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.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care