Kane and ‘Hawks Go to Conference Finals

by Derek Felix

Yes they Kane! The Chicago Blackhawks advanced to their first Conference Final in 14 years winning a wild shootout over the Vancouver Canucks 7-5 before 22,000 strong at an ecstatic United Center.

If the game between the Caps and Pens was great, then this one played at Chicago was even better with an unpredictable script nobody could have written. Here were two teams going at it. Playing to win. Trading goals back and forth. This was electric playoff hockey. Scintillating stuff indeed.

Patrick Kane’s first career playoff hat trick proved to be the difference. The 2007-08 Calder winner took his teammates for a magic ride scoring two of the three in a wild third period that saw the teams combine for six of the 12 goals. With his team trailing a second time in the stanza after Daniel Sedin tallied his second on the power play, here came Kane 45 seconds later getting to Troy Brouwer’s spin around keep behind the net and then quickly sneaking a wrap around past a stunned Roberto Luongo. Tie game!

Canucks 5 Blackhawks 5 with 7:00 remaining

Vancouver, who had played such a good period till that point having rallied from 3-1 down, scoring three straight including Mats Sundin’s go-ahead before Adam Burish cameback to tie it at four, fell apart following Kane’s reply to Sedin’s PPG. Shane O’Brien, who earlier was about as unlikely a candidate to score when he finished off a Kevin Bieksa feed, lost discipline hooking at Dustin Byfuglien handing the Blackhawks a man-advantage. They’d already cashed in on two of three opportunities. Anyone who’s seen this Hawk club knows how resilient it is and how deadly their PP can be.

It was just an inopportune moment to get nabbed for a penalty. Especially with 22,000-plus loud screaming fans almost willing their team to get it done now. Chicago captain Jonathan Toews got them a little closer when he took a Martin Havlat pass down low and tried to thread the needle across for an open Patrick Sharp. Instead, the puck went right off the back of Alex Edler’s skate past a helpless Luongo allowing the home club to retake the lead. Bedlum!

Blackhawks 6 Canucks 5, 6:11 left

Did Vancity have one more rally in them? They tried but Nikolai Khabibulin, who made some pretty good saves for a goalie who gave up five stood his ground. The veteran Russian who won a Cup with the 2004 Lightning finished with 33 altogether including his best stop on a nifty deflection in which he somehow stuck his leg out to keep the game tied late in the second.

It’d be easy to point to Khabibulin’s counterpart Luongo, who was beaten seven times on 30 shots. But how many could you really classify bad? The Hawks did pick apart shortside high glove on at least three including Kane’s first of the game that tied it 1-1 answering Mason Raymond’s opener two minutes later. The display of skill on that goal was sick with the 20 year-old American undressing Mattias Ohlund before wiring one top shelf. It only foreshadowed what turned out to be a memorable night for No.88.

Spurred on by the crowd, the Hawks scored twice more to surge ahead 3-1 thanks to power play tallies from impressive rookie Kris Versteeg and Toews. But Vancouver never quit with Sedin coming right back 52 seconds later finishing off a great Kyle Wellwood pass with a laser. Less than four minutes later, O’Brien tied it with his first in a century. Well, literally speaking anyway.

The Canucks continued to come on in the third taking advantage of a poor line change that cost the Hawks a man. Sundin wristed one off the far post after time had expired. It may as well have been a PPG. Just like that, they led 4-3 with Game 7 16:17 away. But before they could relax, here came little used fourth liner Burish taking a Sharp feed and one-timing it in to knot it once again less than two minutes later.

It was just the kind of game it was where anything felt possible. Brouwer then shoved a Canuck forward into Luongo earning a goalie interference. It took just six seconds for Sedin to score his second when off a clean faceoff win, he took a Sami Salo pass and then walked in changing the angle to beat Khabibulin. The Canucks once again led 5-4 with a closer eye on that deciding game with 7:45 standing in the way.

One thing about these Blackhawks is they never seem to be out of a game. They just don’t get down. They’ve trailed plenty during the first couple of rounds against the pair of Canadian teams (Cgy, Van) they cameback to oust. But whenever you start to doubt them, Joel Queeneville’s young club rises up. So, Brouwer’s mistake led to the Canucks going ahead. Was it any surprise that on the next shift, he was out there doing some great board work to keep the play alive for Kane to tie it once more?

That’s how resilient this team is. Then, Toews finally put them ahead to stay 49 ticks later. But if they were to prevail, you just knew another goal had to be scored just to ensure their place in Round 3 for the first time since 1995. The Canucks pressed for the equalizer pinching their D. Sooner or later, one would get trapped leading to an odd-man rush. It happened when Kane stole the puck and went from his own blueline with trailers. What happened next was unbelievable.

Here he came one-on-one with O’Brien. Just the way he was purposely skating, you knew he wasn’t giving the puck up. Instantly, I said, “Go for the hat trick.” Either he heard me which is impossible or just instinctively wanted it turning his hand over while pushing the puck around O’Brien. Then came the sweetest backhand you’ll ever see right smack off the right goalpost and in. What happened next was Kane pumping his fist while being mobbed by teammates who shared his excitement as plenty of hats rained down from above as the Chicago fans saluted their hero.

Simply amazing. The first time they get in the playoffs in seven years and they’re going to the Conference Finals where it possibly could be an Original Six rematch of 14 years earlier versus old Norris nemesis Detroit. Not for nothing. But I like that name a whole lot more than the lame regionalized Central. Just saying.

If the Red Wings win later tonight over Anaheim, it will happen. One of the greatest rivalries will get renewed with plenty at stake. Who isn’t rooting for it at this point unless you’re a Duck fan.

As the clock ticked down to zero, the Blackhawk fans stood in unison cheering their team. They probably couldn’t believe it. It’s been a long time coming.

Yes they Kane.

Tagged with: Adam Burish, Captain Jonathan, Chicago Blackhawks, Conference Finals, Daniel Sedin, Inopportune Moment, Jonathan Toews, Magic Ride, Man Advantage, Martin Havlat, Mats Sundin, O Brien, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Playoff Hockey, Roberto Luongo, Tie Game, Troy Brouwer, United Center, Vancouver Canucks

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