Western Conference Final, Game 5: Ducks 5, Blackhawks 4 (OT)

After a double overtime win Saturday, the Hawks were back in Anaheim on Monday for game 5. The game started out with back-and-forth action until Cam Fowler scored to give the Ducks a 1-0 lead 5:10 into the game. Thirty-two seconds later, Ryan Kesler scored on a redirection to make it 2-0 Anaheim. The Ducks would get the game’s first power play 10:18 in after Brent Seabrook was sent off for cross-checking. The Hawks would be able to kill off the penalty. The Ducks would continue to dominate the action, though, making it difficult for the Hawks to do anything. Sami Vatanen would score 14:37 into the game to make it 3-0 Ducks, with the Hawks still looking for their first shot on goal. Their first shot would come 16:26 in, from Jonathan Toews, and would be stopped by Frederik Andersen. The Hawks would get a nice possession to end the first, but nothing would come of it, and after one, the Hawks trailed 3-0.

The Hawks got out to a much better start in the second and cut the Anaheim lead to 2 1:11 into the period on a goal by Teuvo Teräväinen. The Hawks would get a power play 5:46 into the period after Francois Beauchemin was sent off for tripping. The Hawks would come away empty on the man advantage, but continue to control the action. Anaheim would put together a nice possession, and shortly after, would go to the power play, as the Hawks were caught with too many men on the ice. The penalty came just under ten minutes into the period. The Hawks would be able to kill off the penalty. Eventually, the Hawks would be able to regain the momentum, and after a couple nice possessions that did not result in goals, the Hawks would cut the lead to one with 25 seconds to play in the period on a goal by Brent Seabrook, set up by a great play by Teräväinen.

After a couple nice looks by the Ducks to start the third, the Hawks went to the power play 1:43 into the period after Clayton Stoner was sent off for hooking. The Hawks would come away empty on the power play. After a few nice possessions by the Hawks, the Ducks expanded the lead to 2 on a goal by Patrick Maroon. The goal came 14:45 into the period. With about 2:30 left, the Hawks pulled Corey Crawford in favor of the extra attacker. With 1:50 left, Jonathan Toews scored to pull the Hawks within 1. With 38 seconds to play, Toews tied the game. Nobody would score in the final 0:38, and we would go to overtime tied at 4.

The Ducks controlled overtime and won the game 45 seconds in on a goal by Matt Beleskey.

My picks for 3 stars:

★★★ Matt Beleskey, LW, ANA (1 G (GWG))

★★ Teuvo Teräväinen, F, CHI (1 G, 1 A)

★ Jonathan Toews, C, CHI (2 G)

Twitter: @KSchroeder2325

E-mail: schroeder.giig@gmail.com