Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith has been selected as the winner of the Norris Trophy, given to the National Hockey League’s top blueliner, the League announced on Wednesday evening at the NHL Awards at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas. Keith is the fourth different Chicago defenseman to win the award, and the first since 1996.
Keith, 26, established career-highs in goals (14), assists (55), and points (69) while skating in all 82 regular-season games for Chicago during the 2009-10 campaign. He led league defensemen in goals (10), assists (38), and points (48) at even-strength, and logged more ice time than any player in the NHL. The Blackhawks alternate captain tied a franchise record with 15 assists, and ranked second among NHL blueliners with 17 points, in 22 postseason games during the club’s Stanley Cup Championship run.
The Norris Trophy caps a year in which the Winnipeg, Manitoba native also won a Gold Medal with Team Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. Keith ranked third in the tournament with six assists and fourth with a +6 plus/minus rating while leading Canada in ice time.
Keith is the fourth different Blackhawks defenseman to be honored with the Norris Trophy, joining three-time winner Pierre Pilote (1963, 1964, 1965), two-time winner Chris Chelios (1993, 1996), and Doug Wilson (1982).
Friday, June 25, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
THE WAIT IS OVER!!!!!!!!!!
PHILADELPHIA -- Jonathan Toews zig-zagged through the crowd, long after the trophy presentation, his eyes turning every which way. Still on skates and in full gear -- minus his gloves, helmet and stick -- Toews was trying his best to see through all the screens like Antti Niemi did Wednesday night.
"There it is," he said, pointing diagonally to his right as he looked behind him.
Toews, enamored with gold only 3 1/2 months ago, fixated on the glistening silver as he weaved through a crowd of media and family members who were walking over the previously fresh sheet of Wachovia Center ice. Ben Eager, who was having his own private moment with his family and the Cup, handed it to "Captain Serious."
He lifted it over his head, pasted a big smile on his face and told his family to follow him while the Cup -- all 35 pounds and 36 inches of it -- was being held so high that everybody, including the few thousand Blackhawks fans left in the building, could see it.
Thanks to Kane's surprising goal, Antti Niemi's resiliency and an overall group effort to recover when the weight of the hockey world felt like it was crashing down on them, the Blackhawks all got to lift the Stanley Cup over their heads and celebrate with their families.
Not since 1961 has Chicago raised the Cup. The city will have its parade Friday and the team will have a summer to savor its championship.
"The party in Chicago is going to be all-world," coach Joel Quenneville said after Kane got the OT-winner and Niemi made 21 saves. "It's been a long time."
Game 7 looked like a distinct possibility when Flyers wing Scott Hartnell forced overtime with 3:59 to play in regulation, but Kane scored a goal only he knew actually went into the net early in the extra period.
He deked and dangled around Kimmo Timonen, taking the puck into the lower portion of the left circle before throwing it on net. Kane immediately threw his arms up to celebrate as he rimmed his body around the corner boards, but there was no red light.
The Flyers were stunned. They had no idea what was happening.
"I didn't see the goal," coach Peter Laviolette said. "It came in off the angle. I saw one of their players skate across the ice like he had won something. I got a little pit in my stomach. But I didn't know it went in. I haven't seen it."
That player that streaked across Laviolette's field of vision could have been any number of Blackhawks.
Patrick Sharp, Nick Boynton, Andrew Ladd and Brian Campbell trailed as No. 88 raced down to jump on Niemi. As Kane whizzed past the Hawks' bench, one by one they all started pouring over the boards.
Still, it wasn't totally defined.
Was it a goal?
Toews stared back at the officials as he was hugging teammates. Sharp did the same. So did Brent Sopel and John Madden.
Could the Hawks really celebrate?
Video replays showed the puck went into the right side of the net, going through Flyers goalie Michael Leighton (37 saves) and tickling the twine enough for it to flutter as if a gust of wind had just blown through Wachovia Center.
After a short video review, it was ruled a goal -- and the celebration was back on.
"One guy went over the bench and all of a sudden it was just a waterfall," Troy Brouwer said. "I don't think any of us actually knew it went it. We just followed the flow. Kaner started celebrating so we figured it must have gone in."
Toews, who finished the playoffs with 29 points in 22 games, was first handed the Conn Smythe Trophy from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. Next came the Cup, making the Blackhawks' captain an Olympic champion, Stanley Cup champion and Conn Smythe winner all within less than four months.
He's also the youngest player (22 years old) to become a member of the Triple Gold Club (Olympic gold, Stanley Cup, World Championship).
"This tops everything, for sure," said Toews, who assisted on Dustin Byfuglien's power-play goal 16:49 into the first period that gave the Hawks a 1-0 lead. "We're brothers in that locker room and we pull for each other, and that's what makes this so special."
Toews handed the Cup to Marian Hossa, this year's feel-good story of the Cup Final.
"Very apropos," Quenneville said.
Hossa's military press with the Cup was three years in the making -- he lost in the Final in each of the last two seasons. Hossa said he thought about his family and how hard his road to this moment has been when he had trophy over his head.
"When we got to the Final again, I was so happy to be in the Final but at the same time it was scary," Hossa said. "I'm so glad. I won it. I got the Stanley Cup. What a feeling. Wow. This is unbelievable."
It was a feeling made only more unbelievable by a see-saw game of goals and emotions.
Chicago grabbed the 1-0 lead, but a dominating first period (17-7 advantage in shots on goal) was ruined with a late penalty and ensuing power-play goal from Scott Hartnell 27 seconds before the first intermission.
Eight minutes into the second period, Danny Briere made it 2-1 Flyers.
But Sharp and Andrew Ladd scored before intermission to make 3-2 Hawks. Chicago was now 20 minutes away from winning the Stanley Cup, and for 16 minutes it looked like Ladd's goal (17:43 into the second) was going to stand up as the winner.
But all it takes is one bounce for everything to change.
With 3:59 to play in regulation, Hartnell directed the puck into the net after Ville Leino's pass banked off Hossa in the slot. Tied 3-3, the record-setting crowd of 20,307, the most fans to ever see a NHL game in Pennsylvania, roared as the Hawks sagged.
"We had the lead the whole time and when you're sitting on a lead like that something bad is going to happen," Hawks defenseman Duncan Keith said. "Give Philadelphia credit, but we were calm and composed in the room after the third period."
Keith said the Hawks talked about who would become the hero.
"Sure enough, it's little Kaner," Keith added. "He's scored big goals for us all year."
He may not score a bigger one in his lifetime.
"I knew it was in right away," Kane said. "I just tried to take off and book it to the other end and try to sell the celebration. It was crazy. It's unbelievable to be a part of this."
