Five unsung heroes from Blackhawks' Game 4 win
Take a look around the Blackhawks' locker room and it's no wonder they win games like Saturday night's heart-pounding Game 4 of the Western Conference finals at the United Center.
Or the triple-overtime marathon in Game 2 at Anaheim.
Or another triple-overtime all-nighter vs. Nashville in the first round.
Or the first game of the postseason vs. the Predators in double OT.
Combine experience with skill, guile, will to win and a fortunate bounce here and there, and they are all reasons the Hawks are 4-0 in overtime games this postseason.
Saturday's big hero was Antoine Vermette, but he was hardly the only one riding to the rescue.
Let's take a look at five unsung heroes from a 5-4 victory over the Ducks that evened the series at 2-2 with Game 5 set for Monday in Anaheim.
1. Duncan Keith
If Keith isn't a leading candidate for the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP, something's horribly wrong. The Hawks' never-tiring defenseman has been brilliant from the first game vs. Nashville, and he was there to thwart plenty of Ducks chances Saturday.
Keith registered an assist on Patrick Kane's tying goal with 7:21 left in regulation and played 40:39, which upped his average ice time to an insane 36:45 for the series.
So is he tired?
"I feel good," Keith said. "The better we play and manage the puck, and the more that we can play in our own end, the better off we all are. All of our defensemen are playing a lot of minutes."
2. Patrick Sharp
This guy just finds another gear come playoff time, and he easily could have been named Game 4's No. 1 star. His move behind the net to get away from Simon Despres was that of a savvy vet and his perfect pass to Vermette allowed the Hawks to walk out winners.
"We were able to get a nice goal from Vermy there, a nice pass from Sharpie," Brent Seabrook said before the team flew to Anaheim on Sunday. "Nice play from that line. It was nice to get that win."
Sharp also registered 9 hits in 18:40.
3. Brad Richards
Patrick Kane scored the tying goal in the third, but it was Richards who fed him. Needing a big play to avoid a massive collapse in the third period, Richards faked a shot, then slid the puck to Kane, who quickly got the puck through Frederik Andersen.
Richards has a point every game in this series (G, 3A).
Do the Hawks have the most character of any team Richards has been on?
"I've been on a team that won (the Cup, Tampa Bay in 2004), so it's always tough to say that," he said. "You don't get much more character than that. This team definitely knows how to stick with things."
4. Brent Seabrook
Few players have a bigger shot than Seabrook, which Andersen found out at the 7:38 mark of the third period. That goal gave the Hawks a 3-1 lead, one that would hold up for just 64 seconds before Ryan Kesler scored to make it 3-2.
Seabrook, tied for third on the team with 4 goals, always has been a consistent performer in the playoffs, and Saturday just added to his big-game reputation.
5. Teuvo Teravainen
After a baffling decision to sit Teravainen in Game 3, he not only assisted on Vermette's game-winner but may have had the pass of the night to Sharp that sprung the veteran for a breakaway chance in the first OT.
Sharp couldn't finish, but Teravainen's vision on that play left many hockey pundits singing his praises in the seconds after he pulled it off.
• Trevor van Riemsdyk, who was cleared late last week to return to the ice after suffering a wrist injury in early April, did not make the trip to Anaheim for Game 5.
• The Hawks have played 150 minutes, 38 seconds in the four times they've gone to OT. That's the equivalent of 7.5 periods or 2.5 games.
He said it:
"Our next game is going to be our toughest game, especially going back to their building. There's been tough games in Anaheim, so we've got our work cut out for us."
- Duncan Keith
• Follow John's Hawks reports on Twitter @johndietzdh.