Blackhawks-Maple Leafs: Chicago Stuns Toronto In Overtime Thriller

Author's note: My 100th Bleacher Report Article, appropriate that it is a Game Recap.

Game Recap

It was quite a night for the Chicago Blackhawks as they were able to topple the Toronto Maple Leafs in overtime. The overtime win is shocking enough for the 'Hawks, but being able to overcome a three-goal deficit in the second period, that was enough of a shock.

The 'Hawks have shown through out the season that they can come back in games but if they were able to force the game into overtime they could not clinch it.

The night started out just like the last game versus the Dallas Stars—the 'Hawks came out flat and the Maple Leafs took advantage of it with Pavel Kubina netting a goal on knuckling puck.

With the slow start, Nikolai Khabibulin needed to be sharp, and he was, for the most part, by most accounts, this could have been a multi-point game by the second period, but Khabibulin stayed strong.

There was a bit of controversy in the first period when Ben Eager hit rookie goal scoring leader Mikhail Grabovski from behind and went into the boards. Eager was then mauled by Alexei Ponikarovsky immediately after the hit.

Initially, I thought it was a dirty hit, but after looking over the tape, it looked like Grabovski's momentum took him into the boards. He was standing two-three feet from the boards and just seemed to slide into the boards.

In the second period, the Maple Leafs continued to pepper Khabibulin with shots and were rewarded just over three minutes in when Matt Stajan made a beautiful play and whipped the puck past Khabibulin.

Dominic Moore also was able to tally a goal in the second period to put the Maple Leafs up 3-0 midway through the second period, but you can never count out the 'Hawks.

Patrick Sharp would deliver two goals in the third period, the first a power play goal and the other a semi-breakaway that wristed past Toskala.

It seemed after Sharp's two goals the 'Hawks were securely back in the game, but then, just over a minute after Sharp's second goal, Alexei Ponikarovsky would net a goal and put the Maple Leafs up two heading into the third period.

The 'Hawks would come out in the third period with a bang as 'Hawks points leader Patrick Kane would net a goal on a beautiful Kris Versteeg past just 58 seconds into the third.

The momentum seemed to be in the 'Hawks favor after the Kane goal the 'Hawks were playing smart, not taking penalties and finishing their checks all of which would lead to the 'Hawks tying the game.

Ben Eager the guy that many Maple Leafs fans wanted to be thrown out of the game would net his second goal in two games from a Dave Bolland pass from behind the net. We are going to overtime.

Anytime the 'Hawks go to overtime I worry because they have not been a strong overtime team this season but last night they did not give me anytime to worry as Dave Bolland would make Jeff Finger look silly and put the puck past Toskala. Giving the Toronto native a game winning goal in his home town. 

Hopefully last nights game and the two previous road trip games have proven to many that the Chicago Blackhawks are a team that will be around for the entire season.

Three Stars of the Game

1. Dave Bolland

2. Patrick Sharp

3. Matt Stajan

Michael Wagner's Player of the Game

Ben Eager

Hey, I finally seemed to have gotten a "Player to Watch" right with Ben Eager. Eager scored the game tying goal in the third period which would send the game into over time. It is good to see Eager thriving after taking over Dustin Byfuglien's spot on the third line; he has seemed to have found his scoring touch with the more quality ice time.

Next Game

The Chicago Blackhawks will be off until Wednesday when they take on the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks took the last meeting between these two with a game winning goal in the third period. With Khabibulin's busy workload as of late expect Cristobal Huet to possibly get another chance versus the Sharks. 

Chicago Blackhawks Game Notes

Dustin Byfuglien and Brent Sopel were both scratches once again in Toronto. Coach Quenneville has stated that Byfuglien has been scratched for medical reasons (undisclosed) and Brent Sopel was in fact a healthy scratch. To me it seems as though Brent Sopel's days in Chicago are numbered with the eventual return of James Wisnewski and Matt Walker's good play.