PHN’s Best Shots of the Game: Chicago ties series with 2-1 win over Lightning Crawford stars in win to tie series at 2 all

CHICAGO – Much has been written about the Chicago Blackhawks big-time players not scoring in the Stanley Cup Final with the Tampa Bay Lightning. With the Hawks trailing the series 2-1 and in need of a win, Jonathan Toews scored the opening goal of the game and Brandon Saad finished it for a 2-1 win.

The Hawks and Lightning now head back to Tamp Bay with the series knotted at two all.

It wasn’t easy for Chicago which had a total of three shots on goal through the first 20+ minutes of play.

Toews scored at the 6:41 mark as the Lightning got caught in a messy line change. Marian Hossa put the puck on net and Patrick Sharp got a piece of the puck to redirect to the right of Bolts goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. Toews had rushed deep and was on the spot when the puck dropped in the crease for a tap in.

Vasilevskiy made 17 saves in the loss as a starter in place of Ben Bishop.

Vasilevskiy was in his first start in the Stanley Cup playoffs and faced only two shots in the first period when the Lightning continued their defensive effort against the Blackhawks. Chicago looked disorganized for most of the first half of the game and Toews goal was not a thing of beauty as much as the greasy goal they really needed.

Alex Killorn tied the game at one all in the middle frame on a delayed penalty call on the play.

Patrick Kane got on the scoresheet in Game 4 with a tap pass to Saad down low and Saad corralled the puck and swatted at the rolling puck sending between Vasilevskiy’s pads for the eventual game-winner.

Corey Crawford was huge in the dying minutes of the third period as the Lightning finally found some of their offensive push; he made 24 saves on the night including some game-savers in the final 90 seconds.

Game 5 is back I Tampa Saturday.

Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews (19) and Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Ondrej Palat (18) go after the puck (Patrick Gorski/PHN)

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Nikita Nesterov (89) and Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane (88) fight for the puck (Patrick Gorski/PHN)

Chicago Blackhawks right wing Marian Hossa (81), Tampa Bay Lightning center Cedric Paquette (13), Chicago Blackhawks center Marcus Kruger (16), and Tampa Bay Lightning right wing J.T. Brown (23) watch the puck (Patrick Gorski/PHN)

Tampa Bay Lightning center Brian Boyle (11) falls on Chicago Blackhawks center Brad Richards (91) in front of the net (Patrick Gorski/PHN)

Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91) and Chicago Blackhawks left wing Brandon Saad (20) fight for the puck (Patrick Gorski/PHN) (Patrick Gorski/PHN)

Chicago Blackhawks left wing Patrick Sharp (10) and Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews (19) celebrate a scored goal (Patrick Gorski/PHN) (Patrick Gorski/PHN)

Chicago Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford (50) (Patrick Gorski/PHN) (Patrick Gorski/PHN)

Chicago Blackhawks left wing Brandon Saad (20) and Tampa Bay Lightning center Valtteri Filppula (51) fight for the puck (Patrick Gorski/PHN) (Patrick Gorski/PHN)

Chicago Blackhawks center Andrew Desjardins (11) looks for the puck (Patrick Gorski/PHN)

Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson (4) and Tampa Bay Lightning right wing J.T. Brown (23) fight for the puck (Patrick Gorski/PHN)

Chicago Blackhawks left wing Teuvo Teravainen (86) watches Tampa Bay Lightning center Alex Killorn (17) celebrate after scoring a goal (Patrick Gorski/PHN)