��ME��➠ I remember. Coming home after a baseball game, after i was missing, what would be the Hawks last game in the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Right when i walked through the front door, I swung open our computer cabinets' doors and hopped on to the Blackhawks web site. To my astonishment, the Hawks lost 0-1 to the dreaded Detroit Red Wings. Since that day i was counting down for the Hawks opener in Helsinki, Finland against the Florida Panthers. I knew it, i was absolutely sure that it was the Blackhawks turn to win. I was so sure, I even bought an inflatable Stanley Cup to raise over my head after they won. After the Blackhawks swept the number one seeded Sharks, that's when i was sure the Hawks were champs. Directly after that game 4, Me, my Mother, and my brother all rushed to Sport's Authority to pick up the Western Conference Champions T-Shirt. When we got there, there were no hats but there was four shirts hanging on a single rack. We bought one for everyone in our family and went home. Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals, My mom was lying on the right side of her bed, my brother on the left, and myself sitting on the bottom of the bed, all watching Game 6. When Kane scored the game winning goal, my mom and my brother thought for sure that it was over. I, myself, was not. I guess i was afraid that if it was not a goal, my heart would be shattered. So I waited for a confirmation and heard something I was waiting to hear for over a year, "The Chicago Blackhawks are the 2010 Stanley Cup Champions!" A few moments later I could hear fireworks exploding in the night sky. Those fireworks awoke my dad who was sleeping in my brothers room. My dad, a Blackhawks fan since his childhood, decided to go to sleep because he "Had to wake up early tomorrow", which is a lame excuse for someone that has been rooting for the Hawks his entire life. After he came in his own room to watch the celebration, he went directly back to sleep. What happened during that length of time will never be forgotten in my entire life. There was nothing negative about what happened at that time, besides the fact that everyone hopped on the Blackhawks bandwagon. But putting that aside, it was more memorable than a lot of things that have ever happened to me. All that's left to say is "Thank You". Thank You to the 2009-10 Chicago Blackhawks for giving me memories to cherish and share to the younger generations for the rest of my lifetime. Thank You.
"There it is," he said, pointing diagonally to his right as he looked behind him.
Toews, enamored with gold only 3 1/2 months ago, fixated on the glistening silver as he weaved through a crowd of media and family members who were walking over the previously fresh sheet of Wachovia Center ice. Ben Eager, who was having his own private moment with his family and the Cup, handed it to "Captain Serious."
He lifted it over his head, pasted a big smile on his face and told his family to follow him while the Cup -- all 35 pounds and 36 inches of it -- was being held so high that everybody, including the few thousand Blackhawks fans left in the building, could see it.
Thanks to Kane's surprising goal, Antti Niemi's resiliency and an overall group effort to recover when the weight of the hockey world felt like it was crashing down on them, the Blackhawks all got to lift the Stanley Cup over their heads and celebrate with their families.
Not since 1961 has Chicago raised the Cup. The city will have its parade Friday and the team will have a summer to savor its championship.
"The party in Chicago is going to be all-world," coach Joel Quenneville said after Kane got the OT-winner and Niemi made 21 saves. "It's been a long time."
Game 7 looked like a distinct possibility when Flyers wing Scott Hartnell forced overtime with 3:59 to play in regulation, but Kane scored a goal only he knew actually went into the net early in the extra period.
He deked and dangled around Kimmo Timonen, taking the puck into the lower portion of the left circle before throwing it on net. Kane immediately threw his arms up to celebrate as he rimmed his body around the corner boards, but there was no red light.
The Flyers were stunned. They had no idea what was happening.
"I didn't see the goal," coach Peter Laviolette said. "It came in off the angle. I saw one of their players skate across the ice like he had won something. I got a little pit in my stomach. But I didn't know it went in. I haven't seen it."
That player that streaked across Laviolette's field of vision could have been any number of Blackhawks.
Patrick Sharp, Nick Boynton, Andrew Ladd and Brian Campbell trailed as No. 88 raced down to jump on Niemi. As Kane whizzed past the Hawks' bench, one by one they all started pouring over the boards.
Still, it wasn't totally defined.
Was it a goal?
Toews stared back at the officials as he was hugging teammates. Sharp did the same. So did Brent Sopel and John Madden.
Could the Hawks really celebrate?
Video replays showed the puck went into the right side of the net, going through Flyers goalie Michael Leighton (37 saves) and tickling the twine enough for it to flutter as if a gust of wind had just blown through Wachovia Center.
After a short video review, it was ruled a goal -- and the celebration was back on.
"One guy went over the bench and all of a sudden it was just a waterfall," Troy Brouwer said. "I don't think any of us actually knew it went it. We just followed the flow. Kaner started celebrating so we figured it must have gone in."
Toews, who finished the playoffs with 29 points in 22 games, was first handed the Conn Smythe Trophy from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. Next came the Cup, making the Blackhawks' captain an Olympic champion, Stanley Cup champion and Conn Smythe winner all within less than four months.
He's also the youngest player (22 years old) to become a member of the Triple Gold Club (Olympic gold, Stanley Cup, World Championship).
"This tops everything, for sure," said Toews, who assisted on Dustin Byfuglien's power-play goal 16:49 into the first period that gave the Hawks a 1-0 lead. "We're brothers in that locker room and we pull for each other, and that's what makes this so special."
Toews handed the Cup to Marian Hossa, this year's feel-good story of the Cup Final.
"Very apropos," Quenneville said.
Hossa's military press with the Cup was three years in the making -- he lost in the Final in each of the last two seasons. Hossa said he thought about his family and how hard his road to this moment has been when he had trophy over his head.
"When we got to the Final again, I was so happy to be in the Final but at the same time it was scary," Hossa said. "I'm so glad. I won it. I got the Stanley Cup. What a feeling. Wow. This is unbelievable."
It was a feeling made only more unbelievable by a see-saw game of goals and emotions.
Chicago grabbed the 1-0 lead, but a dominating first period (17-7 advantage in shots on goal) was ruined with a late penalty and ensuing power-play goal from Scott Hartnell 27 seconds before the first intermission.
Eight minutes into the second period, Danny Briere made it 2-1 Flyers.
But Sharp and Andrew Ladd scored before intermission to make 3-2 Hawks. Chicago was now 20 minutes away from winning the Stanley Cup, and for 16 minutes it looked like Ladd's goal (17:43 into the second) was going to stand up as the winner.
But all it takes is one bounce for everything to change.
With 3:59 to play in regulation, Hartnell directed the puck into the net after Ville Leino's pass banked off Hossa in the slot. Tied 3-3, the record-setting crowd of 20,307, the most fans to ever see a NHL game in Pennsylvania, roared as the Hawks sagged.
"We had the lead the whole time and when you're sitting on a lead like that something bad is going to happen," Hawks defenseman Duncan Keith said. "Give Philadelphia credit, but we were calm and composed in the room after the third period."
