When the puck dropped to start the game, Chicago looked really off their game. In fact, they were downright bad at the start of the hockey game. In the opening twenty minutes, the Hawks managed just two shots on net. TWO SHOTS ON NET FOR THE HAWKS IN THE OPENING TWENTY MINUTES! For a team that has as much firepower as they do, it was scary that they couldn't get that much pressure on the Bolts rookie netminder in his first playoff start. Chicago not only mustered just two shots on net, they also handed the Lightning three powerplays in the first, giving Tampa ample opportunity to take an early advantage. Cory Crawford was fantastic in the first twenty minutes, stopping all nine shots he faced. With the first three games of the series being as close as they have been, Tampa was given golden opportunities to pull away early in this game, but couldn't capitalize on the chances they had.
So to the 2nd period we go, and Chicago managed to find their game again and come through. Tampa kept their pressure up, by firing eight shots on the net of Cory Crawford. But the Hawks came back and fired twelve shots of their own. Chicago finally breaks through and gets on the board first. It happened at the 6:40 mark of the 2nd period. Patrick Sharp got the whole thing started, as he had a mini-breakaway and hit the right post. That didn't stop the Blackhawks, who kept the pressure on. Sharp deflected a shot on net and then pushed the rebound wide to the left of Vasilevskiy. Jonathan Toews was near the far post and directed the puck for his 10th goal of the playoffs, and his first of this series.
Just a little over five minutes later, at the 11:47 mark, Tampa got themselves even. Valtteri Filppula carried the puck behind the Chicago net and slipped it past the two Blackhawks defenders who went with him back toward the left post, which he had skated by. Alex Killorn was alone there as everyone's attention shifted toward the other side of the net. His shot was in the net before Crawford realized what was happening and turned his head back to Killorn, who scored his ninth goal of the postseason. Steven Stamkos played a role in this play as well. There was a delayed call on the play as he had been knocked down at the side of the net. Then for some odd reason, three Hawks players, Brent Seabrook, Trevor Van Reimsdyk and Andrew Desjardins all decided to follow the puck behind the cage and totally forget that Killorn was open in front. Crawford, too, was at slight fault because he was so distracted following Filppula that he wasn't paying attention to the back door, which lead to the goal.
Chicago had two golden opportunities to take the lead late in the 2nd, one from a long shot from the slot by Seabrook and another from a rush by Toews, both of which were turned aside by Vasilevskiy. The best chance Chicago had early in the 3rd was a shot by Kimmo Timonen that beat Vasilevskiy but rang square off the post. Off the ensuing faceoff after the Timonen shot rang off the post, this happened:
It was one of the few mistakes that Vasilevskiy made all hockey game. Saad found space five hole on the rebound for his 8th of the post season, a shot which turned out to be the game winner.
After that was scored, the Lightning seemed to turn the pressure back up again. Tampa kept pouring on the offense but Crawford slammed the door shut, allowing Chicago to come away with the victory and evening the series.
Game five of the series will be played at Amalie Arena down in Tampa Saturday night, with the teams heading back to the United Center in Chicago on Mnday for game six. Both games start at 8PM!
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