Part of that must have been the lack of scoring opportunities leading to fewer whistles than normal.  I definitely was shocked when I looked up to find only four minutes separating the Hawks from going back to Vancouver down 3-1 with their playoff lives in serious jeopardy.  Then predictions started coming true.

“I’m sensing a big game for Havlat tonight…and Havlat could be the guy to help them tie this series up.”

Boom, Havlat scored with about 2:45 to go, forcing overtime after it looked like the Hawks were dead.  Chicago had been relentless in their attack, but nothing was getting through to Luongo.  Then Andrew Ladd made a great pass on the boards to spring Havlat, who found twine to tie it.  Andrew Ladd you say?

“And where has Andrew Ladd gone?  He has one point in nine games and that was a goal in a 5-1 win in the Calgary series.  He had one shot on goal in the first three games of this series after he had 13 last series.  Come on Ladd!”

Well, Ladd wasn’t satisfied with just making me stop talking bad about him, he had more work to do in OT.  Just about three minutes into the extra session Havlat threw the puck across the ice and Bolland drove it toward the net, where Ladd had the game winning tip-in for the goal.

What a gigantic win for the Blackhawks.  A loss would have sent them back to Canada down 3-1 with a series that would be all but over.  Now, no matter what happens up there, we’ll see one more game in the United Center this round.

The Blackhawks did give up the first goal again this game, but it was a different kind of deficit.  For nearly the entire game, the Hawks carried the play.  Vancouver limited Chicago’s chances, but seemed content to try and win this game 1-0.  It almost worked.

Game 5 is Saturday night at 9:30 CT in Vancouver.

After falling behind early, just like every other game this series, the Blackhawks couldn’t complete the comeback and now find themselves in a 2-1 hole going into Game 4.  The habit of falling behind early really can’t keep up if the Hawks want to hang around for another week or so.  It’s hard to say if they just aren’t prepared, they’re flustered under the pressure, or if it’s just Vancouver playing so well that has led to 3-0, 2-0, and 3-0 deficits in the first three games of the series.

These games seem to go much better with bullet previews, so….Bullets.

• If the Hawks were flat at the beginning of Game 3, it certainly was no fault of the United Center crowd.  It had to be deafening in there for the anthem.  Something tells me tonight will be no different, seeing as how this could be the last home game of the season if the guys don’t get their acts together.
• It sure would be nice for Khabibulin to really bring his A-game tonight.  He has given up a lot of goals this series and while they haven’t all been his fault, the Hawks might need the Wall to be in full effect tonight.
• Sami Salo might be back for Vancouver tonight.  He flew into Chicago yesterday apparently and participated in the team skate.
• Speaking of defenseman coming back, it’d be nice to have the real Duncan Keith back tonight.  He is seeming to have some trouble staying upright this series and the Hawks could really use the old Duncan back.
• And where has Andrew Ladd gone?  I know he isn’t one of the stars on this team and he provided a nice scoring boost this season, but he has done nothing in the playoffs.  He has one point in nine games and that was a goal in a 5-1 win in the Calgary series.  He had one shot on goal in the first three games of this series after he had 13 last series.  Come on Ladd!
• I’m sensing a big game for Havlat tonight.  In the Calgary series, Havlat was a guy you could tell had been involved in the playoffs before and stepped his game up accordingly.  Tonight the Blackhawks need that experience again and Havlat could be the guy to help them tie this series up.

Alright, that’s all I have for tonight’s game.  Let’s try not to fall behind by a few goals, eh?  Game is at 7:00 tonight on VS.  Oh, and what’s up with the “who cares” option on the Hawks poll Stormin’ Norman?  I know you created it right after the Bulls were eliminated, but really?  Could you ever imagine including the option on a Bulls poll?  Gah!

Troy Brouwer scored first just over a minute into the game and Andrew Ladd finished up a pretty passing sequence with a goal from Havlat and Dave Bolland later in the first.  Cristobal Huet was back in net and was great aside from a stretch of about two minutes in the second.  Huet let in the first goal after he gave the puck away behind the net, and the second on a scramble where he looked like he walked into a spiderweb.  Huet came back with some great saves in the third to keep the game tied up though, and stopped 26 of 28 shots for the game.

The win was great, but it’s the trade deadline that is on fans’ minds today.  One guy that might have been moving if the Hawks weren’t having success is Havlat, but they can’t afford to give him up now and are actually working on an extension.  This is huge, because Havlat was pretty much a flop with that contract he got to come to Chicago.  This season, Havlat has taken a more active role defensively and seems to be more of the old Marty.

The main thing the Hawks seem to be out to get is a center.  With a ton of young players to move (not those young players) there is virtually no one on the market that is untouchable.  To me, the most important thing the Hawks need is some experience.  A tough, experienced center would be ideal.

A few guys to keep an eye out for are Nik Antropov, Dominic Moore, Keith Tkachuk, and Olli Jokinen.  Antropov and Moore are both with the Maple Leafs and both could move today.  I think Antropov is a better fit as the Hawks could really use the size.  Tkachuk probably stays in St. Louis from what I’ve read; maybe that’s because he’ll just end up back there again anyway.  Jokinen is a very intriguing idea for the Blackhawks, as he has good size and is a great passer.  That one could come down to how desperate Phoenix is to get young and how much the Hawks are willing to give up to get him.

It’s possible that Chicago tries to add that experience on the blue line instead of up front though.  There are plenty of guys here that fit the needs of the Blackhawks.  They simply want playoff experience, toughness, and leadership.

The deadline is at 3:00 PM eastern and we’ll let you know if the Hawks pull anything off.

Andrew Ladd scored just over three minutes into the game when he put in what must have been the third or fourth rebound in the sequence.  From there it was all Huet through the rest of the first and all of the second period.  Though the Hawks had more shots for the game, the Panthers had the shot advantage in the second period 11-7.

Ben Eager doubled the lead 8:32 into the final period and added another late after Toews scored his 21st goal of the season.  Huet made the best of his 31 saves when he stuffed Nathan Horton with the pad from right in front of the net.

Huet has been great since Khabibulin went down with an injury.  In those four games Huet is 3-1, with the only loss a 1-0 game at St. Louis.

The game against Florida came just after an announcement that the two teams will meet to open the NHL season in Helsinki next October.  I hear it’s beautiful that time of year.

After playing 10 of 11 on the road, the Hawks have one more road game at Dallas Saturday before the schedule returns to normal.  Look for the first rest for Huet since Khabibulin’s injury though, because the Hawks will play back to back games this weekend.  Could be our first look at Antti Niemi, from….Finland!