Blackhawks even series in triple OT
ANAHEIM, Calif. - See how quickly a Game 1 nightmare can be forgotten?
All the consternation about the Hawks being in trouble in the Western Conference finals can be put to bed for at least the next day or so after Joel Quenneville's squad evened their series against Anaheim with an edge-of-your seat, 3-2 triple-overtime victory Tuesday night at the Honda Center.
Marcus Kruger scored the game-winner for the Hawks at 16:12 of the sixth period.
The series is now even at 1-1 with Game 3 set for Thursday night at the United Center.
Andrew Shaw thought he had ended the Blackhawks' exhausting meeting with the Anaheim Ducks 8:47 into the second OT when he headed home a looping rebound of Patrick Kane's shot in the crease, bouncing the puck off his helmet in an incredible soccer-style play.
But after a brief consultation, the officials waved off the goal. Rule 38.4 prohibits any goal scored by a player who deliberately bats the puck into the net with any part of his body.
Only in their dreams could the Hawks have imagined getting off to a better start as they grabbed a 2-0 lead just 6:19 into the game thanks to a pair of power-play goals. An over-aggressive Ducks team paid the price for Patrick Maroon boarding Niklas Hjalmarsson and Clayton Stoner cross-checking Kruger.
Andrew Shaw scored the first goal on a nice re-direct of a Duncan Keith shot from the left point, and Marian Hossa tapped in a puck that had gotten past goalie Frederik Andersen to make it 2-0.
It was Hossa's second goal of the postseason. His other was an empty-netter near the end of Game 4 vs. Minnesota.
After losing Game 1, the Hawks talked about establishing a net-front presence and that's exactly how Shaw scored.
"We're (not) just going to cruise in there and start scoring goals. I think we have to work for them," Jonathan Toews said Monday. "We're going to have play harder around the net and I think as everyone says, it's always about traffic. "It's always about making things difficult for a goaltender to see … I think (Andersen's) playing well so we've got to get on him as much as possible."
The Ducks made it a 2-1 game on a goal by Andrew Cogliano at the 9:14 mark of the first period.
The Hawks' beleaguered defense had to take the blame. Kimmo Timonen meekly checked Kyle Palmieri in the Hawks' offensive zone, but it had no effect and Palmieri got the puck ahead to a streaking Nate Thompson. Cogliano received credit for the goal when the puck off of Thompson's shot ricocheted off his skate.
Despite the 2 early penalties, Anaheim - with 24 hits in the first period - never let up in blasting the Hawks into the boards. Timonen was a victim at least twice, looking like a rag doll being thrown up against the boards on one memorable hit.
Anaheim had numerous opportunities in the second period and only some stellar goal-tending by Corey Crawford prevented 2-3 shots from going into the net. One finally did, though, as Corey Perry deflected Ryan Getzlaf's wrister from the right point at 17:30.
The Hawks had a 5-on-3 power play for 1:05 early in the the third period but could not score.
How important was Game 2 of the Western Conference finals to the Blackhawks?
No more important than Game 1 or any other game of the playoffs, according to Patrick Sharp, who was asked when a team needs to show desperation in the playoffs.
"Every game, every night. I think every game's important," Sharp said. "You try to win every night you go on the ice, play with that urgency, play with that desperation.
We're disappointed with the outcome in Game 1, but we realize we have an opportunity to win tonight and we'll do our best to do that."