Blackhawks beat Lightning, even series at 2
Facing a rookie goalie playing in just his 20th NHL game, the Blackhawks figured to waltz to a victory in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday.
Of course, things don't always go the way you think they're going to with this Hawks team.
Instead of a waltz, coach Joel Quenneville's team seemed content to square-dance with the Lightning in an almost must-win affair at the United Center.
Generating just 2 shots on goal in the first period and 3 after 25 minutes, the Hawks put the equivalent of zero pressure on Andrei Vasilevskiy, who was playing for the injured Ben Bishop.
But Brandon Saad swooped in and saved the day with 13:38 remaining in the game with a great move to beat Vasilevskiy, and the Hawks went on to win 2-1 to even the series at two games apiece.
Game 5 is at Tampa Bay's Amalie Arena on Saturday.
Saad displayed his power and skill on his goal, bulldozing in on Vasilevskiy. The 20-year-old Russian tried to bang the puck away with his stick, but Saad regained control and whipped it into the net for his eighth goal of the playoffs.
“Really it was pretty lucky,” Saad said. “Just tried to drive and create some chaos.”
Captain Jonathan Toews, sitting next to Saad in the postgame interview room, was effusive in his praise of his 22-year-old teammate.
“He's always pushing himself every night, whether it was scoring goals or playing two-way hockey,” Jonathan Toews said of Saad. “He wants to be one of the best players … and we saw that again. Our team's had a lot of success this postseason and he's a big reason why.”
The Hawks' other goal came from Jonathan Toews, while Alex Killorn scored for the Lightning.
Corey Crawford turned away 24 shots, including several in the final minute as the Lightning put on a frantic final push.
The Hawks got on the board first when Toews scored with 13:40 left in the second period. His shot hit Vasilevskiy's skate and caromed into the net. It was Toews' 10th goal of the postseason and tied him with Patrick Kane for the team lead.
The Lightning answered just more than five minutes later when Killorn scored after a gorgeous feed from Valtteri Filppula. Killorn now has 9 goals in the playoffs. On Killorn's goal, the Hawks couldn't get the puck moving past center ice and it ended up costing them.
Crawford had to turn away a tidal wave of shots as the seconds ticked off the clock, one of which came from Steven Stamkos from just feet away. Stamkos also had a one-timer sail just wide of the left post.
“I think we've got to be proud of the fact we came in here and took a split,” Stamkos said. “Obviously it seems like a wasted opportunity with the way we played and not be able to get a win. But we're still feeling confident in
our game.”
Crawford's other big saves came on a Tyler Johnson one-timer with 2:35 left in the first period and on Nikita Kucherov with 9:30 left in the game on a mini-breakaway.
As the series heads back to Tampa Bay in the best-of-three that Brad Richards was hoping for after the Hawks dropped Game 3, Richards knows his team better pick it up if they want to beat the Lightning two more times.
“Yeah, that was probably our worst game in awhile for whatever reason,” Richards said of Game 4. “We really wanted it, but we just kept getting in each other's way.
“These guys are way better than anybody imagined at checking and trying to frustrate you. So we're learning that mentality that it might be 2-1 games the rest of the way.
“I think we got caught up thinking it would be run and gun, and if we do that, we just feed them. We've
got to be more patient than them.”