Hawks' record rally stuns Flames
By PAUL LADEWSKI - editorial@nwherald.com
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| Blackhawks center Patrick Sharp is congratulated by teammates on the bench after he scored the tying goal in the third period against the Calgary Flames on Monday at the United Center. The Hawks overcame a 5-0 deficit in the first period to win, 6-5, in overtime. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) |
CHICAGO – The Blackhawks aren’t always pretty, but say this much for them: You had better not snooze on them, or you’re liable to miss something that’s never been done before.
Two nights after the Hawks survived the longest shootout in their history, they erased a 5-0 deficit with six consecutive goals to stun the Calgary Flames at the United Center on Monday, 6-5, their greatest comeback ever.
Twenty-six seconds into overtime, defenseman Brent Seabrook scored from the top of the left face-off circle, as the Hawks matched the greatest turnaround in NHL history.
“Obviously, it’s not the way we want to play,” said Seabrook, who was rewarded with a shaving cream pie in the face, compliments of teammate Adam Burrish. “There’s a lot of history in this storied franchise, and to be part of it is pretty cool.”
“Huge win,” forward Patrick Kane said. “We’re pretty ecstatic over here. It’s a great two points for us.”
After John Madden, Kane, Dustin Byfuglien and Dave Bolland made it a one-goal game, Patrick Sharp tied the score at 4:32 of the third period, when he deflected a shot past Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff in the mid-slot area.
How wild was this one? Madden called it “the strangest turn of events I’ve seen.” And that covered a lot of hockey. The veteran is in his 11th season in the league.
“Never,” Madden said when asked if he had ever been a part of such craziness. “Nothing like that.”
“There’s no excuse,” Flames captain Jarome Iginla said flatly. “It’s not three goal or two goals. It’s five goals. As much as we give them credit, we know that we let the game get away.”
The dramatic turn of events couldn’t hide a goaltender situation that remained iffy at best.
After the Flames toasted starter Cristobal Huet for three goals on five shots in the first period, they lit up Antti Niemi for two more on three tries.
The Flames scored on their third, fourth, fifth, seventh and eight shots of the game in a five-minute, 29-second span.
When the organization asked Tony Esposito to suit up in full uniform for a ceremony before the home opener, little did it know that the 66-year-old legend might be needed again.
“We weren’t very good in front of him,” coach Joel Quenneville said of Huet, who entered the game with a .864 save percentage in three starts. “But we know that our goaltending has to be better, and we expect it to improve, as well.”
After defenseman Cam Barker lost control of the puck, Dustin Boyd beat Huet in the mid-slot area less than seven minutes into the game. At 6:48, Eric Nystrom scored between Huet’s legs, after which Quenneville requested a timeout to settle down his team.
All of 19 seconds later, Iginla got behind Keith and scored on a breakaway. At that point, Niemi replaced Huet to much applause from the crowd.
Niemi was no better at the outset. Less than four minutes later, ex-Hawk Rene Bourque beat the backup on a shot high to his glove side.
Somehow, it got worse 59 seconds later. Olli Jokinen wristed an innocent shot from the blue line that skipped under Niemi and touched off another round of boos. Niemi stopped the next 12 shots but wasn’t seriously tested.
Five games into the season, the Hawks are what most observers thought they were: a talented, young team for which no deficit is too insurmountable, no shot too stoppable.
