The Blackhawks have seen their payoff lives flash before them the past two seasons,and Monday night they again got off the deck and rallied past the Vancouver Canucks 4-2 to tie their Stanley Cup Western Conference series at a game apiece with the next two games at General Motors Place. The Canucks came out flying and looked like they were going to blow the Blackhawks out again. Mason Raymond scored to put the visitors ahead 1-0,and they the Hawks picked up not one, but two ‘delay of game’ penalties and Mikeal Samuelsen scored off a great centering pass from Henrik Sedin to make it 2-0. The Canucks nearly scored two others,but just missed. Brent Seabrook got one back for the Hawks a few minutes later and it was 2-0 heading into the first intermission. The scoreless second period was physical,but neither team scored. At last the Hawks tied it with one of their specialties,a shorty as Patrick Sharp scored on a semi breakaway. It then went back and forth until Kris Versteeg put one past a down and out Roberto Luongo with :90 left as the sellout went delirious! Patrick Kane iced it with an empty netter.
NOTES—Last year these teams were also tied 1-1 after two games,but it’s now Vancouver that has grabbed home ice advantage from the Hawks.

LES