CHICAGO — Patrick Kane scored three times, Jonathan Toews had the go-ahead goal in a frantic final period Monday night, and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Vancouver Canucks 7-5 to win the Western Conference semifinal series 4-2.
Chicago’s quick, talented team will make the franchise’s first appearance in the conference finals since 1995. And fittingly it was the two young stars, Kane and Toews, leading the way before a roaring crowd at the United Center.
When Chicago’s Troy Brouwer was called for goaltender interference with just under 8 minutes remaining, Daniel Sedin scored quickly with a shot from the left circle that put the Canucks ahead 5-4.
Kane responded. He got a puck from behind the net and then maneuvered to the side and put a shot under Roberto Luongo to tie the game at 5.
Then, 49 seconds later on a power play, Toews worked around the side and tried to pass across the crease to Patrick Sharp. But the puck deflected in off Vancouver’s Alexander Edler with 6:11 left.
Kane capped his hat trick with a hard back-hander past Luongo with 3:43 remaining.
Chicago’s Nikolai Khabibulin made 33 saves and Luongo 23.
Sedin had a pair of goals for Vancouver, which lost the final three games of the series in a disappointing end to what the Canucks hoped would be a run to the Stanley Cup.
Vancouver’s Mats Sundin scored to put the Canucks up 4-3 early in the third period, but Adam Burish countered on a nice centering pass from Patrick Sharp to tie the game.
The Blackhawks took a 3-1 lead in the second period on power-play goals by Kris Versteeg and Toews. The Canucks came charging back to tie on scores from Sedin and Shane O’Brien to momentarily quiet the frenzied crowd.
Mason Raymond gave the Canucks a 1-0 lead in the first period on a wrist shot from the right circle with Vancouver’s Ryan Kesler standing in the crease. But Kane answered 2 minutes later with his first goal of the game, skating around Mattias Ohlund near the boards and, with Luongo apparently screened by a teammate, driving the puck past the goalie’s glove.
Versteeg’s goal broke the tie in the second period and came after Vancouver’s Rick Rypien drove Chicago’s Ben Eagler into the bench door for a cross-checking penalty. The play came soon after Chicago’s Andrew Ladd crashed into Kesler, shaking him up and drawing blood from his face.
Toews got his first goal of the series on a rebound of his own shot to give the Blackhawks a 3-1 lead midway in the second period. But Sedin scored on a high wrist shot from the left circle. It was the first goal of the series for Sedin, whose 31 goals led the Canucks in the regular season.
The Canucks tied it on O’Brien’s first playoff goal, a shot from just outside the left circle that came with Kyle Wellwood screening Khabibulin.
Notes:Combining regular season and six playoff games, the Blackhawks announced they had drawn 1,006,920 fans so far this season.
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