They needed a third period comeback, but the Chicago Blackhawks won their second consecutive elimination game to force a Game 7 against the Detroit Red Wings. Down 3-1 in the series after dropping the first two games in Detroit, the Blackhawks have surged back to steal momentum with victories in Game 5 and now 6. The 4-3 victory keeps the President’s Trophy winning Blackhawks in the hunt and sends the series back to Chicago for a Wednesday showdown.
Fresh from a big win on Sunday night, the Blackhawks picked up the early lead on the power play. With Jakub Kindl in the box for interference, a flurry of white Chicago jerseys created chaos just outside Jimmy Howard‘s crease, allowing Marian Hossa to whack the puck into the net for his fifth goal of the postseason.
The lead would not last into the intermission. With just over a minute to go before the horn, Detroit’s Drew Miller launched a shot and Patrick Eaves took care of the rebound to tie the game at one. Midway through the second the Wings took the lead off the stick of Joakim Andersson.
Just after crossing the blue line Anderson launched a floating shot, that should have been easily turned away by Corey Crawford. However, the Blackhawks goalie missed with the glove and felt the pangs of regret as the lamp lit behind him. The 2-1 lead would hold up into the third period and had the Red Wings looking likely to close out the series.
But the Blackhawks were not done yet. Just 51 seconds into the final frame Michal Handzus came around the net and picked up a pass from Niklas Hjalmarsson. One on one with Jimmy Howard, Handzus took his time and picked out a target by the far post to put the Blackhawks level.
Five minutes later Hawks captain Jonathan Toews pulled the puck out of the corner and threw it in front for Brian Bickell. The red hot defenseman needed two hacks to beat Jimmy Howard, but his fifth playoff goal gave the Blackhawks the lead.
Midway through the third, the game got a little bit of controversy as Chicago’s Michael Frolik was awarded a penalty shot. Though Red Wings fans will never admit it, Detroit defender Carlo Colaiacovo slashed Frolik’s hands to thwart his breakaway attempt, fully justifying the referee’s bold call. On the penalty shot, Frolik froze Jimmy Howard with a late deke to the backhand side and then buried the puck in the back of the net to put Chicago up by two.
The Red Wings battled back in the hopes of forcing overtime and icing the series, but they could not match the Boston Bruins miracle comeback from Round 1, when they scored two in the final minute of regulation. With the goalie pulled, Mike Babcock’s boys got one, by way of Damien Brunner, but it was not enough.
The Red Wings, who once seemed certain to reach the Western Conference Finals, will now make a third attempt to eliminate the resilient Blackhawks. With their offense finally returning and their stars fully engaged, the Blackhawks look like the favorites for Wednesday’s Game 7.
In their long history, the Blackhawks have never won a series after being down 3-1, but they will have a great opportunity to do just that back at the Madhouse on Madison. The Red Wings did plenty of good things in Game 6, but they will need to be exceptional to beat a Blackhawks team that has finally emerged from a slump.
Mike Babcock will be able to point to Game 7 of Round 1, when the Red Wings went on the road to knock out the No. 2 seeded Anaheim Ducks for inspiration. Though one has to wonder if the Wings would have anything left in the tank after playing fourteen games against the two most vaunted teams in the West.
Whichever team survives the series will face the winner of tonight’s Game 7 between the Kings and Sharks in LA. After a pair of one-sided series in the east, hockey fans have to be salivating over these two superb Game 7 matchups over the next two nights.
