Dylan Strome called bank Saturday afternoon.
The Blackhawks center scooped up the puck at the goal line after Oilers goaltender Mike Smith turned it over and banked the puck off Smith’s butt and into the net to tie it 1-1 at 5:51 of the first period.
Another look at Dylan Strome’s buttgoal. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/v5nSupMaYz
— Brandon Cain (@brandonmcain) August 1, 2020
Strome’s goal was the first of four goals in a 7:06 span on 11 shots for Chicago in the first period at Rogers Place in Edmonton, the Western Conference’s hub city.
If the Blackhawks win the series, they’ll advance to the 16-team Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2017 but if they lose they’ll be guaranteed a top-10 pick for the third straight year. All eight teams eliminated from the qualifiers will have an equal chance (12.5 percent) at the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft in the Second Phase of the NHL Draft Lottery on Aug. 10.