Keith said the Hawks talked about who would become the hero.
"Sure enough, it's little Kaner," Keith added. "He's scored big goals for us all year."
He may not score a bigger one in his lifetime.
"I knew it was in right away," Kane said. "I just tried to take off and book it to the other end and try to sell the celebration. It was crazy. It's unbelievable to be a part of this."
��ME��➠ I remember. Coming home after a baseball game, after i was missing, what would be the Hawks last game in the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Right when i walked through the front door, I swung open our computer cabinets' doors and hopped on to the Blackhawks web site. To my astonishment, the Hawks lost 0-1 to the dreaded Detroit Red Wings. Since that day i was counting down for the Hawks opener in Helsinki, Finland against the Florida Panthers. I knew it, i was absolutely sure that it was the Blackhawks turn to win. I was so sure, I even bought an inflatable Stanley Cup to raise over my head after they won. After the Blackhawks swept the number one seeded Sharks, that's when i was sure the Hawks were champs. Directly after that game 4, Me, my Mother, and my brother all rushed to Sport's Authority to pick up the Western Conference Champions T-Shirt. When we got there, there were no hats but there was four shirts hanging on a single rack. We bought one for everyone in our family and went home. Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals, My mom was lying on the right side of her bed, my brother on the left, and myself sitting on the bottom of the bed, all watching Game 6. When Kane scored the game winning goal, my mom and my brother thought for sure that it was over. I, myself, was not. I guess i was afraid that if it was not a goal, my heart would be shattered. So I waited for a confirmation and heard something I was waiting to hear for over a year, "The Chicago Blackhawks are the 2010 Stanley Cup Champions!" A few moments later I could hear fireworks exploding in the night sky. Those fireworks awoke my dad who was sleeping in my brothers room. My dad, a Blackhawks fan since his childhood, decided to go to sleep because he "Had to wake up early tomorrow", which is a lame excuse for someone that has been rooting for the Hawks his entire life. After he came in his own room to watch the celebration, he went directly back to sleep. What happened during that length of time will never be forgotten in my entire life. There was nothing negative about what happened at that time, besides the fact that everyone hopped on the Blackhawks bandwagon. But putting that aside, it was more memorable than a lot of things that have ever happened to me. All that's left to say is "Thank You". Thank You to the 2009-10 Chicago Blackhawks for giving me memories to cherish and share to the younger generations for the rest of my lifetime. Thank You.
On another note, i couldn't of made a better decision to write this blog in my entire life.With the construction of this blog I will now always remember what the 2010 Blackhawks were all about and how magical it really was. I didn't make this blog so other people can view it, I made it for myself. To view later on in life. Maybe when the Hawks are having a bad season, I can look back. Who knows, maybe I'll even share this with someone else, I am at this moment the only one who knows of these blogs, and for now, it's going to stay that way...
Monday, June 7, 2010
1 MORE FROM 16
CHICAGO -- All that was audible inside the Chicago Blackhawks' dressing room late Sunday night were soft voices and the shuffling feet of a few dozen reporters battling for position in a scrum just like the players do on the ice.
From east to west and north to south inside the cavernous room, players stood in front of their stalls and quietly talked about dominating Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final. Smiles were scarce.
Strange.
The Blackhawks had just skated to a 7-4 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers and to a 3-2 lead in the Stanley Cup Final. They've won 67 games this season, and with one more win they can erase 49 years of misery by winning the Stanley Cup. But you could hardly tell by the mood in their room.
"I think it's a sign of reality," Hawks center John Madden said. "We haven't accomplished anything. Yeah, we're up 3-2 in the series and we've been able to hold home-ice advantage, but we know how well they play in their building. We have to get our rest, get our mind cleared on what we have to do on Wednesday. You can chalk it up to maturity, but I think guys are real focused on what they have to do."
The next two days will feel like an eternity for the Hawks. They won't get their first crack at winning the Cup until Wednesday night in Philadelphia (8 p.m. ET, NBC, CBC, RDS). The two full off-days are not welcome now, not after the way the Hawks played Sunday.
Showing off their brand-new lines, created in part by the breakup of their former top line (Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Dustin Byfuglien), the Blackhawks raced out to a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes, by far their best first period of the series.
Byfuglien, who was skating with Kris Versteeg and Dave Bolland, had 2 assists in the first. Brent Seabrook, Bolland and Versteeg all scored within a span of 5:58.
"That was the pace we've been looking for," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said.
It was enough for Flyers coach Peter Laviolette to pull goalie Michael Leighton (10 saves) for Brian Boucher at the start of the second period. Boucher made only 11 saves, and Laviolette didn't have an answer when he was asked who would start Game 6.
"One thing I've learned along the way about the playoffs is one game is only one game. There's usually not a carryover effect from game to game," Laviolette said. "This is just one page of the story. Tonight it was their page."
Chicago turned the page on special teams. The Hawks were getting outplayed badly in that department through four games, but won the battle Sunday by scoring on two of four power plays and killing off all three penalties they committed.
The Blackhawks were 1-for-9 on the power play through four games while the Flyers were 5-for-16, and had scored at least one power-play goal in each game.
"We did a good job staying out of the box, better than we've done," Hawks defenseman Duncan Keith said. "We did a good job penalty killing and using our speed. Everybody was battling."
Byfuglien, previously invisible thanks to Chris Pronger, finished with four points on 2 goals and 2 assists. He was hard on the puck, physical in the corners and a force in the slot. He was the game's first star and his power-play goal off some tic-tac-toe passing with 4:15 to play in the second period proved to be the game-winner.
It put the Hawks up 5-2 going into the third period.
"He got rid of us and started performing," Kane said, offering one of the rare jokes we heard after the game. "That's all he needed."
Versteeg, who was disappointed in his effort after the two losses in Philly, had three points and was a plus-3. He was the game's second star. Kane, a minus-4 in Game 4, had a goal and an assist to earn the third star.
"Everybody wanted to make a difference tonight," Versteeg said.
Everybody did, including Quenneville, whose decision to change the lines after the forgettable experience in Philly had a lot to do with the energy and speed the Hawks played with Sunday.
Quenneville played coy about potential line changes Sunday morning, but he clearly wanted to get Toews, Kane and Byfuglien separated so Pronger wouldn't have as great an effect on three of the Blackhawks' top offensive players.
Brilliant.
Toews, Kane and Byfuglien combined for seven points and Pronger, a plus-4 in Game 4, finished a minus-5 in Game 5, his worst performance of the playoffs by a landslide. He tried to brush it off in another comedic session with the media.
"I'm day-to-day with hurt feelings," Pronger cracked.
At least he has two days to recover.
"It's already gone," Pronger added. "I don't remember anything."
