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.
Duncan Keith had four points, and the Blackhawks scored four goals in the third period for a 5-1 victory against the Blues in Game 6 to win their first-round series 4-2.
Andrew Shaw had a goal and an assist, and Corey Crawford made 35 saves for Chicago, which killed six penalties in the game. The reigning Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks trailed 2-0 in the series before winning four straight games to advance to the second round.
Bryan Bickell put the Blackhawks up 1-0 at 4:12 of the first period when he redirected Brent Seabrook’s shot from the right point.
Alexander Steen skated around Johnny Oduya and around the net then sent a pass to the slot for T.J. Oshie, who sent a shot through Crawford’s five-hole to tie it 1-1 at 16:28.
The Blues nearly went up 2-1 during a power play opportunity in the first four minutes of the second period. Crawford made a save on Jaden Schwartz’s shot from the right face-off circle, but it bounced off Patrik Berglund and the puck trickled toward the goal line before Crawford used his glove to swipe it out of the crease.
After killing two Marcus Kruger penalties in the first period, Chicago killed three penalties in the second period that featured a four-minute double minor high-sticking against Marian Hossa.
Keith sent a pass from the left point to the right circle for Jonathan Toews, who skated toward the slot and fired a wrist shot past Ryan Miller for a power-play goal 44 seconds into the third period to make it 2-1. Patrick Sharp increased the lead to 3-1 only 1:17 later when he scored on a breakaway despite Kevin Shattenkirk hitting him in the face with his stick.
Shaw redirected Keith’s slap shot from the left point for a 4-1 lead at 7:30, then Keith finished a 2-on-1 with Shaw by batting the puck out of the air at 17:05 for the 5-1 final.