CHICAGO (AP) – One lucky bounce.
It might not sound like much of a strategy for playing sudden-death hockey, but patience has kept the Chicago Blackhawks perfect in overtime this postseason.
They’ve now gone into extra time four times and won them all, including a 5-4 decision Saturday night that marked their second overtime win against the Anaheim Ducks and evened their Western Conference finals series at 2-2.
Antoine Vermette, who was switched out of Game 3 for “fresher legs” by coach Joel Quenneville, notched the game winner 5:37 into the extra period. Vermette’s first wrister from the deep slot was blocked, but he collected the rebound and coolly held his second shot until he was at a tight angle along the left goal line – testing his nerves against those of Ducks netminder Frederik Andersen.
“I was trying to find the puck … I didn’t see it,” Andersen said afterward. “I tried to take away the bottom of the ice, but he was able to lift it.”