Ben Smith scored on a rebound at 15:30 of overtime as Stanley Cup champions the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-3 on Sunday night to force a seventh game in the opening-round series.
The Canucks, with the NHL’s best record during the regular season, have lost three straight after it appeared they were in control of the series. Game 7 is tonight night in Vancouver.
Chicago are attempting to become the fourth team in NHL history to win a seven-game series after falling behind 3-0. Philadelphia did it last year against Boston in the Eastern Conference semi-finals.
Smith, a rookie, scored after Niklas Hjalmarsson’s shot from the point bounced off goalie Roberto Luongo.
“Never in a million years did I think it would happen,” Smith told reporters. “I was able to get the rebound and put it over [Luongo]. It’s pretty amazing.”
“Guys kept battling and stuck with it and we’re going to Vancouver,” he said.
Luongo didn’t start the game but was called upon in the third period when Cory Schneider had to be helped off the ice when he was injured as he tried to stop Michael Frolik’s penalty shot that tied it at 3.
Bryan Bickell and Dave Bolland also added goals for the Blackhawks, and Chicago goalie Corey Crawford made 32 saves, including 12 in overtime when the Canucks appeared ready to win the game and end the series.
Daniel Sedin, Alexandre Burrows and Kevin Bieska scored for the Canucks.
FLEYS 5, SABRES 4, OT
At Buffalo, New York, Ville Leino scored 4:43 into overtime to help the Philadelphia Flyers force Game 7 in their first-round series against the Buffalo Sabres.
Danny Briere scored twice and Brian Boucher stopped 24 shots over the final two periods and overtime in a 5-4 victory on Sunday in the tightly contested Eastern Conference series.
Game 7 takes place tonight in Philadelphia.
Boucher took over to start the second period after Michael Leighton allowed three goals on the first seven shots he faced. Scott Hartnell had a goal and assist and James van Riemsdyk also scored for the Flyers.
Thomas Vanek scored twice for Buffalo, with Rob Niedermayer and Nathan Gerbe also adding goals.
Kris Versteeg helped set up Leino’s winning goal. After getting his first shot blocked, Versteeg gained the rebound and flipped the puck at the net, bouncing it off several players. The puck fell in the crease where Leino — a step ahead of defender Chris Butler — slid it into the open side behind diving goalie Ryan Miller.
PREDATORS 4, DUCKS 2
At Nashville, Nick Spaling scored his second goal of the game at 4:53 of the third period as Nashville closed out their first postseason series victory to advance to the Western Conference semi-finals.
Steve Sullivan also scored and David Legwand had an empty-netter for the Predators. Jordin Tootoo assisted on Spaling’s goals.
Nashville won the series 4-2 in their sixth postseason in seven seasons.
Jason Blake scored a power-play goal, and Teemu Selanne also had a goal for the Ducks. Anaheim lost in the opening round for the third time in seven playoffs.
The fifth-seeded Predators must wait and see who they play next.
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