The Chicago Blackhawks managed to pull off a dramatic overtime victory in Game 7 against the Detroit Red Wings to complete a comeback from a 3-1 series deficit.
The Detroit Red Wings drove the play early in the game and created a number of huge chances on the powerplay. However, Chicago goalie Corey Crawford made one big save after another to keep the score tied at zero. The Blackhawks gained momentum with a powerplay and wound up outshooting Detroit 13-11 in the third period.
The Blackhawks would take the lead just 1:08 into the middle frame when Patrick Sharp tallied his seventh goal of the postseason; Marion Hossa and Michael Handzus provided the assists. Chicago dominated the second period and put up 11 shots to Detroit's six.
However, the Red Wings took over the game in the third period as Henrik Zetterberg evened the score with under a minute into the final frame. Gustav Nyquist snuck into the Chicago Zone and flipped a puck toward Zetterberg. The Captain one-timed the aerial puck into the vacant net. The two sides battled throughout the third and Chicago thought they had taken the lead with 1:47 when Nicklas Hjalmarsson fired a shot past Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard. However, the referee called a coincidental minor between two players fighting near the Detroit bench. Neither side scored in the ensuing four-on-four and the game wound up going to overtime. Chicago outshot Detroit 32-26 through 60 minutes.
That set the stage for Chicago to score the game winner minutes into the overtime. Brent Seabrook skated into the Detroit zone and wristed a shot over Howard's glove to win the series for Chicago.
The Blackhawks will now face the Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference finals.
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