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Hawks have shot at history

If you've witnessed the last three games of this Western Conference quarterfinal, including the Blackhawks' remarkable 4-3 overtime win Sunday night in Game 6, then you know the odds have shifted in the Hawks' favor.

By the way, Tuesday night's game at Vancouver will be the franchise's first Game 7 since May 19, 1995, when the Hawks bounced Toronto to capture a Western Conference quarterfinal.

Nonetheless, this seems like the right place to explain the astronomical odds the Hawks are trying to beat.

Basically, if they win Game 7 on the Canucks' home ice, they ought to head straight to Las Vegas instead of San Jose.

Since the NHL held its first best-of-seven playoff series in 1919, exactly three teams have rallied to win after trailing three games to zip.

In 1942, Toronto pulled off the feat to beat Detroit in the Stanley Cup Finals. In 1975, the New York Islanders stunned Pittsburgh in the quarterfinals.

And two series before the Hawks bounced Philadelphia to win the Stanley Cup last season, the Flyers won four straight from Boston.

By the way, the Flyers and the Maple Leafs won their Game 7s on the road.

Here's the other historical apple cart the Hawks are trying to overturn:

They've been down 3-2 in a best-of-seven series on 18 previous occasions. Only once — way back in the 1965 semifinals against Detroit — have the Hawks wound up winning the series.

Images: Blackhawks vs. Canucks, Game 6