One single defeat not about to break Hawks' will to win

PHILADELPHIA - For the first time in more than a month, the Blackhawks are facing a hint of adversity.

But just a hint.

It's still not a series. Not yet, not unless the Flyers can tie it at 2-2 Friday night.

So even after dropping a 4-3 decision in overtime at the Wachovia Center on Wednesday night, the Hawks maintain command and control, with a chance to take a 3-1 series lead and an opportunity to clinch at home Sunday.

What's different, however, is that for the first time this postseason the Hawks lost a game they believed they were going to win.

"We probably deserved it," said Hawks defenseman Duncan Keith. "We did some dumb things tonight."

Still, the Hawks were 14-4 in the playoffs going into Game 3 Wednesday, and their 4 defeats weren't close games, so faced with a tough one the Hawks assumed they would do what they've done in every other difficult game since the postseason began seven weeks ago.

But the difference between the Flyers and the teams the Hawks have previously dispatched is the Flyers won't go away just because the Hawks insist they should.

"That's a great team over there that doesn't quit," Hawks defenseman Brent Sopel said. "They are giving us all they have, and it's not a shock that they are in this series."

It was kind of shocking, actually, to see the Hawks lose. It had been more than three weeks since it happened (May 9), and it hasn't occurred in a 1-goal game since an overtime loss to Detroit on April 11.

"I can't even remember that," Keith said. "That feels like a different season, a different year. That's a long time ago and we've had a good run, and we have a lot of confidence in these kinds of games. We expect to win them.

"I guess it was going to happen at some point. It would have been nice if it didn't happen again until next season."

So is this a crack in the armor? Has an opponent finally planted a seed of doubt?

Not likely.

The Flyers have played as well as they possibly can for three games and they're fortunate to have 1 victory thus far. The Hawks know that and didn't sound like a team worried even after a difficult loss.

"Better to be a game ahead right now than a game behind," said Tomas Kopecky. "We're still the leader in the series."

The loss ended what was one of the most dominant postseason runs in memory, with the Hawks winning seven straight and the last six by a combined 8 goals. It was hardly dominant on the scoreboard or from a distance, but to watch them up close was to understand their will to win.

That doesn't end with a single defeat.

"No, we know what we can do," Sopel said. "We knew they'd come out hard in this game, their first game back in their own building.

"They played a real good game, and we took them to overtime. Tough loss. One loss."

If anything changed Wednesday it was that the Flyers finally got some of those breaks they were begging for heading back home this week.

"We were due," said Flyers forward Simon Gagne. "We got some bounces tonight.

"They hit a couple posts and we got some help off skates and pads and things. Those things should even out in a series and maybe that's turning in our favor now."

So the Flyers took a giant deep breath after it was over, a hair away from being down 3-0 and knowing they dodged a bullet.

Even so, the barrel is still pointed right at them.

brozner@dailyherald.com

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