The Chicago Blackhawks found an insanely unique way to make a 3-1 deficit disappear.
It seemed as if the Hawks were left for dead and headed for a disappointing loss to the abysmal Colorado Avalanche. Then, essentially the blink of an eye or a trip to the bathroom, the game was turned on its head. And it all started with a gift from the referees.
Duncan Keith sent a knuckle puck from the left point that re-directed off of Jonathan Toews’ stick and snuck past Avalanche goalie Jeremy Smith. It appeared to be a 3-2 game.
First, No. 19 scores his 19th goal of the season to make it 3-2! #OCaptain pic.twitter.com/qcVYK6OLjp
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 20, 2017
However, it appeared as if Toews was offside before Richard Panik entered the puck into the zone. Colorado challenged it, but the call was (inexplicably) upheld.
You tell me if this is offsides or not:
THIS WAS DEEMED ONSIDE. WHAT. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/8FCfAmFdN1
— Cristiano Simonetta (@CMS_74_) March 20, 2017
The call was upheld, the Blackhawks probably thanked the hockey gods and the score was 3-2.
That’s when the nuttiness at the United Center began.
Seventeen seconds later (cough cough, 2013 Stanley Cup Final Game 6) Panik roofed a rebound from the royal road to tie the game at three.
Then Panik calmly ties things up. 3-3. #PanikAtTheUC pic.twitter.com/oO3xuJrY4w
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 20, 2017
Seventeen seconds later (no this isn’t a typo), Artemi Panarin took the lead with a turnaround wrister that Smith got a piece of, but not enough to prevent it from skipping across the goal line.
.@72Artemi breaks bread, er, the tie. 4-3! pic.twitter.com/o04gWThJw6
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 20, 2017
Jonathan Toews put the cherry on top of a whimsical third period with his second goal of the game and 20th goal of the season to put the Hawks up 5-3.
Chicago went from down 3-1 nearly halfway through the third period to a last-place team to up comfortably by two goals in a matter of 3:02. They scored three goals in 34 seconds and won the game 6-3.
Word to the rest of the NHL: Don’t sleep on this Hawks team.
