Bourque's goal was key in Game 3
Troy Murray, who spent 12 years of a 15-year career with the Blackhawks and now is the team's color analyst on WGN 720-AM, offers his perspective on the Blackhawks-Flames series.
Q: How much of a back-breaker was Rene Bourque's goal that gave Calgary a 2-1 lead?
Murray: I honestly thought up until that point it was a great road game by the Blackhawks. It was a game that just as easily could have been in the favor of either of the teams at that point. Rather than being even going into the third period, that goal seemed to be the difference in the game. Calgary scored two quick ones in the third and that kind of deflated the Hawks.
Q: David Moss scored twice for the Flames; what's up with that?
Murray: Those are the types of players that can make the difference in a series. You expect your best players to be the difference makers, but when you have a guy step up and kind of be an unsung hero like Moss has been, it's huge.
Q: You said the power play would be huge on the road for the Hawks yet they were just 1-for-7.
Murray: In a game like that when Olli Jokinen takes the initial roughing penalty, you know what Calgary is trying to do - establish that physical play. The equalizer is the power play. As soon as he took that penalty, the Hawks scored a quick goal. They had chances after that to make a difference on the power play and they didn't.
Q: That game ended in an ugly fashion. Might there be suspensions, and if so how will that affect the play in Game 4?
Murray: It's not going to change anything, but the league will come in and talk to the respective teams to tell them that stuff won't be tolerated. According to what I've seen this postseason, I wouldn't be surprised if there were suspensions handed out.
Q: If you were a betting man, would you bet Patrick Kane will be back in the lineup tonight?
Murray: I would venture to say yes.
Q: Is there cause for concern after the Game 3 loss?
Murray: It's not surprising. I didn't think they were going to win all four games and it was going to be an easy series. Is there concern? Absolutely. Now Calgary is right back in the series. They win tonight and they're all tied up and it's a best-of-three. This was a crucial game for Calgary to win and they played, in my opinion, as the more desperate team and ... they got the results.
Mike Spellman interviews Troy Murray before each playoff game. Murray is in his sixth season as color analyst for Blackhawks radio broadcasts on WGN 720-AM.