CHICAGO — In a hockey age when the phrases, “It’s a 3-2 game now,” and, “It’s a race to three,” have become clichés, we bring you Game 4, Western Conference Final, played on May 23, 2015.
A spasm of goals, followed by the agony of double overtime. Finally, a series tied, now a best-of-three series, and you just know the best is yet to come.
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In Game 4 at the United Center, we saw play so loose in the third period that the Chicago Blackhawks blew a 3-1 lead on home ice within 37 seconds. Then, defence and goaltending so sound that we go multiple overtimes for the second time in four games of this series.
Then, suddenly, it ends, on a goal from Antoine Vermette, who was unceremoniously scratched in Game 3 and could barely veil his anger over the decision by Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville to sit him down.
It was a game, in the immortal words of Bob Cole, where “everything was happening.” It is a series that Bob would say the same of, no doubt.
The fun began when Jonathan Toews and Brent Seabrook broke open a 1-1 game in the third period. Just as this writer unleashed a tweet about the high character of the Blackhawks, and the safety of this impending Chicago victory, Anaheim got goals from Ryan Kesler, Matt Beleskey and Corey Perry in a near-record 37-second span.
It was the second fastest trio of payoff goals ever scored, behind only the ’79 Maple Leafs, who potted three in 23 ticks of the clock against the Atlanta Flames one night.
“Couldn’t dream that up in a million years,” said Chicago’s Brad Richards. “Both teams I think have a resolve and a resiliency that’s probably as good as any.”
Quenneville had called his timeout after the second Ducks goal, and then hadn’t set the white board down when the third one was going in.
“I thought it was the worst timeout I’ve ever called,” he said post-game, to much laughter. “They scored right away. I’m going, ‘Oh, my God. We don’t have a timeout, down a goal. Ten minutes to go in the game…’”
“What are you going to do, right?” said unflappable defenceman Duncan Keith, who played another game-high 40:39 in Game 4. “Obviously you don’t want those things to happen, and it’s frustrating, but we had nothing else to do but keep looking at the next shift.”
From leading 3-1 to trailing 4-3, Patrick Kane rescued this game for Chicago on the power play to complete a six-goal run in 10:01 and send us to overtime. From that point on, mayhem.
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We’ve always said, there’s nothing wrong with a good 2-1 hockey game — as long as you don’t know that will be the final score on the drive into the rink — as it was with the Los Angeles Kings back in 2012. This series — and the Eastern Final as well — has brought unpredictability back into a game that at times gets bogged down by coaching, shot-blocking, and goaltending that just keep getting better and better.
Vermette, who had been scratched the previous game and not scored a playoff game-winner since he was an Ottawa Senator — nine years ago — corralled his own rebound to send this one back to Anaheim all tied up.
He’s a true pro, and refused to talk about his feelings for being scratched — as humiliating as it must have been for a man who has played more than 800 NHL games.
“At this time of the year, you don’t want to make an individual or a personal story,” he began. “The emotion, it’s not a pleasant one. As a proud competitor, like anybody else on this team, you want to be part of the team. You think you can help the team. I think that’s a natural emotion to get.”
“I just want to say,” interjected Toews, “Antoine, (and) there’s numerous other guys in our locker room that haven’t even had the chance yet to come out and show what they can do throughout the playoffs. That’s a really tough thing to play through.
“When you finally are thrown out there, the game is fast, intense, every single play matters… You’ve got to find a way to play through that and make smart plays. So it’s a huge testament to the guy sitting next to me (and other Hawks) putting their own ego, own wants and needs aside, and are ready for those opportunities when they do come.”
Chicago is now 4-0 in overtime games this spring, and holds a 7-1 record when being outshot. That’s called living on the edge.
Anaheim, meanwhile, has not yet lost a game in regulation in these playoffs. How’s that for good?
“Even though we lost the game, we put even more doubt in their mind by getting those three goals and going up 4-3,” said Anaheim winger Andrew Cogliano. “They can say what they want and they won the game. We didn’t give up, we battled back and got the goals we needed to but ultimately they won the series is tied.”
There is so much hockey left in this series. Two games guaranteed, and a seventh game lurking.
Now, to the Eastern series for a night. It’s been just as crazy.
Good times for hockey these. Good times indeed.
