Coming into last night's Game 4 between the Bruins and Hawks the two teams had combined for 12 goals through the first 3 games. After last night, that goals scored total had nearly doubled.
Playing the highest scoring cup finals game since, Game 5 of the 2010 championship, the Hawks and Bruins tallied 11 goals, scoring 5 in the 2nd period alone. Leader-boards were shattered, trends were broken yet above all the Hawks managed a much needed win last night to get them back into the series and turn this Cup Finals into a best of 5 series.
Opening the scoring just under 7 minutes into the game Chicago finally broke through on a power play. The only problem was it was Boston's power play.
Regardless, after an interference minor assessed to Johnny Oduya and the Hawks on the kill, a costly giveaway for Bruin winger Tyler Seguin led to a weak 2 on 1 rush for the Hawks. Racing over the blue line with Chara in defense, the two on one continued to develop and right as the puck was slid along the hash marks, a pass was sent along to Hawk Michael Handzus who promptly roofed the shot over Rask to give Chicago a 1-0 lead.
As time went on, Boston pressed, fighting back before finally breaking through on the power play goal by Rich Peverly.
With mere seconds to go on a crucial late period odd man situation, and with the puck blocked down at the line, the shot was fired into a pile of 3 penalty killers crowding around the right circle. Yet another bad clearance by the Hawks allowed Bruin center Rich Peverly to pinch in and fire a seemingly confusing shot past Crawford all to tie the game with 5 minutes to go in the 1st. For only the second time this playoff season, Rich Peverly had scored and while at that point in time it seemed that, like the previous few games, this game would be one of defensive battles and hard hitting: it wasn't.
Through a mega 5 goal exchange in the 2nd period, Chicago would come out on top as even after a Patrice Bergeron power play goal with under 3 minutes to go in the frame they held onto a 4-3 lead going into the final 20 minutes of the game.
"You know we did have a chance" Peverly said regarding their position going into the 3rd, and really, that chance only got greater when like he did at the end of period two Patrice Bergeron struck again.
Puck in the corner, dropped back to Seguin and with Bergeron rotating towards the top of the circles, the pass was returned to him in a near golden feed that would inevitably result in a goal. Neglecting to touchthe puck until he shot it, Bergeron ripped a quarter slap-shot past a diving Cory Crawford to tie the game at 4.
But Chicago was not done yet. About 10 minutes after the Bergeron goal, Blackhawks break through yet again this time scoreing on THEIR power play. Nevertheless, much like the various ties and leads held by these two teams throughout last night’s contest, that 3rd period advantage would end up being short lived as, less than a minute later, Johnny Boychuck served one to Chicago tying the game with about 8 minutes to go.
Now eventually, that game got into overtime and even while, eventually, Brent Seabrook would end the day, smile on his face and teammates crowding around him all after winning game 4 for Chicago, you got to give Boston credit for their admirable resilience.
The Chicago Blackhawks, still regarded as one of the best defensive teams in the NHL held a 2 goal lead with less than a half hour of play to go in the game. Yet Boston powered back. The Chicago Blackhawks, still regarded as one of the best defensive teams in the NHL even owned a one goal advantage with less than 10 minutes left on the clock but oh! Never mind, a minute later, the lead was erased by a rocket of a shot from Johnny Boychuck.
The Bruins didn't play perfectly last night but they still gave themselves a chance to win the game, and you really hope that after all they have done this isn't the game the breaks their spirit and allows the Hawks to win the cup.
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