The Blackhawks better remember everything about Game 5 because they'll have to replicate the effort and performance Wednesday when they won't have 22,305 screaming fans behind them.
Philadelphia is 9-1 on its home ice in the playoffs and has shown the resiliency of a cat all season, especially this spring. Chicago is 0-for-3 in games inside Wachovia Center this season, but the Cup will be in the building and it can be theirs if they win.
Then, and only then, will the Hawks celebrate.
"We just realize nothing is won yet," Keith said. "We need one more win to do it."
WILL WEDNESDAY JUNE 9,2010 BE THE DAY THE BLACKHAWKS WIN THE STANLEY CUP FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 49 YEARS?.....hopefully it will
From east to west and north to south inside the cavernous room, players stood in front of their stalls and quietly talked about dominating Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final. Smiles were scarce.
Strange.
The Blackhawks had just skated to a 7-4 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers and to a 3-2 lead in the Stanley Cup Final. They've won 67 games this season, and with one more win they can erase 49 years of misery by winning the Stanley Cup. But you could hardly tell by the mood in their room.
"I think it's a sign of reality," Hawks center John Madden said. "We haven't accomplished anything. Yeah, we're up 3-2 in the series and we've been able to hold home-ice advantage, but we know how well they play in their building. We have to get our rest, get our mind cleared on what we have to do on Wednesday. You can chalk it up to maturity, but I think guys are real focused on what they have to do."
The next two days will feel like an eternity for the Hawks. They won't get their first crack at winning the Cup until Wednesday night in Philadelphia (8 p.m. ET, NBC, CBC, RDS). The two full off-days are not welcome now, not after the way the Hawks played Sunday.
Showing off their brand-new lines, created in part by the breakup of their former top line (Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Dustin Byfuglien), the Blackhawks raced out to a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes, by far their best first period of the series.
Byfuglien, who was skating with Kris Versteeg and Dave Bolland, had 2 assists in the first. Brent Seabrook, Bolland and Versteeg all scored within a span of 5:58.
"That was the pace we've been looking for," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said.
It was enough for Flyers coach Peter Laviolette to pull goalie Michael Leighton (10 saves) for Brian Boucher at the start of the second period. Boucher made only 11 saves, and Laviolette didn't have an answer when he was asked who would start Game 6.
"One thing I've learned along the way about the playoffs is one game is only one game. There's usually not a carryover effect from game to game," Laviolette said. "This is just one page of the story. Tonight it was their page."
Chicago turned the page on special teams. The Hawks were getting outplayed badly in that department through four games, but won the battle Sunday by scoring on two of four power plays and killing off all three penalties they committed.
The Blackhawks were 1-for-9 on the power play through four games while the Flyers were 5-for-16, and had scored at least one power-play goal in each game.
"We did a good job staying out of the box, better than we've done," Hawks defenseman Duncan Keith said. "We did a good job penalty killing and using our speed. Everybody was battling."
Byfuglien, previously invisible thanks to Chris Pronger, finished with four points on 2 goals and 2 assists. He was hard on the puck, physical in the corners and a force in the slot. He was the game's first star and his power-play goal off some tic-tac-toe passing with 4:15 to play in the second period proved to be the game-winner.
It put the Hawks up 5-2 going into the third period.
"He got rid of us and started performing," Kane said, offering one of the rare jokes we heard after the game. "That's all he needed."
Versteeg, who was disappointed in his effort after the two losses in Philly, had three points and was a plus-3. He was the game's second star. Kane, a minus-4 in Game 4, had a goal and an assist to earn the third star.
"Everybody wanted to make a difference tonight," Versteeg said.
Everybody did, including Quenneville, whose decision to change the lines after the forgettable experience in Philly had a lot to do with the energy and speed the Hawks played with Sunday.
Quenneville played coy about potential line changes Sunday morning, but he clearly wanted to get Toews, Kane and Byfuglien separated so Pronger wouldn't have as great an effect on three of the Blackhawks' top offensive players.
Brilliant.
Toews, Kane and Byfuglien combined for seven points and Pronger, a plus-4 in Game 4, finished a minus-5 in Game 5, his worst performance of the playoffs by a landslide. He tried to brush it off in another comedic session with the media.
"I'm day-to-day with hurt feelings," Pronger cracked.
At least he has two days to recover.
"It's already gone," Pronger added. "I don't remember anything."
The Blackhawks better remember everything about Game 5 because they'll have to replicate the effort and performance Wednesday when they won't have 22,305 screaming fans behind them.
Philadelphia is 9-1 on its home ice in the playoffs and has shown the resiliency of a cat all season, especially this spring. Chicago is 0-for-3 in games inside Wachovia Center this season, but the Cup will be in the building and it can be theirs if they win.
Then, and only then, will the Hawks celebrate.
"We just realize nothing is won yet," Keith said. "We need one more win to do it."
WILL WEDNESDAY JUNE 9,2010 BE THE DAY THE BLACKHAWKS WIN THE STANLEY CUP FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 49 YEARS?.....hopefully it will
Saturday, June 5, 2010
SERIES TURNS INTO BEST OF 3
PHILADELPHIA - With Friday's victory in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, the Philadelphia Flyers made the most difficult of tasks a shocking reality.
As usual, they did it in the most dramatic of ways.
Philadelphia took a 5-3 victory from the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night that, combined with Wednesday's 4-3 overtime win, sends this best-of-7 series back to Chicago tied at two victories apiece.
After losing two one-goal games to heavily-favored Chicago at the United Center, few thought Philadelphia had the goods to hang with the favored Hawks, who had the NHL's third-best regular-season points total.
But the Flyers believed, and that's all that mattered as they once again proved their doubters wrong in spectacular fashion.
"I said when we left (Chicago), I thought we could have won both games," coach Peter Laviolette said. "I like our game. I like what we're doing.
"It's going back and forth quick both ways. Guys are really competing out there. But nothing changed for us. Our game hasn't changed. Just the score changed."
On Friday, Philadelphia saw a three-goal, third period lead almost evaporate. Chicago scored on a two-man advantage midway through the third period and then received a fluke goal from Brian Campbell with 4:10 remaining that turned a Wachovia Center house party -- attended by a record crowd of 20,304 -- into a virtual morgue for a few tense minutes.
"Yeah, it was obviously tough to be up three goals and you're kind of relaxed a little bit, and all of a sudden, boom, boom, it's only one goal," said Philadelphia goalie Michael Leighton, who played his best game of the series in making 31 saves. "I was trying not to think about it too much."
"I think we laid back a little bit more and we didn't forecheck the way we did at the first two periods," forward Claude Giroux said. "I think we have to learn from that, and obviously, that's not the kind of third period we wanted. But at the end of the day, we got the win."
