 Chicago Blackhawks Dustin Byfuglien celebrates his third period goal. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images/AFP) |
CHICAGO — In a fatal bit of irony that will forever be burned in San Jose’s heart, it was the team up 3-0 in the series that showed the other guys what coming back is all about.
The Chicago Blackhawks, looking to close out their Western Conference final in four games, were in all kinds of trouble Sunday at the United Centre.
Having just surrendered a shorthanded goal in the second period, they were down 2-0 and all but had their bags packed for Game 5 in San Jose.
“It seemed like everything was going against us,” said Chicago coach Joel Quenneville, “They scored the shorthanded goal against us, Duncan Keith got hit in the face with the puck (and lost seven teeth), we were in disarray for a few minutes.”
But when it mattered most, Chicago refused to let the Sharks drag this series into the deep water.
The Blackhawks scored four straight to sweep their way into the Stanley Cup final for the first time since 1992.
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“Not once did we think about (going back to San Jose),” said Dustin Byfuglien, San Jose’s personal bogeyman after scoring three game winners in the series, including the series clincher Sunday with 5:55 left in the third.
“We told each other to stick with the plan. We weren’t panicking. And we ended up getting a couple of nice goals and getting right back in it.”
Long enough for Byfuglien to win it from the slot and Kris Versteeg to seal it with an empty netter.
“It still hasn’t sunk in yet and I don’t know if it will for a while,” said Versteeg. “A lot of the guys in this room, including myself, have played for the Stanley Cup a million times on the street when we were kids, but this is a while new ball game. It’s going to be so exciting.”
The Hawks looked nervous and lost in falling behind 2-0, and the Sharks were getting stronger by the shift.
But with the game on the line Chicago showed why they’re the Stanley Cup favourites, cutting the lead to 2-1 on a Brent Seabrook goal at 13:18 and tying it on Dave Bolland’s fifth of the playoffs at 18:38.
In the third period, they overwhelmed the visitors, holding the Sharks to three shots while scoring the winning and insurance goals.
“We have a lot of respect for the guys over there,” said Patrick Sharp. “Four-nothing doesn’t tell the whole story, every game was a battle.”
Unfortunately for the Sharks, they lost all four of them.
“You got to give Chicago credit, they’re a hell of a team,” said San Jose coach Todd McClellan. “They seemed very destined right now. They have a goaltender that’s on fire. They’re doing the things they need to do to win. They’re a hell of a team. They certainly deserved the series.”
At game’s end, Chicago captain Jonathan Toews refused to touch the Campbell trophy, he barely even looked at it. Nothing to do with superstition, he said, it’s just that winning the West means nothing.
“We have no reason to celebrate and no reason to accept any hardware,” he said. “It’s meaningless for us.”