HAWKS SINGING THE OT BLUES
Team down 2-0 in series after squandering late lead, then falling in extra period again
ST. LOUIS — The post-whistle skirmishes grew larger and more vicious. The hits were harder and more dangerous. The conversations between captains Jonathan Toews and David Backes and referee Brad Meier grew longer and more animated.
Gradually, the game was unraveling. Suddenly, the Blackhawks’ season might be, too.
The St. Louis Blues took a 2-0 series lead with a 4-3 overtime victory Saturday against the Hawks. For the second consecutive game, the Blues scored a last-gasp equalizer — this time, Vladimir Tarasenko’s power-play goal with 6.4 seconds left in regulation. For the second consecutive game, the Blues won it in overtime — this time, Barret Jackman’s shot squeezing through Corey Crawford’s pads at 5:50 of the extra period. And for the second consecutive game, the Hawks found themselves straining to focus on the positives and keep their defiant, confident mind-set.
In the wake of another gut punch, defenseman Duncan Keith was asked if it was a heartbreaker.
‘‘My heart’s still kicking,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s not broken, that’s for sure.’’
Heartbroken? No. Frustrated? Disappointed? Maybe a little bit angry? No question. How about concerned? The Hawks need to win four of the next five games. They will need to do it with a disjointed power play that has come up empty nine consecutive times, with only seven shots on goal. They will need to do it against a physical team that appears to be in their heads a bit, goading them into uncharacteristic post-whistle skirmishes and foolish penalties. And they likely will need to do it without defenseman Brent Seabrook, who’s looking at a hearing with the NHL and a likely suspension after he left Backes dazed and weak-kneed with a devastating head shot late in the third period.
‘‘It’s hard to think about what could have been these last two games,’’ Toews said. ‘‘But what are you going to do? We’ve got a great opportunity to go home and turn this thing around in our own building and take that momentum and find a way to not let it go.’’
Hanging on to things, such as leads and composure, has been a problem for the Hawks through two games. Seabrook’s hit and the fallout from it — Backes was ‘‘not good’’ after the game, according to Blues coach Ken Hitchcock, and certainly might miss extended time — dominated the postgame, and the five-minute charging major Seabrook was assessed contributed to the tying goal. But the big picture is that the Hawks had both games in their grasp and let them slip away.
‘‘It’s frustrating right now,’’ Keith said. ‘‘We had the game. It’s two games now where we just need to find a way, but it’s not there.’’
That the Hawks even had the lead was remarkable, given how poorly they played in the first half of the game. Goals by Keith, Seabrook and Michal Rozsival turned a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead. The Hawks needed to protect (or extend) that lead for 13 minutes, 22 seconds. They made it 13 minutes, 6 seconds. They had killed 4:45 of Seabrook’s major penalty when Tarasenko scored with goalie Ryan Miller pulled.
‘‘Brutal,’’ coach Joel Quenneville said. ‘‘Did a great job killing, [an] outstanding job. And you’re six seconds away. The other game was tough . . . but tonight was brutal.’’
The Hawks have been down before. Last season, they overcame a 3-1 deficit to beat the Detroit Red Wings in the second round en route to the Stanley Cup. The situation right now isn’t quite as dire, but it’s getting close. Game 3 is Monday at the United Center.
‘‘We’re a resilient group,’’ said Seabrook, who might not play another game this season if the Hawks don’t rally to win the series. ‘‘It’s been a close series, and I think . . . it’s still up for grabs.’’