The outcome seemed preordained after the first 20 minutes, as the Flyers jumped out to a 3-1 lead. In fact, for the first 50 minutes Philadelphia was superior in virtually every aspect of the game.
Captain Mike Richards scored a power-play goal just 4:35 into the contest, stripping defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson of the puck and firing a quick backhander that surprised Chicago goalie Antti Niemi.
Defenseman Matt Carle scored Philadelphia's second goal on its next shot, which came 10:13 after the shot on which Richards scored.
Then, just 51 seconds after Patrick Sharp had given Chicago life with a long-range slapper from the point in the period's waning minutes, an unmarked Giroux dunked a feed from Kimmo Timonen after slipping behind three Hawks and Niemi and finding himself alone at the side of the net.
"I thought we were very generous in the first period on what we gave them as far as goals went," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said.
Ville Leino made it 4-1 for the Flyers at 6:43 of the third period with a goal that banked in off the back of Chicago's Kris Versteeg and over the shoulder of Niemi, who settled down to finish with 27 saves after allowing three goals on Philadelphia's first nine shots.
"(Versteeg) was standing right there, in front of the net, so I figured maybe I can't shoot straight in. I tried to hit him on the back, and it went in," Leino said, his smile betraying the tongue-in-cheek remark he was trying to make.
"I missed the shot a little bit there, hit him on the back and it was a lucky goal."
It may have been lucky, but Leino's game-winning goal also broke a pair of franchise postseason records. The score was Leino's seventh goal and 16th point of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs, moving him past Mel Bridgman (6 goals in 1976) and Brian Propp (5-10--15 in 1980) in those respective categories. His 16 points are the most by a rookie in one postseason since Jeremy Roenick tallied 18 points for Chicago in 1990.
The Flyers seemed to take their foot off the gas for the first time in this series after Leino's goal, and they nearly paid a very steep price as Chicago rallied to within one goal and pressed aggressively for the equalizer until Jeff Carter scored an empty-netter with 25 seconds left.
Now, the Stanley Cup Final becomes a best-of-3 series starting with Game 5 Sunday night at the United Center (8 p.m. ET, NBC, CBC, RDS).
Philadelphia returns to the Windy City on the wings of the momentum garnered during a 48-hour run of great hockey at the Wachovia Center, knowing that it must now win a game at the United Center in order to win a most unexpected title.
For Chicago, the Blackhawks know that they have to find a way back from being swept in these two games in Philadelphia. They know they can never be as lax as they were in the first period of Friday's game. Simply, they accept that they must be better in every facet of the game if they hope to claim the title that was bestowed upon them by virtually everyone -- except the Flyers -- after winning the first two games of the series.
"They've got a great team," Chicago's Marian Hossa said. "We knew it was not going to be easy. We have to play smart hockey. In the first period, I think we were running around in our zone too much. We just have to be much smarter."
As usual, they did it in the most dramatic of ways.
Philadelphia took a 5-3 victory from the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night that, combined with Wednesday's 4-3 overtime win, sends this best-of-7 series back to Chicago tied at two victories apiece.
After losing two one-goal games to heavily-favored Chicago at the United Center, few thought Philadelphia had the goods to hang with the favored Hawks, who had the NHL's third-best regular-season points total.
But the Flyers believed, and that's all that mattered as they once again proved their doubters wrong in spectacular fashion.
"I said when we left (Chicago), I thought we could have won both games," coach Peter Laviolette said. "I like our game. I like what we're doing.
"It's going back and forth quick both ways. Guys are really competing out there. But nothing changed for us. Our game hasn't changed. Just the score changed."
On Friday, Philadelphia saw a three-goal, third period lead almost evaporate. Chicago scored on a two-man advantage midway through the third period and then received a fluke goal from Brian Campbell with 4:10 remaining that turned a Wachovia Center house party -- attended by a record crowd of 20,304 -- into a virtual morgue for a few tense minutes.
"Yeah, it was obviously tough to be up three goals and you're kind of relaxed a little bit, and all of a sudden, boom, boom, it's only one goal," said Philadelphia goalie Michael Leighton, who played his best game of the series in making 31 saves. "I was trying not to think about it too much."
"I think we laid back a little bit more and we didn't forecheck the way we did at the first two periods," forward Claude Giroux said. "I think we have to learn from that, and obviously, that's not the kind of third period we wanted. But at the end of the day, we got the win."
The outcome seemed preordained after the first 20 minutes, as the Flyers jumped out to a 3-1 lead. In fact, for the first 50 minutes Philadelphia was superior in virtually every aspect of the game.
Captain Mike Richards scored a power-play goal just 4:35 into the contest, stripping defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson of the puck and firing a quick backhander that surprised Chicago goalie Antti Niemi.
Defenseman Matt Carle scored Philadelphia's second goal on its next shot, which came 10:13 after the shot on which Richards scored.
Then, just 51 seconds after Patrick Sharp had given Chicago life with a long-range slapper from the point in the period's waning minutes, an unmarked Giroux dunked a feed from Kimmo Timonen after slipping behind three Hawks and Niemi and finding himself alone at the side of the net.
"I thought we were very generous in the first period on what we gave them as far as goals went," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said.
Ville Leino made it 4-1 for the Flyers at 6:43 of the third period with a goal that banked in off the back of Chicago's Kris Versteeg and over the shoulder of Niemi, who settled down to finish with 27 saves after allowing three goals on Philadelphia's first nine shots.
"(Versteeg) was standing right there, in front of the net, so I figured maybe I can't shoot straight in. I tried to hit him on the back, and it went in," Leino said, his smile betraying the tongue-in-cheek remark he was trying to make.
"I missed the shot a little bit there, hit him on the back and it was a lucky goal."
It may have been lucky, but Leino's game-winning goal also broke a pair of franchise postseason records. The score was Leino's seventh goal and 16th point of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs, moving him past Mel Bridgman (6 goals in 1976) and Brian Propp (5-10--15 in 1980) in those respective categories. His 16 points are the most by a rookie in one postseason since Jeremy Roenick tallied 18 points for Chicago in 1990.
The Flyers seemed to take their foot off the gas for the first time in this series after Leino's goal, and they nearly paid a very steep price as Chicago rallied to within one goal and pressed aggressively for the equalizer until Jeff Carter scored an empty-netter with 25 seconds left.
Now, the Stanley Cup Final becomes a best-of-3 series starting with Game 5 Sunday night at the United Center (8 p.m. ET, NBC, CBC, RDS).
Philadelphia returns to the Windy City on the wings of the momentum garnered during a 48-hour run of great hockey at the Wachovia Center, knowing that it must now win a game at the United Center in order to win a most unexpected title.
For Chicago, the Blackhawks know that they have to find a way back from being swept in these two games in Philadelphia. They know they can never be as lax as they were in the first period of Friday's game. Simply, they accept that they must be better in every facet of the game if they hope to claim the title that was bestowed upon them by virtually everyone -- except the Flyers -- after winning the first two games of the series.
