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Blackhawks triumph to put Sharks on the brink
Source: Agencies |
May 23, 2010, Sunday
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THE Chicago Blackhawks are one win away from their first trip to the Stanley Cup finals in 18 years after scoring a 3-2 overtime victory over the top-seeded San Jose Sharks on Friday.
Left wing Dustin Byfuglien's overtime goal, after he was smartly set up by Dave Bolland behind the net, gave Chicago the win and a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference final.
Byfuglien's wrist shot at 12:24 of the overtime period beat San Jose goalie Evgeni Nabokov and sent a packed United Center crowd of around 22,000 into a frenzy.
"He laid it out in the slot and all I had to do was finish," Byfuglien told reporters of Bolland's assist after he had scored his seventh goal in the playoffs.
Chicago captain Jonathan Toews added: "Bolland made a great play at the end and Buff was in the right spot. He seems to find the open space lately. That's why he's scoring goals."
Three days after stunning the Sharks with a 4-2 triumph in San Jose, the Blackhawks returned home and got a superb effort from goaltender Antti Niemi, who was outstanding on the night with 44 saves.
After a scoreless first period, the Sharks bit first when Patrick Marleau sent a wrist shot past Niemi about four minutes into the second.
The Blackhawks responded on the powerplay three minutes later when Patrick Sharp converted a snap shot after a precise pass from Toews.
The assist by Toews gave him points in 12 consecutive playoff games, moving him past the club-record of 11 he had shared with Hall of Famer Stan Mikita.
Niemi then pulled off a series of breathtaking saves during the third period before Bolland put the Blackhawks ahead 2-1 with a breakaway goal, following another Toews assist.
But Marleau silenced the crammed arena when he lifted a rebound of a deflected shot over Niemi to even the score with under five minutes left.
"It was tough, giving up that goal late," Toews said. "We thought, when we got the second one, that was going to be it and we'd find a way to protect it. So it was disappointing to go into overtime."
The Blackhawks, who last hoisted the Stanley Cup in 1961, can advance to the National Hockey League's championship round with a win in Game 4 tomorrow.
Left wing Dustin Byfuglien's overtime goal, after he was smartly set up by Dave Bolland behind the net, gave Chicago the win and a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference final.
Byfuglien's wrist shot at 12:24 of the overtime period beat San Jose goalie Evgeni Nabokov and sent a packed United Center crowd of around 22,000 into a frenzy.
"He laid it out in the slot and all I had to do was finish," Byfuglien told reporters of Bolland's assist after he had scored his seventh goal in the playoffs.
Chicago captain Jonathan Toews added: "Bolland made a great play at the end and Buff was in the right spot. He seems to find the open space lately. That's why he's scoring goals."
Three days after stunning the Sharks with a 4-2 triumph in San Jose, the Blackhawks returned home and got a superb effort from goaltender Antti Niemi, who was outstanding on the night with 44 saves.
After a scoreless first period, the Sharks bit first when Patrick Marleau sent a wrist shot past Niemi about four minutes into the second.
The Blackhawks responded on the powerplay three minutes later when Patrick Sharp converted a snap shot after a precise pass from Toews.
The assist by Toews gave him points in 12 consecutive playoff games, moving him past the club-record of 11 he had shared with Hall of Famer Stan Mikita.
Niemi then pulled off a series of breathtaking saves during the third period before Bolland put the Blackhawks ahead 2-1 with a breakaway goal, following another Toews assist.
But Marleau silenced the crammed arena when he lifted a rebound of a deflected shot over Niemi to even the score with under five minutes left.
"It was tough, giving up that goal late," Toews said. "We thought, when we got the second one, that was going to be it and we'd find a way to protect it. So it was disappointing to go into overtime."
The Blackhawks, who last hoisted the Stanley Cup in 1961, can advance to the National Hockey League's championship round with a win in Game 4 tomorrow.
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