Chicago beat Tampa
chicago — Chicago’s Jonathan Toews and Brandon Saad scored while goaltender Corey Crawford withstood a furious Tampa Bay barrage in the closing minute as the Blackhawks beat the Lightning 2-1 on Wednesday to tie the NHL’s Stanley Cup Final at 2-2.
Toews scored his first goal of the series in the opening period. Saad broke a 1-1 tie with 13:38 to play in the third. Saad drove to the net but had the puck poked away. When he somehow found it again, Saad gave it a desperate backhand whack that just happened to send it right between the moving pads of young Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy.
“I was really pretty lucky,” Saad said. “I just saw space going to the net. Tried to drive and create some chaos. Just try to get some wood on it and get to the net, and it found a way in.” Saad was right to refuse full credit for his tiebreaking goal. He knows that a few fortunate bounces have been the only differences in four games between two teams that seem determined to take this championship series down to a fantastic finish.
His latest clutch goal was the offensive highlight of a gritty, defense-dominated night at the United Center. Corey Crawford and Russia’s Vasilevskiy, the Lightning’s surprise starter in goal, both had stellar moments. In the final minute, Crawford capped his 24 saves with a frantic last stand. Lightning captain Steven Stamkos had two golden chances to force overtime, but the Blackhawks survived.
Game 5 is Saturday in Tampa. The series is now effectively a bestof-three, with Chicago needing at least one more win at Amalie Arena to secure their third Stanley Cup banner in six seasons. Tampa Bay have home-ice advantage, but a fraction of the Blackhawks’ biggame credentials. This is the first Stanley Cup series since 1968 in which each of the first four games was decided by a single goal.
“No matter what the situation is, whether we’re down in a series or a hockey game, we tend to play our best when our backs are against the wall,” Chicago’s Patrick Kane said. “Not saying we had our best effort tonight, but we still found a way to win.”