by Jeff Kruczynski
The Sports Network
Patrick Kane recorded his first career playoff hat trick and added an assist, as the Chicago Blackhawks closed out this bruising Western Conference semifinal series with a wild 7-5 victory over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 6 at United Center.
Jonathan Toews registered two goals and a helper for the Blackhawks, who wrapped up another chapter in their remarkable season of resurgence.
"Tonight was a great night," Kane said. "It's a great feeling. It was an awesome game. We've got an awesome group of guys here and we bounced back. We're so happy to (advance). From where we were at the beginning of last year, we've made so much progress."
After failing to win a series during just two playoff appearances since the 1996-97 campaign, Chicago now moves on to the conference finals for the first time since 1995, and will face either Detroit or Anaheim, the last two clubs to skate off with the Stanley Cup. The Red Wings lead their best-of- seven set, 3-2, and can eliminate the Ducks Tuesday in Anaheim.
Kris Versteeg and Adam Burish also scored for Chicago, while Nikolai Khabibulin made 33 saves for the win.
Daniel Sedin scored twice for the Canucks, who never seemed to recover following a heartbreaking overtime loss in Game 4. Vancouver was aiming to take a commanding 3-1 series lead, but the resilient Blackhawks tied the game with less than three minutes remaining in the third period and scored early in the extra session.
Mats Sundin had a goal and an assist, with Mason Raymond and Shane O'Brien also tallying for Vancouver. Roberto Luongo allowed all seven goals on 30 shots in defeat.
"I didn't help my team tonight," Luongo said. "I didn't make the saves. We had our chances early and I didn't help enough."
After erasing a two-goal deficit in the second period, Sundin put Vancouver ahead 4-3 at 3:43 of the third period, letting a shot go from the slot that found room in the far side of the net.
Burish drew the home team even 1:58 later, collecting a loose puck in the slot and firing a shot through traffic that beat Luongo on the glove side.
The Canucks went back in front on Sedin's power-play marker, but the lead lasted only 45 seconds as Kane scored on a wrap-around with exactly seven minutes left.
O'Brien committed an ill-timed hooking infraction 26 seconds later and Chicago wasted little time on the power play. Toews held the puck along the goal line at the right side of the net and had his intended cross-crease pass to teammate Patrick Sharp deflect off the left skate of Canucks defenseman Alexander Edler and behind a stunned Luongo with 6:11 remaining.
Kane completed the trifecta and added some insurance, coming down the left wing, cutting to the middle and unleashing a wicked backhander off the post and past Luongo with 3:43 to play.
"It's just been a great season and it's not over yet," said Sharp. "At the start of the year, no one thought we would ever be a final four team."
For the fifth time in the series, Vancouver notched the first goal of the game, capitalizing on a misplay by the Blackhawks. Sundin led an odd-man rush, then handed off to Raymond and he fired a wrister from the right circle through the legs of Khabibulin with 8:47 remaining in the opening frame.
Chicago had an answer two minutes later. Kane came down the right wing and Mattias Ohlund tried to stand him up at the blueline. Kane, though, skated around the Swedish defenseman, drifted to the faceoff circle and fired a shot that beat Luongo on the short side.
"We gave (Chicago) a lot of chances and just didn't play defense the way we wanted," Ohlund said. "We didn't create enough the last three games and pushed too hard for offense tonight. They're a great team, but we were not at our best."
Luongo made some big stops early in the first period. He got a right pad on Dave Bolland's wrap-around bid, then denied Martin Havlat on the breakaway, getting his glove on a backhander.
The Blackhawks built a two-goal lead in the second period, but it withered away.
Canucks forward Rick Rypien took a careless interference penalty early in the middle stanza and Versteeg ripped a rising shot over Luongo's left shoulder for a power-play goal at the 3:54 mark.
Chicago struck again with the man advantage after Willie Mitchell was sent off for hooking. The Blackhawks rotated the puck to the right side of the net. Luongo turned away Toews' initial shot, but the Chicago captain picked up his own rebound and stuffed it behind the Vancouver netminder with 9:43 remaining.
Facing a must-win situation, the Canucks mounted a comeback.
Sedin beat Khabibulin with a shot labeled for the right corner of the net less than a minute later, and O'Brien provided the equalizer, launching a quick wrister from atop the left circle with 5:11 to go in the second.
Game Notes
Havlat and Brian Campbell both recorded two assists for Chicago...Ohlund and Kevin Bieksa each finished with two helpers for the Canucks...The Blackhawks finished 3-for-4 on the power play, while Vancouver was 1-for-5...The last Blackhawk player to post a playoff hat trick was defenseman Gary Suter on April 24, 1994 against Toronto...The seven goals are the most Chicago has scored in a series-clinching win since 1990, when the Blackhawks defeated the St. Louis Blues, 8-2, in Game 7 of the Norris Division finals.
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