Jonathan Toews, Blackhawks Stay Alive In Overtime
Five games.
Five overtimes.
This time, the Blackhawks season was on the line, and there was no way Chicago’s captain was starting his summer on Saturday night.
At 2:44 in yet OT, Jonathan Toews made a deposit into the Phoenix net. Viktor Stalberg ended a personal performance he would probably like to forget with the only assist on the score.
Stalberg had a remarkable game. He was called for four minor penalties in the game, only to come back with the overtime apple.
Toews won 14 of his 18 faceoffs and was credited with one hit and one blocked shot to go with his game-winning goal.
The Blackhawks and Coyotes tied an NHL record with their fifth overtime game in a series; it was the seventh straight playoff game for the Chicago franchise to go overtime (also a record).
Unlike the first two games in Phoenix, the Hawks didn’t wait until the final 14 seconds to tie the game on Saturday night. Nick Leddy scored at 9:15 in the third to bring the game back to even, and rookie Brandon Saad was credited with his first NHL assist on the play.
Chicago dominated the box score yet again, allowing only 18 shots to reach Corey Crawford in regulation. But they weren’t able to generate any consistent in spite of 34 shots getting to Mike Smith before the overtime.
Again, the all-too-familiar storyline of the series.
The only other time a playoff series has seen five overtime games was the 1951 Stanley Cup Finals.
Great job JT!
Crawford wasn’t an issue, and we won…I can see the Hawks winning the next two, as long as Crawford can maintain this consistent play.
Dear Michael Frolik, I like the way you play hockey in the playoffs. Great game. Bring the momentum home to Chicago, lets go! Great game for Saad to grab his first career NHL point, good work kid!
The Hawks beat Phoenix at their own game………they were patient and capitalized on a couple Phoenix mistakes. This is what playoff hockey is about. Now, let’s win on Monday and steal game 7 on Wednesday!!
Wow Dominic actuallt cheering for the Blackhawks mark the tape! He y Dominic I know u think Phoenix is better as you said multiple times. They aren’t we just have to continue to grind games out like this. Getting shots on net is the key eventually some will go in. I like our chances in this series regardless of what it looks like right now.
So what you say now Dom!
Sorry for typo’s sent that from my phone whilst enjoying a victory cigar
Proud of Toews, Leddy, the team for doing a much better job of defensive playing and Saad who scored his first career NHL Playoff assist. The only complaint I have really is Stalberg must stay out of the penalty box! Jeez he was surely not having a great game today better do way better come Monday. Well we are taking it one game at a time!
So, now who will be on the 3rd line in game 6? I would bet money Q goes back to Shaw/Bolland/Bickel (though I would be strongly against it). I’d love to see the 3rd line stay the same (I’d been asking for Frolik on the 3rd for weeks now); with a 4th line of Shaw/Kruger/(Mayers/Hayes)
tysimmo if Bickell goes to the 3rd line then Shaw would go up with Toews on 1st line
This series is exhausting to watch. All I can say is I’m very happy with the Hawks. Every player fights till the end no matter what.
How tedious was this one to watch, let alone try and play? The Hawks knocked on the door the entire game. PHX just packed it in and countered when it was there. They blocked a ridiculous number of shots and we had few good looks at Smith. Sharpie and Toews with the best ones, not to forget Leddy with a gaping net and he shoots it high. Great finish by the captain. No fooling around. PHX looked really deflated leaving the ice. How could they lay back with the Hawks on the brink and committing d men to the rush? They chose NOT to put us away after sneaking out 2 OT wins on very soft goals. Did they really think they would get another lucky one to win? Incredibly boring team these Yotes are to watch play. Strange that in the West all the defensively minded teams are advancing or winning series. Not a good trend, but it works in the playoffs if your keeper is on his game.
I was not happy with our lineup, but I’m not the coach. A patchwork group. Brunette and Morrison just can’t skate, so I question those guys apart from experience. So many line combos had to make it tough on the players. Does anyone remember a player taking 4 minor penalties in one game with all of them not necessary? Just a weird game last night, but of all the games so far we really looked much faster and motivated to bring it for 3 periods. I think we take game 6 at home and get to game 7 with some wind in our sails. Shaw back should help solidify the lineup next week. Should be rocking at the UC this week. Can’t wait to be there. I still think we dent Smith at some point in this series as all those rebounds have to find our sticks at some point. Great win last night! Let’s Go Haawks!
I just want to know why its taken so long for Hayes to get on the ice? I like the idea of a Hayes/Kruger/Shaw line.
Everyone is basking in the victory but I want to comment on the stupidity of Victor Stalberg. Un#*@$ing believable! I was wondering if he had laid money on Phoenix or something. I hope he sits Monday because he was working for the Yotes last night.
@Phil
I had big questions about the line up as well but I think what Q was trying to do was make a change since what he was doing wasn’t working. By having bigger guys like Saad and Hayes in there (idiot pass btw on the PHX goal) they can win board battles, hold the puck down low and wear down this team. And by spreading out their better players it makes life difficult for Phoenix trying to get match-ups. At some point you would also think seeing 40 shots a night will catch up to Smith.
As we saw with the Sutter coached teams that played a high intensity style like Phoenix, they typically burnt out in the playoffs. If (and big if) the Hawks can keep their foot on the gas, predicated on keeping the stupid to a minimum, they can put themselves in as good a position as they can hope for with their backs against the wall.
Stalberg takes (4) minor penalties and still gets a regular shift. Lepisto plays an excellent game for (2) periods and gets benched in the third. I didn’t see him turn the puck over at all, he is playing very tough in front of our net, yet Q benches him in the third. I just don’t get it!!
Agreed that Lepisto was a surprise no show in the 3rd. thought our defense was best of the series. Glad it was JT who got game winner, that’s big for everyone in the room afterwards i think. We’ve at least got Shaw returning now. More traffic!
Does anybody else long for a 2 goal lead at some point? I’,ve forgotten what it even feels like to have a bit of a cushion in a game. Games on the line for 60 mins every night… I’m too old for this shit!
I think Lepisto got hurt on a shot block, Tom. He got off the ice gingerly in the second and still looked in pain at the start of the third.
And really with all of the praise for Hayes, he made a really stupid decision that led to the Phoenix goal. When you see your D Man pinching for a cycle like Hammer was, you can’t center the puck… ESPECIALLY against a team that typically has 5 guys right in the middle of the ice. Needed to cycle there. This is why Hayes hasn’t been dressed, he makes rookie mistakes that lead to goals.
However, absolutely dominating game by the Hawks. Didn’t get as many scoring chances as I would like, but their PP finally looked good, played solid defense, and were good possessing the puck. Two more.
Great game and seeing Toews come through should be a real shot in the arm for the boys. I hope the home crowd at the UC gets the team motivated and they bury the Yotes. I think if the Hawks win game six in convincing fashion they can put them away back in Phoenix.
As a side note, when I watch most other teams play defense in their own zone on the power play, they stay back a good 10 feet from the attacking team players. When the Hawks are on the power player it seems like the defense stays right on top of them and the Hawks get flustered trying to move the puck. Is it me or does anyone else notice that?