ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Anaheim Ducks wished they hadn't allowed Game 2 of the NHL Western Conference finals to become the longest game in Honda Center history even before Marcus Kruger won it for the Chicago Blackhawks.
Corey Perry had three good chances to end it, and Sami Vatanen hit two posts. After winning nine of their first 10 postseason games, the Ducks just couldn't connect this time -- and they expect they'll regret allowing Chicago to head home with a split.
Kruger batted home Brent Seabrook's shot 16:12 into the third overtime, and the Blackhawks skated off with a 3-2 victory Tuesday night.
Frederik Andersen made a career-high 53 saves, but Chicago ended a scoring drought of nearly 110 minutes when Kruger got in front and forced a ricochet past him.
"This is a tough loss," Andersen said. "We had some good chances, and it's a tough pill to swallow."
Perry tied it late in the second period of the first home loss in seven games this spring for the Ducks, who were shut out over the final 78:42. Andrew Cogliano also scored, but Anaheim couldn't manage the late-game magic that has defined a season full of comebacks and tenacious goals.
"There were a few posts, a few crossbars," said Perry, who put a shot off Corey Crawford's crossbar about 10 minutes into the first overtime. "You get right back at it, put it behind you and get ready for the next one."
Indeed, the puck will drop on Game 3 tonight in Chicago about 42 hours after Game 2 ended.
Crawford made 60 saves as the Blackhawks finally handed the Ducks their second loss of the postseason. The game was the 17th-longest in NHL history, and the longest since Dallas and San Jose went four overtimes on May 4, 2008.
"You just try to limit the mistakes as much as possible," Cogliano said. "You're drained. I think both game plans on both teams get a little lax, because you're out there for so long. Physically it's tough. Guys cramp. You're out there for so long, going through so many hits, and the game is so fast-paced, especially against this team.
Anaheim hadn't played a game with multiple overtimes since May 3, 2009, while Chicago won two multiple-overtime games in the first round against Nashville. The game was the second-longest in Ducks history, trailing only a five-overtime game at Dallas in 2003.
Andrew Shaw and Marian Hossa scored power-play goals in the opening minutes for Chicago which played in the longest game in the team's 89-year history.
"I just hope we don't have any more like that," Shaw said. "I think this helps us, and showed us what can happen if we keep sticking to it and competing. We'll find a way to win."
Shaw attempted to end it during a power play 8:47 into the second overtime by knocking a high-arching rebound of Patrick Kane's shot into the net with his helmet in a stunning soccer-style play, but the goal was illegal. The officials briefly conferred before waving it off -- NHL rules prohibit players from deliberately knocking the puck into the net with anything except their sticks.
"It was just a reaction right there," Shaw said. "You do whatever you can to get that puck across the line. But we just kept working and competing, and we got lucky. ... Overtime goals are huge, so I tried to sell it as much as I could. It was just exciting, the reaction at the net. I was just out there using my head, I guess."
LIGHTNING 6,
RANGERS 5, OT
TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning were relentless, answering every challenge from the New York Rangers before taking control of the Eastern Conference finals on Nikita Kucherov’s overtime goal.
Kucherov delivered his second winner of the playoffs 3:33 into the extra period Wednesday night, giving his team a 6-5 victory and 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 series that continues Friday night at Amalie Arena.
The 21-year-old Russian, part of the high-scoring Triplets line that is leading Tampa Bay’s playoff run, also gave the Lightning a win in double overtime at Montreal in the second round.
Sports on 05/21/2015