"They've got a great team," Chicago's Marian Hossa said. "We knew it was not going to be easy. We have to play smart hockey. In the first period, I think we were running around in our zone too much. We just have to be much smarter."
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Giroux OT goal lifts Flyers back into Final
PHILADELPHIA – Nothing can shake Philadelphia's belief in itself in this Stanley Cup Final – not the weight of history, not the skill and opportunism of its opponent, nor its own mistakes.
On Wednesday night, the Flyers overcame that deadly trifecta to somehow fashion a 4-3 overtime victory -- on the strength of Claude Giroux's deflection goal 5:59 into OT -- against the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 3 before a record crowd at the Wachovia Center.
As an even greater testament to Philadelphia's resolve on this night, Giroux's goal came just 57 seconds after the Flyers thought they had won the game on a shot by Simon Gagne. Video replay, however, determined that the shot, which rang off the far goal post, never completely crossed the goal line.
Philadelphia stepped onto the ice Wednesday knowing that only two teams had overcome a 0-2 start on the road in the Stanley Cup Final to eventually raise the trophy in victory. The Flyers also knew they were facing a Chicago team that had won seven consecutive road games.
Yet none of that mattered as the Flyers still believed they would win, despite the long odds of history stacked against them.
"I just had a feeling we were going to win tonight," forward Daniel Briere said. "I remember driving to the rink earlier this afternoon and I just had this good feeling we're going to win; there was absolutely no way we were going to lose this game. It was just that feeling that we were going to do anything possible to get it done."
The Flyers had to have everything possible -- and more -- to get the win that puts them back in a series they now trail 2-1 heading into Friday's Game 4 here (8 p.m. ET, Versus, CBC, RDS).
In Wednesday's game, Philadelphia had to overcome the stigma of coughing up two leads -- on goals by defensemen Duncan Keith and Brent Sopel -- and then allowing Chicago to score the go-ahead goal early in the third period on an egregious turnover that turned into the go-ahead goal by Patrick Kane on a breakaway at 2:50 of the third period.
Philadelphia has now blown five leads in the first three games of this series.
Kane's goal took the sails out of the record crowd at the Wachovia Center, which was filled to overflowing with 20,297 fans attempting to will the Flyers back into this series after back-to-back one-goal losses in Chicago. It was the biggest crowd not only in Wachovia Center history, but also the biggest crowd to watch an NHL game in the state of Pennsylvania.
Come Thursday, though, at least three times that number of people will say they were part of the Bedlam on Broad Street as they pass along the incredible tale of a team that refuses to admit when enough should be enough.
In fact, Philadelphia's response to the goal by Kane -- which would have broken a lesser team -- defines the supreme will of these Flyers, who beat Boston two rounds ago despite falling into an 0-3 series hole and then trailing 3-0 in Game 7 before winning 4-3.
Ville Leino, a late-season addition, tied Game 3 just 20 seconds after Kane's goal. Briere had given Philadelphia its first lead with five minutes left in the first and Scott Hartnell scored midway through the second for a 2-1 lead. Both goals came on the power play.
"It was nice to come back right away after that (Kane goal) and score, because you think it's over," Philadelphia coach Peter Laviolette said.
Driving hard to the net, Leino grabbed a fortunate rebound and slammed it past Antti Niemi, who had scrambled to stop a puck that had unexpectedly bounced off the skate of his own defenseman, Jordan Hendry.
"I don't think anyone was deflated at all," said Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger, who has become the emotional barometer of this team. "We needed to bounce back. There's going to be momentum swings through the course of the game, through the course of the series.
"There's lots of time left. I don't think anybody was panicking or deflated. I think it's a matter of just putting your head down and getting back to work."
Philadelphia never stopped working after Kane's goal, just as the Flyers haven't stopped working all postseason.
Before Giroux's winner, the Flyers outshot Chicago 16-5 -- including a 14-3 margin in the final 17 minutes of regulation. The dominated zone play for long stretches and were finally rewarded with the goal by Giroux, who deflected a point shot from Matt Carle past Niemi.
"I won the faceoff and Kimmo (Timonen) passed me in the middle and passed to Briere on the side, and Matt Carle joined the rush," said Giroux, who said he received a text Wednesday afternoon from a childhood friend predicting Giroux would score the game-winner in OT. "(Carle)'s a great player and he can see the ice pretty well. I was trying to get a stick on it and it trickled in."
Giroux's goal gave Philadelphia its first playoff OT win in its past five tries, a string of futility dating all the way back to 1974.
Suddenly, the building was jumping, the players were celebrating and the weight of both their past failures and the postseason's daunting history were forgotten -- for at least a few moments.
"It's been going on for a long time," Laviolette said of his team's undaunted responses to adversity. "Like I said this morning, 2-0 (down) for us is comfortable. We're OK with that. We know how to battle through it. We knew how important the game was tonight. Once we wake up tomorrow morning, we know we have to hold serve on home ice. I think the guys will be fine with that."
On Friday, it will be Chicago's turn to respond to some adversity. Captain Jonathan Toews, who set up Kane's breakaway goal, insists his club will be ready.
"When you come into this game, the series is far from over," Toews said. "We couldn't look ahead to Game 4 or anything beyond tonight. It's tough to lose, especially in OT when you work as hard you did.
"We're not looking past any game right now. Regardless of what the score is in the series, we'll keep getting better and we'll get ready for the next one."
On Wednesday night, the Flyers overcame that deadly trifecta to somehow fashion a 4-3 overtime victory -- on the strength of Claude Giroux's deflection goal 5:59 into OT -- against the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 3 before a record crowd at the Wachovia Center.
As an even greater testament to Philadelphia's resolve on this night, Giroux's goal came just 57 seconds after the Flyers thought they had won the game on a shot by Simon Gagne. Video replay, however, determined that the shot, which rang off the far goal post, never completely crossed the goal line.
Philadelphia stepped onto the ice Wednesday knowing that only two teams had overcome a 0-2 start on the road in the Stanley Cup Final to eventually raise the trophy in victory. The Flyers also knew they were facing a Chicago team that had won seven consecutive road games.
Yet none of that mattered as the Flyers still believed they would win, despite the long odds of history stacked against them.
"I just had a feeling we were going to win tonight," forward Daniel Briere said. "I remember driving to the rink earlier this afternoon and I just had this good feeling we're going to win; there was absolutely no way we were going to lose this game. It was just that feeling that we were going to do anything possible to get it done."
The Flyers had to have everything possible -- and more -- to get the win that puts them back in a series they now trail 2-1 heading into Friday's Game 4 here (8 p.m. ET, Versus, CBC, RDS).
