Playoff-savvy 'Hawks prove in Game 4 why they'll be a tough out for Ducks
When Game 4 of the Western Conference finals went to double overtime on Saturday at United Center, there was precedent for picking the winner. Since the start of the 2010 playoffs, the Chicago Blackhawks had accumulated an impressive 18-10 record in games that required overtime, but a dominant 6-1 mark in multiple-OT contests.
"The emotion, it's not a pleasant one," he said. "As a proud competitor, like anybody else on this team, you want to be part of the team. You think you can help the team."
Turning point: Patrick Kane's seeing-eye goal. The Ducks had just stunned the Blackhawks with three goals in 37 seconds to turn a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 lead with 10:41 left in regulation. Anaheim was half a period away from taking a commanding 3-1 series lead back to Honda Center when Jakob Silfverberg was whistled for holding against Kyle Cumiskey. Sixteen seconds into that power play, Kane sent a shot toward the net that was gong well wide until it struck goalie Frederik Andersen's pad and caromed in to tie the game and give the Hawks new life.
Three stars
1. Brandon Saad, LW, Chicago. Saad was a beast. He had a shorthanded breakaway goal to open the scoring on which he looked like he was shot out of a canon. He had a pair of assists, he was plus-3 and he was a matchup nightmare.
2. Antoine Vermette, C, Chicago. Vermette had been pressing so hard to make an offensive impact since coming over at the deadline from Arizona. He is officially worth the trade after scoring the game-winning goal that kept Chicago's season off the rocks.
3. Corey Perry, RW, Anaheim. Perry had the goal that put Anaheim up 4-3 during its third-period flurry and he got under Chicago goalie Corey Crawford's skin all night.
RECAP
Chicago 5, Anaheim 4 (2OT).
Series: Tied, 2-2.
Key stat: The Ducks' three third-period goals in 37 seconds were the second-fastest three goals in Stanley Cup playoff history. Toronto scored three in 23 seconds vs. Atlanta on April 12, 1979.
Key stat II: Per the Chicago website Sports Mockery, since 2009, with stars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, the Blackhawks are 14-0 in Games 5 and 6 if the series is tied 2-2.
Best quote: "Sure, we're ticked off and everything else, but we've got a game in two days. If you dwell on it, you're going to dwell on it to the fact you're down 3-2. You've just got to get angry and go after it. We know these are two good teams and the games are going to be close. We just got to be the one that comes out on top." — Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau after his team lost a second multiple-overtime game in this series.
What we learned: We thought before this series started that this would be a battle between the Ducks' size and withering attack and Chicago's skill and experience. Through four games, that's exactly what it has been. There have been times when Chicago has looked like it was on the ropes, but the Hawks have so much playoff know-how that it's going to be difficult for the Ducks to finish them.
Next game: Game 5, Monday, 9 p.m. EST at Honda Center in Anaheim.
Final thought: Coach Joel Quenneville's decision to bench forwards Antoine Vermette & Teuvo Teravainen in Game 3 drew heavy criticism from the Chicago media and fans after the Hawks lost that game. Maybe Quenneville thought he needed some fresh legs after a triple-OT affair in Anaheim and a cross-country flight. Maybe he wanted to motivate two players who, truth be told, hadn't made a big enough impact in the postseason. It was certainly unusual to change lineups after a win. Most coaches have a superstition about such things, but maybe, in some weird way, Quenneville's decision sparked Vermette. He scored what is arguably the biggest goal of Chicago's season to date.
— Stephanie Vail (@myregularface) May 24, 2015
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