposed third line defensive center.
But, hey, why talk about the Hawks problems. The Hawks have the Canucks right were they want them. At least that's what I think Quenneville said in his post-game remarks. Is he right?
4 WINS, 12 MORE TO GO
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Chicago Blackhawks are moving on thanks to strong penalty killing and a couple of key bounces of the puck.
Jonathan Toews scored a power-play goal to cap a wild first period that featured one goal off Patrick Kane's toe near mid-ice, and the Blackhawks held on for a 5-3 victory over the Nashville Predators on Monday night. Chicago advanced to the Western Conference semifinals for the second straight year.
"We played like we had to win this game, and the first period had more action than we've seen," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said.
"The start of this game really was not just offense but unpredictability of the game," he added. "I thought we settled down after that. We had a chance to win. You don't want to play any extra games, you don't want to play any extra shifts. ... Now we've got Vancouver again."
The Blackhawks won the final three games of the series, setting up a second-round matchup with the Canucks for the second consecutive season. Chicago hasn't lost a Game 6 with the chance to eliminate an opponent since 1995.
Nashville has been eliminated in all five of its postseason appearances on home ice.
"There is a loss for words right now," said Nashville captain Jason Arnott, who scored his only two goals of the series Monday. "We work all season, had a great opportunity, and let it slip away. It's tough to handle."
The Predators, who blew a lead with 13.6 seconds left in regulation in Game 5 on Saturday, scored three more goals than they had in two previous Game 6 losses. But they couldn't beat Antti Niemi in the final two periods even when getting three power plays within 4:29 of the third.
Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith said the Blackhawks didn't want to go back home for Game 7.
"There is plays where you have to take penalties ... What can you do? You go in the box, and we dealt with it. I thought we did a good job of not panicking," Keith said.
Chicago led 4-3 going into the third, where Nashville outshot the Blackhawks 15-3. The rookie goalie Niemi stopped Martin Erat in front with 85 seconds left. Nashville pulled goalie Pekka Rinne with 1:15 remaining, but John Madden scored an empty-netter with 7.8 seconds left to seal the victory.
Toews also had two assists, feeding Madden on the empty-netter. Keith and Patrick Sharp each had a goal and an assist, and Patrick Kane had a goal. Marian Hossa added three assists in a game Nashville wanted him to miss. The Predators thought Hossa deserved to be suspended for a boarding penalty against defenseman Dan Hamhuis in the Blackhawks' 5-4 overtime win Saturday in Chicago.
So nearly every time Hossa stepped onto the ice, the sellout crowd booed loudly.
Shea Weber also had a goal for Nashville.
The Predators got top goal scorer Patric Hornqvist back for the first time since he played 13 minutes in the Predators' 4-1 win to open this series. He provided an immediate boost to Nashville's anemic power play unit, assisting on Arnott's goal on the Predators' second advantage of the game.
Chicago led 4-3 after an emotional first period in which the Blackhawks went ahead 3-1 with help from a flukey goal. Brent Seabrook tried to dump the puck off a faceoff in front of the Nashville bench only to see it bounce off Kane's right toe and past Rinne into the wide-open net with 9:54 gone. Sharp then scored his third this series at 12:03 for the 3-1 lead.
Rinne said he was expecting the puck to come along the rim before it hit Kane's foot.
"It was pretty bad timing to have that kind of period in the most important game of the year," Rinne said.
Nashville answered by ending its power-play drought. Having gone 22 power plays without scoring, Arnott tipped in a puck from the right edge of the crease, catching Niemi leaning the other way at 15:44. It was the Predators' only goal with the man advantage this series.
The Predators tied it at 3 off a slap shot from Hamhuis at 19:06, a goal that re-energized the crowd. But Jerred Smithson took a hooking penalty, and Toews scored on the rebound of Keith's shot 7 seconds later to put Chicago back ahead at 19:29.
"We did what we needed to do to win the game," Toews said. "It was a pretty good win. We knew it was going to be the toughest game of the series, no surprise. There it was, and we found a way to win."
