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'Hawks battle back to best Philly
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CHRIS STEVENSON, QMI Agency
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  Jonathan Toews, Dustin Byfuglien and Niklas Hjalmarsson congratulate Antti Niemi at the end of Game 5. (ALEX UROSEVIC/QMI Agency)
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CHICAGO - For a while there, it looked like the Chicago Blackhawks had let Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Chris Pronger become a little too much the story.
Furious with his tactics, the ’Hawks had complained to the league about his stickwork and obstruction in the lead up to Game 5 Sunday night.
Now the story is the ’Hawks are one game away from their first Stanley Cup in 49 years. Pronger was minus-5 in the ’Hawks 7-4 win at the United Center - on the ice for six goals (one a power-play goal) and in the box for another - which sets up the ’Hawks with a chance to win their first Stanley Cup since 1961 Wednesday night in Philadelphia.
To do so, they’ll have to be the first team in this series to win a game on the road.
Chicago forward Dustin Byfuglien, who had been neutralized by Pronger and a non-factor for much of the series, came alive with two goals and two assists to spur the Chicago attack.
Fittingly for the way the night unfolded, he also sent Pronger to the ice with a thundering check along the boards.
“Getting down two games in their building, we had to come back with some fire and just get on them, show that we weren’t going to quit,” said Byfuglien.
The ’Hawks focus on their complaint to the league about Pronger was a trip on Chicago forward Marian Hossa with 50 seconds left in Game 4 in Philly. The ’Hawks were down 4-3 at that point when Hossa was in pursuit of a play in the corner to the left of Flyers goaltender Michael Leighton. As Hossa crossed near the crease, Pronger delivered a slash to Hossa’s left foot, causing him to pitch headfirst into the boards. There was no call on the play.
You can bet that video has been shown to the league with some pithy commentary.
Did it pay off?
Who knows?
But after getting just nine power plays in the first four games of the series, the ’Hawks had four power plays Sunday night (scoring on two of them) and scored their second goal on a delayed call.
After dropping Games 3 and 4 in Philadelphia and looking like they were distracted by Pronger’s overbearing presence in the series and second-guessing themselves, the ’Hawks came out and rocketed out to a 3-0 first period lead, taking advantage of Pronger in the process, on goals by Brent Seabrook, Dave Bolland and Kris Versteeg.
That was it for Leighton, who gave way to Brian Boucher in the Philly net to start the second.
“They came out hard and we didn’t answer their intensity or physicality,” said Pronger. When asked if some line shuffling by Chicago coach Joel Quennville paid off, Pronger said: “Anybody can make plays when you have all day to make one.”
Things looked encouraging for the Flyers when Hartnell banged in a loose puck in the crease just 32 seconds into the second period. But as the Flyers had done to the ’Hawks, Chicago bounced back with a goal shortly after to blunt the momentum, Andrew Ladd making a nice feed to Patrick Sharp for an open side goal at 3:13 to make it 4-1. The crowd took particular delight when the ’Hawks made it 5-2 because it was Pronger in the box for hooking when Byfuglien finished off a nice passing play with a tip in at 15:45.
“We know (Game 6) is going to be the toughest game to close it,” said Hossa, who is looking for his first Stanley Cup with his third different team over the last three years. He was part of a Detroit Red Wings team that had a 3-2 lead and blew it to the Pittsburgh Penguins last spring. “Having been in that situation, especially last year, the momentum in the first shift of the next game, first goal is going to be so important. That’s going to be so important for us to start really well.”
chris.stevenson@sunmedia.ca
