After trailing 3-2 with under six minutes to play, the Blackhawks turned back the clock for a vintage comeback victory.
Captain Jonathan Toews scored the game-winning goal on a redirect off Connor Murphy’s shot from the point with just 1:16 remaining in the third period, capping off a dramatic 4-3 come-from-behind victory for the Chicago Blackhawks over the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday. The Hawks now hold a 2-1 series lead in the best-of-five qualifying round.
“We stuck with it. I think it was a great team effort,” Toews said. “Some great contributions from all over our lineup and in the third for that offense.”
Of course, what Toews is referring to is the Blackhawks’ fourth line and third defensive pairing coming up clutch to tie the game with 5:47 to play. Defenseman Slater Koekkoek cranked a one-timer from the right point, and the shot was deflected by forward Matthew Highmore past Oilers’ goaltender Mikko Koskinen for his first career postseason goal.
Earlier in the contest, Koekkoek’s defensive partner, Olli Maatta, blasted a slap shot through a Highmore screen for his second goal of the series. Maatta also picked up the secondary assist on Highmore’s game-tying goal as well.
Toews’ first goal of the game gave the Blackhawks a 2-1 lead on a 5-on-3 powerplay late in the first period when the puck deflected into the net off his skate. The Hawks were 1-for-6 on the man advantage in Game 3, and with the game was on the line in the second period, they went 0-for-3 and lost all momentum. Leon Draisaitl found the back of the net for the second time to once again tie the score at 4:07, and then Oilers’ captain Connor McDavid put Edmonton ahead 3-2 with seven seconds left in the frame.
Both the Blackhawks’ fourth line and third defensive pairing were on the ice for both Oilers’ goals at even strength through 40 minutes. Maatta was on the ice for all three Edmonton tallies. Even with the last change at his advantage, Blackhawks head coach Jeremy Colliton made some bone-headed matchup decisions throughout the contest.
But the Blackhawks’ depth players came up big for Colliton when it mattered the most, as Highmore’s goal completely changed this series and swung the momentum back in Chicago’s favor.
“A couple tough bounces for our line,” Highmore said after Game 3. “We wanted to get that back and help the team. It was certainly on our mind. We wanted to create energy, and I think we did that. As a group, our whole team got a big win.”
Teams that win Game 3 after a series is even at 1-1 go on to win the best-of-five 75 percent of the time, according to the NHL. The Blackhawks have not won a postseason series since winning the Stanley Cup in 2015 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“A five-game series is definitely different,” Toews said. “But you always know even in a seven-game series, Games 3-4 are always the toughest ones to close it out. We had some experience in the past knowing how to play and how to prepare for those big games. … Knowing that every game in the series has gotten tougher, that’s going to be the toughest game coming up.
Game 4 of the best-of-five series is on Friday at 5:45 p.m. CT and will be broadcasted on NBCSN, NHL.TV, SN, NBCSNCH. If the Blackhawks come away victorious, they will move on to the first round of the 2020 postseason.
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