The Blackhawks welcomed back Brent Seabrook to the defensive line after being out since the Torres hit in on him in game 3. The Canucks made a suprise move by putting Schneider into the net to make his 1st start of the playoffs, even though they had been saying in the build up that Luongo would definately start.
Daniel Sedin got the Canucks off to the perfect start in this game at 2.07. Hjalmarsson tried to clear the puck down centre ice from behind the net and the Canucks forecheck jumped on it. Henrik Sedin sent it back round the boards to Daniel and he stepped out and got a wrap around attempt in behind Crawford.
Stallberg missed a glorious chance with just over 5 minutes gone in the period as a funny bounce of the boards brought the puck back out infront with Schneider already going round the net anticipting stopping the puck behiend. He fired the puck into the side netting with the net gaping.
The Canucks were sent on the 1st powerplay at 6.04 with Kane taking a high sticking penalty. The Canucks had good possesion but couldn't get anything through on Crawford. Kane coming out of the penalty box had the best chance as he skated out and behind the Canucks defence. He took the puck to his backhand but Schneider stuck with him and saved the puck with his pads.
9.59 saw Chicago get their first powerplay. Kesler going for slashing after another good chance, this time for Toews. He took the puck in towards the net but Schneider got the save with his paddle. The Blackhawks failed to register a shot on the powerplay as the Canucks penalty killers played a good 2 minutes.
The Blackhawks had the game tied at 14.57 with Bolland absolutely burying Hamhuis behind the net as he tried to get the puck out. This hit sent the puck off the side of the net and out infront and Bickell skated in to put it high past Schneider.
At this point, the Canucks hadn't had a shot in the last 13 minutes as Chicago were beginning to get some momentum. In fact, neither team had taken many shots at all through the 1st.
The Canucks did get another shot with 1.12 left that went in behind Crawford. A turnover in the high slot being wristed in by Burrows to give the Canucks a 2-1 lead at the end of the period.
Into the 2nd period and the opening exchanges were even as both teams were hitting hard but only generating chances from range. The Canucks got a powerplay chance with Brouwer sitting 2 for high sticking at 7.05. Burrows had the best chance on this, rattling the puck off the far pipe with a gaping cage to aim at.
Torres ended that sequence with a goaltender interference penalty to send the Blackhawks on the powerplay. A hooking call only 17 seconds into the Torres penalty on Raymond send Chicago on 1.43 of 5 on 3. The Canucks went with 2 forwards and 1 defenceman and this worked on giving Chicago no lanes to get a clear shot through, the few chances they created were dealt with by Schneider in the net and the Canucks saw off the powerplay chance.
The Blackhawks had the game tied up again with 4.52 remaining in the period.A mistake by Schneider behind the net, playing a bad pass straight to Kane who put it right on Bolland's stick infront and he fired it in before the netminder could get back across to it.
With 2.38 remaining Hodgson chipped the puck straight into the crowd to give the Blackhawks the chance to end the period on the powerplay. It was another strong kill from the Canucks though and the game would head into the 3rd all square. Both Henrik Sedin and Campbell were called on the buzzer for 2 minute minors and the 3rd period would start 4 on 4
The Canucks had their 3rd lead of the game 58 seconds into the 3rd. Raymond whacked a shot in from the wing the Crawford got his pads on but generated a big rebound and Bieksa had a simple backhand as he went to the net.
2.31 in Frolik got clear with a strech pass bounced off the boards and Hamhuis tripped him down as he went in on Schneider and penalty shot was awarded. He skated down on the netminder from centre ice, made a couple of small dekes and put it into the net, tying this one at 3-3. Schneider went down in instant agony after trying to make the save and he had to be escorted off the ice and down the tunnel. He was writhing in agony on the ice and Luongo had to come off the Canucks bench and back into the series.
Both teams were tentative with the next goal likely to be a game winning goal. The Blackhawks were not getting enough shots on the Canucks net and with less than 7 minutes left they had only the penalty shot and one other on the board.
With just over 5 minutes left it was Higgins turn to rattle the pipes, firing a quick shot from the slot against the left hand post of Crawford's net.
Going into the last minute the Blackhawks had great pressure in the Canucks end but they couldn't get an open lane to get a shot through on Luongo and the period ended and the game went into overtime for the first time this series. The shots at this point were only 23-22 in favour of the Canucks.
Toews had the 1s clear chance of the overtime period with Kane finding him cutting behind the Canucks defence but Luongo getting a pokecheck and knocking the puck away.
Lapierre then went 2 on 1 in on Crawford with Higgins. He chose to shoot but Crawford made a good pad save to keep Chicago in the game.
It took until 15.30 of the period to get a winner. Hjalmarsson's shot from the blueline was seen late by Luongo and it seemed to handcuff him. It hit him in the blocker / stick and bounced right out infront to Ben Smith who got his backhand on the puck to lift it in over Luongo.
The Blackhawks bench jumped up and went wild, the crowd were going ballistic and Chicago had pulled it back from 0-3 in the series to tie at 3-3 and send the game to Vancouver for game 7.
No comments:
Post a Comment