Chicago’s year- end addition paying off

CHICAGO — Antoine Vermette paid little attention when he was labeled a bust of a lateseason acquisition for the Blackhawks. He didn’t get discouraged when he was scratched three times earlier in the NHL postseason.

With two gamewinning goals in the Stanley Cup finals, Vermette has answered every question about what the Blackhawks were getting when they paid a steep price to pick up the veteran forward from Arizona at the trade deadline.

And with a Stanley Cup title just one victory away for the Blackhawks in Game 6 on Monday night, Vermette insists he isn’t changing that narrow focus — not thinking beyond his next shift to the moment when he could raise the silver trophy for the first time.

“I’m not focused as much on [ big goals] as just trying to focus on the process and to have fun while I’m at it,” Vermette said. “Just trying to help the team in different facets in which I can. Just keeping it simple— but obviously it’s nice to contribute that way.”

Vermette has contributed to heartbreak for the Lightning in two of this series’ three games in Florida, scoring the eventual winning goals in the third period. He banged home a rebound two minutes into the final frame of Chicago’s 21 victory in Game 5 on Saturday night, putting the Blackhawks in position to clinch their third Cup in six seasons — and the first title of his 11year NHL career.

“I read it somewhere that their coach in Phoenix said in big games, he comes up big,” Chicago defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson said. “And it’s definitely what he’s been doing for us here.”

Indeed, Vermette has been the closest thing to a hero while giving the closest thing to a breakthrough performance in these tight, tense finals otherwise devoid of individual superlatives — no surprise, since the cumulative score through five straight onegoal games is 1110 to the Blackhawks.