Blackhawks go to historic lengths to beat Ducks, save season
The Chicago Blackhawks have been around since 1926. It's a big deal when they break franchise records.
Marcus Kruger's goal at 16:12 of the third overtime broke a scoreless drought of 109:53 for the Hawks -- in one game! -- and ended the longest playoff game in Blackhawks history with a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday at Honda Center. The victory evened the Western Conference Final at one game apiece as the series shifts back to United Center in Chicago for games 3 and 4 on Thursday and Saturday.
"It was almost two games, but it only counts as one," Chicago defenseman Johnny Oduya said after the game.
It was the Ducks’ first loss in seven home games this postseason, and just their second loss in 11 overall playoff games in 2015.
Play of the day: Kruger's game-winner, obviously. At some point in these epic battles, everyone is ready for it to end. Fans have to get up and go to work. Kids have to get up and go to school. Writers have to make some sense of the game despite the diminishing returns of caffeine and the players have to hop on a plane, rest and do it all over again in less than two days. Kruger's goal came off a deflection of defenseman Brent Seabrook's shot from the point. When it found the net, the celebration from the Chicago coaching staff was visibly greater than the celebration from a sapped bench of players.
Turning point: The pipes, the pipes. It would be a stretch to say there was one turning point in a triple-overtime game, so let's note that the Ducks struck iron three times in extra time, two by defenseman Sami Vatanen and one by right wing Corey Perry. It really is a game of inches.
THREE STARS
1. Marcus Kruger, C, Chicago. Kruger's second goal of the playoffs may have saved the Blackhawks' season.
2. Corey Crawford, G, Chicago. Some analysts were calling Crawford the Blackhawks’ Achilles heel before the game. How do 60 saves and a .968 save percentage sound as a retort? Per Elias, Crawford’s 60 saves were the most by a Blackhawks goaltender in a playoff game in the NHL's expansion era.
3. Frederik Andersen, G, Anaheim. Andersen was every bit as brilliant as Crawford, turning aside 53 of 56 shots. Andersen has stopped of 85 of 89 (.955 save percentage) Chicago shots in the series.
RECAP
Chicago 3, Anaheim 2 (3OT)
Series: Tied, 1-1
Key stat: Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith logged a career-high 49:51 of ice time for the Blackhawks’ depleted blue line corps.
Best visual: Shaw's header. Just past the halfway point of the second overtime, Chicago thought it had won the game when forward Andrew Shaw knocked a puck into the net with his head, soccer style. However, that is not allowed, per Rule 78.5, which notes that goals are disallowed: "When the puck has been directed batted or thrown into the net by an attacking player other than with his stick." Too bad. What a cool way that would have been to end a double-overtime battle.
i am so mad that wasn't legal pic.twitter.com/6s5yXOdeVD
— Stephanie Vail (@myregularface) May 20, 2015
Best hands: Corey Perry, RW, Anaheim. Perry tied the game and moved into a tie for the NHL playoff scoring lead (16 points) with a sick redirect of Ryan Getzlaf's shot from the boards. It is the only goal from the Getzlaf line through two games of this series.
Best quote: Here's Crawford when told this was the longest game in Blackhawks' history: "It felt like it."
What we learned: With Kyle Cumiskey replacing ineffective David Rundblad on Chicago's decimated blue line, analysts predicted doom if the 'Hawks had to go to overtime with their top four defensemen logging heavy minutes. Cumiskey logged just 18:34 of ice time and Kimmo Timonen logged 16:45, but Chicago is a resilient bunch. The Hawks dug deep and evened the series with defensemen Keith, Seabrook, Oduya and Niklas Hjalmarsson all logging more than 46 minutes on the ice.
Next game: Game 3, Thursday, 8 p.m. ET at United Center in Chicago.
Final thought: A little something from that other conference final series. Playoff struggles are nothing new for Rangers left wing Rick Nash. Nash, who has two goals on 50 shots in the 2015 playoffs, has just seven goals and 25 points in 55 career playoff games. He scored 42 goals during the regular season. Rangers coach Alain Vigneault didn't duck the obvious when asked about the impact Nash's struggles have on New York's offense.
"Would I like him to finish on some of those looks? Yes. Do we need him to finish on those looks if we intend to win? Probably, yes," Vigneault said. "He knows that. But this is a team game, a team concept. We need all to be better from our goaltender out. Our defensive group needs to be better. These guys (the Lightning) have obviously got great offensive lines and our forwards need to challenge their group, not just Rick Nash."
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