It stayed 4-3 through the second period as Nashville killed 10 minutes of penalties, the last when Hornqvist took a double minor for high-sticking defenseman Brent Sopel in the face as he fell. The penalty-killing wore the Predators out, and Chicago outshot them 15-4 in the period.
Jonathan Toews scored a power-play goal to cap a wild first period that featured one goal off Patrick Kane's toe near mid-ice, and the Blackhawks held on for a 5-3 victory over the Nashville Predators on Monday night. Chicago advanced to the Western Conference semifinals for the second straight year.
"We played like we had to win this game, and the first period had more action than we've seen," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said.
"The start of this game really was not just offense but unpredictability of the game," he added. "I thought we settled down after that. We had a chance to win. You don't want to play any extra games, you don't want to play any extra shifts. ... Now we've got Vancouver again."
The Blackhawks won the final three games of the series, setting up a second-round matchup with the Canucks for the second consecutive season. Chicago hasn't lost a Game 6 with the chance to eliminate an opponent since 1995.
Nashville has been eliminated in all five of its postseason appearances on home ice.
"There is a loss for words right now," said Nashville captain Jason Arnott, who scored his only two goals of the series Monday. "We work all season, had a great opportunity, and let it slip away. It's tough to handle."
The Predators, who blew a lead with 13.6 seconds left in regulation in Game 5 on Saturday, scored three more goals than they had in two previous Game 6 losses. But they couldn't beat Antti Niemi in the final two periods even when getting three power plays within 4:29 of the third.
Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith said the Blackhawks didn't want to go back home for Game 7.
"There is plays where you have to take penalties ... What can you do? You go in the box, and we dealt with it. I thought we did a good job of not panicking," Keith said.
Chicago led 4-3 going into the third, where Nashville outshot the Blackhawks 15-3. The rookie goalie Niemi stopped Martin Erat in front with 85 seconds left. Nashville pulled goalie Pekka Rinne with 1:15 remaining, but John Madden scored an empty-netter with 7.8 seconds left to seal the victory.
Toews also had two assists, feeding Madden on the empty-netter. Keith and Patrick Sharp each had a goal and an assist, and Patrick Kane had a goal. Marian Hossa added three assists in a game Nashville wanted him to miss. The Predators thought Hossa deserved to be suspended for a boarding penalty against defenseman Dan Hamhuis in the Blackhawks' 5-4 overtime win Saturday in Chicago.
So nearly every time Hossa stepped onto the ice, the sellout crowd booed loudly.
Shea Weber also had a goal for Nashville.
The Predators got top goal scorer Patric Hornqvist back for the first time since he played 13 minutes in the Predators' 4-1 win to open this series. He provided an immediate boost to Nashville's anemic power play unit, assisting on Arnott's goal on the Predators' second advantage of the game.
Chicago led 4-3 after an emotional first period in which the Blackhawks went ahead 3-1 with help from a flukey goal. Brent Seabrook tried to dump the puck off a faceoff in front of the Nashville bench only to see it bounce off Kane's right toe and past Rinne into the wide-open net with 9:54 gone. Sharp then scored his third this series at 12:03 for the 3-1 lead.
Rinne said he was expecting the puck to come along the rim before it hit Kane's foot.
"It was pretty bad timing to have that kind of period in the most important game of the year," Rinne said.
Nashville answered by ending its power-play drought. Having gone 22 power plays without scoring, Arnott tipped in a puck from the right edge of the crease, catching Niemi leaning the other way at 15:44. It was the Predators' only goal with the man advantage this series.
The Predators tied it at 3 off a slap shot from Hamhuis at 19:06, a goal that re-energized the crowd. But Jerred Smithson took a hooking penalty, and Toews scored on the rebound of Keith's shot 7 seconds later to put Chicago back ahead at 19:29.
"We did what we needed to do to win the game," Toews said. "It was a pretty good win. We knew it was going to be the toughest game of the series, no surprise. There it was, and we found a way to win."
It stayed 4-3 through the second period as Nashville killed 10 minutes of penalties, the last when Hornqvist took a double minor for high-sticking defenseman Brent Sopel in the face as he fell. The penalty-killing wore the Predators out, and Chicago outshot them 15-4 in the period.
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