Blackhawks make a wild comeback

The obituary was all but written.

Chicago Blackhawks, beloved franchise of millions, saw their 2016 season end Saturday at the United Center thanks to the St. Louis Blues firing 3 daggers into their hearts in less than five first-period minutes.

Yes, it was a funeral-like and stunned United Center crowd that couldn't believe their eyes as they looked up at a scoreboard that read: Blues 3, Blackhawks 1 with just 11 minutes gone by.

Of course, these Hawks have faced far more dire circumstances than that, and they stormed back with second-period goals by Artem Anisimov, Trevor van Riemsdyk and Dale Weise to regenerate a damaged and flatlining heart en route to an emphatic 6-3 Game 6 victory over St. Louis.

Andrew Shaw put a killer stake in the Blues' chest with 3:07 remaining on a power-play goal to make it 5-3, and Marian Hossa added an empty-netter for the final tally.

"We've got a lot of guys that have been around a while and played in a lot of big games," said Andrew Ladd, who scored his first goal of the playoffs 3:47 into the game. "(They) understand the momentum shifts and there still was 40 minutes left to be played.

"There's a lot of confidence in here and what we can do. We knew we had to get to another level and I thought we did that in the second."

Game 7 is at St. Louis on Monday, with the winner advancing to the Western Conference semifinals to face whomever comes out of the Dallas-Minnesota series.

The Blues, having watched a 3-1 series lead evaporate, tried to put a positive spin on things afterward.

"It's the best-case scenario we could have hoped for," Ken Hitchcock said. "We could have dreamed for getting this matchup and getting home-ice advantage. That's what we've earned and we're going to keep it.

"I'm not blaming people right now. Some other people could do that."

After Ladd's goal made it 1-0, the Blues rattled off 3 unanswered goals - from Scottie Upshall, Alex Pietrangelo and Vladimir Tarasenko - in under five minutes to take a 3-1 lead.

Plenty of teams would have been left for dead at that point, but these Blackhawks aren't just any team.

"We just stick with it," said Andrew Desjardins. "Good goaltending. Good 'D' when we need it. Big blocked shots. It just seems like we do the right things at key times."

Anisimov made it 3-2 at 4:13 of the second period when he whacked in a rebound off a Marian Hossa shot with the Hawks on the power play.

Eight minutes later, embattled defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk tied things up by poking in a shot after a perfect feed from Jonathan Toews.

"Reemer did a great job of jumping up in that play," Toews said. "Obviously if he doesn't haul himself down there full speed, that play doesn't get finished off."

At that point, the crowd sent the noise level in the building to epic levels.

"I think it was the loudest I've ever heard the United Center," Shaw said.

Said Desjardins: "The crowd was just amazing there. It was a timeout and they didn't stop the entire time. … The fans here are just amazing."

Weise scored the game-winner after taking a pass from Artemi Panarin and snapping off a shot that bounced off Brian Elliott's right shoulder and into the net.

"I knew when 'Bread (Man)' gave it to me, Elliott was looking the other way," Weise said. "I just had to make sure I got it upstairs."

With a victory Monday, the Hawks would overcome a 3-1 series deficit for the second time in four years.

And then it would be St. Louis' obituary in the papers and online the next day.

"When we're down 3-1, we had nothing to lose and the pressure was on them," said Hawks coach Joel Quenneville. "And now it's (on them) even more. So it's one game.

"I know we have momentum - that's what we're looking to get. Let's go in there and have some fun."

• Follow John's Hawks reports on Twitter @johndietzdh.

THREE STARS1. Richard Panik, Blackhawks. He had just 1 assist, but he was absolutely everywhere. Piled up 6 hits and drew a late penalty that led to Andrew Shaw's game-clinching goal.

2. Artemi Panarin, Blackhawks. Rookie fed Dale Weise for game-winning goal and also assisted on Artem Anisimov's tally that closed gap to 3-2.

3. Corey Crawford, Blackhawks. Yes, 3 goals were allowed on St. Louis' 7 shots. But then Crawford shook off a shot that really stung him from Colton Parayko, and slammed the door by turning away the final 21 shots he faced.