With the NHL on pause and the World Championship tournament canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Second City Hockey will look back at Blackhawks playoff games since 2010 with an “On this date in Blackhawks history” series.
Dustin Byfuglien continued to step up in big moments in the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs when he scored the game-winning goal 12:24 into overtime, and the Blackhawks defeated the Sharks 3-2 for a 3-0 series lead in the Western Conference Final.
Dave Bolland gathered the puck behind the net and sent a pass to the slot for Byfuglien, who fired it past Evgeni Nabokov, who had lost track of the puck. Byfuglien then skated around the offensive zone on his left leg with his arms raised high in the air before being mobbed by his teammates as Chicago celebrating being one win away from the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1992.
Bolland had a goal and an assist, and Patrick Sharp also scored for the Blackhawks. Jonathan Toews had the primary assist on both of their goals. Antti Niemi made 44 saves — five in overtime — including one on Devin Setoguchi from the right circle.
Patrick Marleau scored both San Jose goals to give him four goals in two games. Nabokov made 35 saves.
Joe Pavelski’s goal less than two minutes into the game was disallowed after a video review. Pavelski and Duncan Keith battled for a rebound in front of the net and the puck went into the net, but a review showed the Sharks forward directed the puck in wiht his skate and the goal was waved off.
Marleau put the Sharks up 1-0 at 3:58 of the second period with a power-play goal on a rebound shot from the slot. Chicago shut down San Jose’s power play the rest of the game, going 5-for-6 with three killed penalties in the third period.
Toews sent a pass from the goal line below the right circle to the left post for Sharp, who tapped it into a half empty net for a power-play goal to tie it 1-1 at 6:59.
Marian Hossa nearly scored at 10:56 on a rebound, but he couldn’t get off a clean shot and Rob Blake jumped into the crease to stop the puck.
Bolland picked up a loose puck just inside Chicago’s zone after Toews blocked a shot, and finished a breakaway with a nifty move for a 2-1 lead at 13:05 of the third period. But Marleau answered with a rebound goal with 4:23 remaining to tie it 2-2 to force overtime.