In Wednesday's game, Philadelphia had to overcome the stigma of coughing up two leads -- on goals by defensemen Duncan Keith and Brent Sopel -- and then allowing Chicago to score the go-ahead goal early in the third period on an egregious turnover that turned into the go-ahead goal by Patrick Kane on a breakaway at 2:50 of the third period.
Philadelphia has now blown five leads in the first three games of this series.
Kane's goal took the sails out of the record crowd at the Wachovia Center, which was filled to overflowing with 20,297 fans attempting to will the Flyers back into this series after back-to-back one-goal losses in Chicago. It was the biggest crowd not only in Wachovia Center history, but also the biggest crowd to watch an NHL game in the state of Pennsylvania.
Come Thursday, though, at least three times that number of people will say they were part of the Bedlam on Broad Street as they pass along the incredible tale of a team that refuses to admit when enough should be enough.
In fact, Philadelphia's response to the goal by Kane -- which would have broken a lesser team -- defines the supreme will of these Flyers, who beat Boston two rounds ago despite falling into an 0-3 series hole and then trailing 3-0 in Game 7 before winning 4-3.
Ville Leino, a late-season addition, tied Game 3 just 20 seconds after Kane's goal. Briere had given Philadelphia its first lead with five minutes left in the first and Scott Hartnell scored midway through the second for a 2-1 lead. Both goals came on the power play.
"It was nice to come back right away after that (Kane goal) and score, because you think it's over," Philadelphia coach Peter Laviolette said.
Driving hard to the net, Leino grabbed a fortunate rebound and slammed it past Antti Niemi, who had scrambled to stop a puck that had unexpectedly bounced off the skate of his own defenseman, Jordan Hendry.
"I don't think anyone was deflated at all," said Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger, who has become the emotional barometer of this team. "We needed to bounce back. There's going to be momentum swings through the course of the game, through the course of the series.
"There's lots of time left. I don't think anybody was panicking or deflated. I think it's a matter of just putting your head down and getting back to work."
Philadelphia never stopped working after Kane's goal, just as the Flyers haven't stopped working all postseason.
Before Giroux's winner, the Flyers outshot Chicago 16-5 -- including a 14-3 margin in the final 17 minutes of regulation. The dominated zone play for long stretches and were finally rewarded with the goal by Giroux, who deflected a point shot from Matt Carle past Niemi.
"I won the faceoff and Kimmo (Timonen) passed me in the middle and passed to Briere on the side, and Matt Carle joined the rush," said Giroux, who said he received a text Wednesday afternoon from a childhood friend predicting Giroux would score the game-winner in OT. "(Carle)'s a great player and he can see the ice pretty well. I was trying to get a stick on it and it trickled in."
Giroux's goal gave Philadelphia its first playoff OT win in its past five tries, a string of futility dating all the way back to 1974.
Suddenly, the building was jumping, the players were celebrating and the weight of both their past failures and the postseason's daunting history were forgotten -- for at least a few moments.
"It's been going on for a long time," Laviolette said of his team's undaunted responses to adversity. "Like I said this morning, 2-0 (down) for us is comfortable. We're OK with that. We know how to battle through it. We knew how important the game was tonight. Once we wake up tomorrow morning, we know we have to hold serve on home ice. I think the guys will be fine with that."
On Friday, it will be Chicago's turn to respond to some adversity. Captain Jonathan Toews, who set up Kane's breakaway goal, insists his club will be ready.
"When you come into this game, the series is far from over," Toews said. "We couldn't look ahead to Game 4 or anything beyond tonight. It's tough to lose, especially in OT when you work as hard you did.
"We're not looking past any game right now. Regardless of what the score is in the series, we'll keep getting better and we'll get ready for the next one."
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
JUST A COUPLE MORE
CHICAGO -- For the last two months the Chicago Blackhawks have been talking about how calm and composed Antti Niemi remains when the pressure is pounding on him.
The Finnish goalie proved it again Monday night with a marvelous rebound effort after a sub-par, yet still victorious, outing two nights earlier.
Niemi came up with 33 saves as the Blackhawks rode him and a pair of lightning quick goals from Marian Hossa and Ben Eager late in the second period to a 2-1 victory and a 2-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Final over the homeward bound Philadelphia Flyers.
Game 3 will be in Wachovia Center Wednesday night (8 p.m. ET, VERSUS, CBC, RDS). The Flyers are 7-1 on their home ice in the playoffs, but the Blackhawks have the same record in road buildings this spring. In fact, they've won seven straight in unfriendly surroundings.
Flyers goalie Michael Leighton, who started despite being pulled in the second period of Game 1 after allowing five goals on 20 shots, wrapped a strong game around the 28-second outburst by the Hawks late in the second period.
Leighton made 24 saves, but he couldn't stop Hossa at the right point on a rebound goal and he probably would like another shot at stopping Eager's wrist shot from the top of the right circle that flew over his catching glove less than a half-minute later.
Simon Gagne cut into Chicago's lead with a power-play goal 5:20 into the third period. Brent Seabrook deflected Gagne's one-timer with his stick and the puck fluttered past Niemi with one second left on Patrick Sharp's penalty for tripping Danny Briere.
Gagne had a chance to make it 2-2 with 7:40 to play, but Niemi got his left pad across the crease in time to stop him at the right post. It was his 26th save of the night and maybe his most important.
Niemi won Game 1, but he allowed five goals on 32 shots. It was the second time he allowed five goals in a game in the playoffs. But the last time he did it he came back with a 24-save effort to win Game 2 against Vancouver.
He was even more effective in Game 2 of this series. Before the Hawks grabbed their 2-0 lead, Niemi flashed some serious leather with dazzling glove saves on Daniel Carcillo, Mike Richards and Arron Asham all within five minutes in the second. He also stoned Richards on a breakaway earlier in the period.
Niemi made 15 saves in the second period after facing only three shots in the first. He added 15 more in the third period.
The second period, though, went along rather quietly until the theatrics of the final three minutes. The Hawks scored twice, including one from the previously snake-bit Hossa, within 28 seconds to take a 2-0 lead into the intermission. But the Flyers started the third period with 1:24 left on Troy Brouwer's roughing penalty on Jeff Carter.
Hossa, who had only two goals in the playoffs and hadn't scored since Game 3 against Vancouver (nine games ago), finally got one with 2:51 to play when from the right post he batted the loose, bouncing puck past Leighton to make it 1-0 Blackhawks.
Flyers coach Peter Laviolette gambled by having his third defensive pair of Lukas Krajicek and Oskars Bartulis on the ice against Hossa, Brouwer and Sharp. While Brouwer was battling in front with Bartulis, Hossa beat Krajicek to the puck in order to score the goal. Sharp had the initial shot from the high slot.
