Chicago: Antoine Vermette scored in the second overtime on Saturday as the Chicago Blackhawks swooped for a 5-4 victory over Anaheim that levelled their NHL Western Conference finals series.
Chicago knotted the best-of-seven series at two games apiece. The Ducks host game five in Anaheim on Monday, with Game six back in Chicago on Wednesday as the teams battle for a berth in the Stanley Cup finals.
Brandon Saad had a goal and two assists, Jonathan Toews notched a goal and an assist and Brent Seabrook and Patrick Kane each scored for the Blackhawks, who got 47 saves from Corey Crawford in the win.
Corey Perry, Emerson Etem, Ryan Kesler and Matt Beleskey all scored for the Ducks, whose goalie Frederik Andersen stopped 35 shots in the defeat.
Vermette’s goal at 5:37 of the second overtime came after the Blackhawks had blown a two-goal lead in the third period.
The teams entered the third tied at 1-1, but the Blackhawks took a 3-1 lead on goals from Toews and Seabrook.
The Ducks responded with three goals in 37 seconds — an astonishing burst that quieted a stunned crowd at the United Center.
Kesler’s goal came first, a shot from in front of Crawford to trim the deficit to 3-2.
Beleskey then pounced on a Chicago giveaway and fired a shot from the high slot that beat Crawford to knot the score at 3-3.
After a Hawks timeout, Perry flicked a shot past Crawford to put the Ducks ahead 4-3.
Anaheim’s three-goal outburst was the second-fastest three goals scored by one team in postseason history. Toronto scored three in 23 seconds in a playoff game on April 12, 1979 against Atlanta.
They couldn’t hang onto the lead, however, surrendering a power-play goal credited to Kane that set up overtime.
