The Blackhawks went to overtime in Game 6 knowing that they had to score or go home for the summer. Ben Smith, with assists from Niklas Hjalmarsson and Marian Hossa, accomplished the task with 4:30 remaining in the first overtime period and a 4-3 win over the Canucks.
So the series will come down to Game 7 in Vancouver Tuesday night for the right to go on in the NHL playoffs and a second-round date with a team to be determined (since the teams get re-seeded after round one).
Vancouver scored first, and the teams alternated goals until the Canucks took a 3-2 lead 58 seconds into the third period on a goal by Kevin Bieksa. Less than two minutes later, a trip on a near breakaway gave Michael Frolik a chance at a penalty shot. He scored -- the first time a Blackhawk had ever scored on a penalty shot in the playoffs -- and on the play, Canucks goaltender Cory Schneider was injured. He appeared to hit his right leg awkwardly on the side of the goal and possibly suffer some sort of groin injury. He had to be helped off the ice and the much-maligned Roberto Luongo took over.
Luongo and Corey Crawford both made some spectacular saves the rest of regulation and into overtime before Smith put home the game-winner.
Only three teams have ever gone down 3-0 in an NHL playoff series and come back to win; the most recent is last year's Flyers over the Bruins, and the Flyers made it all the way to the Finals. The Blackhawks have their shot, and like the Flyers they'll have to do it on the road.
It'll be at 9 p.m. on Tuesday. Television and radio assignments will be announced later (though it will be on Versus nationally).