On the very next shift, the Flyers turned the puck over in the neutral zone and Dustin Byfuglien found a wide-open Eager, who had just come onto the ice for Patrick Kane. Eager skated to the top of the right circle and ripped a shot that went through Flyers defenseman Matt Carle, over Leighton's catching glove and into the near corner.
Brouwer nearly made it 3-0 with just over a minute left in the period when nearly beat Leighton off a broken play. Hossa also had a chance on the rebound, but he couldn't get a shot off as he tried to drag the puck across the zone.
The Flyers, though, picked up a power-play opportunity with 36 seconds left when Brouwer tackled Carter in Niemi's blue paint during a scuffle after the whistle. Philadelphia couldn't convert despite 84 seconds carrying over into the third period.
The series turned nasty in the first period as there was lots of talking, pushing, shoving and hitting, both before and after the whistle, within the scoreless 20 minutes. The Blackhawks ended up with 20 hits to the Flyers' 13. By comparison, Philadelphia outhit Chicago, 40-37, in Game 1, which was civil compared to the start of Game 2.
After going without a power play for the first 74 minutes and 48 seconds of the series, the Hawks finally got one when Blair Betts was called for cross checking Adam Burish along the wall with 5:12 to play in the first period. The Blackhawks didn't get a shot on goal.
Chicago got another power-play chance with 2:33 to play. Tomas Kopecky and Daniel Carcillo got matching minors for roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct, respectively, but Mike Richards also was sent off for elbowing Kopecky.
Carcillo was a healthy scratch in Game 1, but in the lineup for Game 2 because the sharp edge to his game was something the Flyers lacked Saturday. He made his presence felt quickly, but maybe not all in the most positive way for Philadelphia.
He laid a devastating open-ice hit roughly seven minutes in, but unfortunately it was on his own teammate, Carter, who had his helmet knocked off by Carcillo. The guy they call "Car Bomb" then picked up his unsportsmanlike conduct penalty at 17:27.
The Finnish goalie proved it again Monday night with a marvelous rebound effort after a sub-par, yet still victorious, outing two nights earlier.
Niemi came up with 33 saves as the Blackhawks rode him and a pair of lightning quick goals from Marian Hossa and Ben Eager late in the second period to a 2-1 victory and a 2-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Final over the homeward bound Philadelphia Flyers.
Game 3 will be in Wachovia Center Wednesday night (8 p.m. ET, VERSUS, CBC, RDS). The Flyers are 7-1 on their home ice in the playoffs, but the Blackhawks have the same record in road buildings this spring. In fact, they've won seven straight in unfriendly surroundings.
Flyers goalie Michael Leighton, who started despite being pulled in the second period of Game 1 after allowing five goals on 20 shots, wrapped a strong game around the 28-second outburst by the Hawks late in the second period.
Leighton made 24 saves, but he couldn't stop Hossa at the right point on a rebound goal and he probably would like another shot at stopping Eager's wrist shot from the top of the right circle that flew over his catching glove less than a half-minute later.
Simon Gagne cut into Chicago's lead with a power-play goal 5:20 into the third period. Brent Seabrook deflected Gagne's one-timer with his stick and the puck fluttered past Niemi with one second left on Patrick Sharp's penalty for tripping Danny Briere.
Gagne had a chance to make it 2-2 with 7:40 to play, but Niemi got his left pad across the crease in time to stop him at the right post. It was his 26th save of the night and maybe his most important.
Niemi won Game 1, but he allowed five goals on 32 shots. It was the second time he allowed five goals in a game in the playoffs. But the last time he did it he came back with a 24-save effort to win Game 2 against Vancouver.
He was even more effective in Game 2 of this series. Before the Hawks grabbed their 2-0 lead, Niemi flashed some serious leather with dazzling glove saves on Daniel Carcillo, Mike Richards and Arron Asham all within five minutes in the second. He also stoned Richards on a breakaway earlier in the period.
Niemi made 15 saves in the second period after facing only three shots in the first. He added 15 more in the third period.
The second period, though, went along rather quietly until the theatrics of the final three minutes. The Hawks scored twice, including one from the previously snake-bit Hossa, within 28 seconds to take a 2-0 lead into the intermission. But the Flyers started the third period with 1:24 left on Troy Brouwer's roughing penalty on Jeff Carter.
Hossa, who had only two goals in the playoffs and hadn't scored since Game 3 against Vancouver (nine games ago), finally got one with 2:51 to play when from the right post he batted the loose, bouncing puck past Leighton to make it 1-0 Blackhawks.
Flyers coach Peter Laviolette gambled by having his third defensive pair of Lukas Krajicek and Oskars Bartulis on the ice against Hossa, Brouwer and Sharp. While Brouwer was battling in front with Bartulis, Hossa beat Krajicek to the puck in order to score the goal. Sharp had the initial shot from the high slot.
On the very next shift, the Flyers turned the puck over in the neutral zone and Dustin Byfuglien found a wide-open Eager, who had just come onto the ice for Patrick Kane. Eager skated to the top of the right circle and ripped a shot that went through Flyers defenseman Matt Carle, over Leighton's catching glove and into the near corner.
Brouwer nearly made it 3-0 with just over a minute left in the period when nearly beat Leighton off a broken play. Hossa also had a chance on the rebound, but he couldn't get a shot off as he tried to drag the puck across the zone.
The Flyers, though, picked up a power-play opportunity with 36 seconds left when Brouwer tackled Carter in Niemi's blue paint during a scuffle after the whistle. Philadelphia couldn't convert despite 84 seconds carrying over into the third period.
The series turned nasty in the first period as there was lots of talking, pushing, shoving and hitting, both before and after the whistle, within the scoreless 20 minutes. The Blackhawks ended up with 20 hits to the Flyers' 13. By comparison, Philadelphia outhit Chicago, 40-37, in Game 1, which was civil compared to the start of Game 2.
After going without a power play for the first 74 minutes and 48 seconds of the series, the Hawks finally got one when Blair Betts was called for cross checking Adam Burish along the wall with 5:12 to play in the first period. The Blackhawks didn't get a shot on goal.
Chicago got another power-play chance with 2:33 to play. Tomas Kopecky and Daniel Carcillo got matching minors for roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct, respectively, but Mike Richards also was sent off for elbowing Kopecky.
Carcillo was a healthy scratch in Game 1, but in the lineup for Game 2 because the sharp edge to his game was something the Flyers lacked Saturday. He made his presence felt quickly, but maybe not all in the most positive way for Philadelphia.
He laid a devastating open-ice hit roughly seven minutes in, but unfortunately it was on his own teammate, Carter, who had his helmet knocked off by Carcillo. The guy they call "Car Bomb" then picked up his unsportsmanlike conduct penalty at 17:27.
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