It’s safe to say that Antti Niemi’s jitters are behind him.
After struggling in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals to the tune of five goals allowed, the Chicago Blackhawks goalie surrendered just one while making 32 saves in a 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 2 to give his team a commanding 2-0 series lead. The Blackhawks are now just two wins away from ending the NHL’s longest championship drought.
In a defensive battle that was a stark contrast to the 6-5 shootout in the Finals opener, Niemi was the difference. He made 14 saves in the final period alone as Chicago thwarted a Philadelphia rally.
He was given the lead by teammates Martin Hossa and Ben Eager, who scored 28 seconds apart in the second period to give the Blackhawks a 2-0 advantage that they would never relinquish.
Simon Gagne cut the lead in half early in the third period with a power play goal, but the Flyers couldn’t get the equalizer. As a result, they now face the daunting task of doing something few teams ever have: Since the NHL went to best-of-seven in the finals in 1939, teams winning both Games 1 and 2 have won the Stanley Cup 41 of 45 times.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010 at 8:32 am by Raj Sethi
The Chicago Blackhawks rallied from a two-goal deficit on Sunday, ratcheting up the intensity to seize control in a 4-2 win over the San Jose Sharks to propel them to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1992. The win gave the Blackhawks a shocking sweep of the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed.
Chicago trailed 2-0 in the second period before storming back to tie it up. Then, on the power play with under six minutes remaining in regulation, Dustin Byfuglien put in a shot in front of the net to give the Blackhawks the game-winner. They later knocked in an empty-netter. Byfuglien’s goal was his third game-winner of the playoffs.
Chicago will now have a chance to end the longest Stanley Cup drought in NHL history. The franchise has gone 47 years since it last hoisted the cup. It will play the winner of the Philadelphia-Montreal series.
Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau scored in defeat for the Sharks.
Sunday, May 23, 2010 at 6:32 pm by Raj Sethi
By Bud L. Ellis
After letting a 3-1 lead evaporate during a sluggish second period, the Chicago Blackhawks regrouped just in time.
Dave Bolland scored to tie the game four minutes into the third period, and Jonathan Toews scored in the shootout as the Blackhawks earned a 5-4 shootout win over the Atlanta Thrashers on Saturday night.
Chicago stands with 85 points, four behind San Jose in the race for the Western Conference title, entering Sunday’s game at Columbus. The Blackhawks hold a comfortable 16-point advantage over Nashville in the Central Division.
After Atlanta scored early in the first, Patrick Sharp, Kim Johnsson and Marian Hossa scored in a six-minute span to stake the Blackhawks to a 3-1 lead. Atlanta then took total control in the second period, scoring three unanswered goals to put Chicago in a 4-3 hole entering the final 20 minutes.
Bolland knotted the score at 4:21 of the third to tie it. After a scoreless overtime, Toews netted the game-winner in the first round of the shootout.
After playing at Columbus on Sunday, Chicago enters the Olympic break and is off until a March 2 game at the New York Islanders.
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Sunday, February 14, 2010 at 11:39 am by bud
Tags: Atlanta Thrashers, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dave Bolland, Jonathan Toews, Kim Johnsson, Marian Hossa, National Hockey League, New York Islanders, Patrick Sharp
