The Chicago Blackhawks had gotten used to playing with the lead.
As they headed into Game 1 of the Western Conference Final against the Anaheim Ducks, they had not trailed in a game in 23 days. They had swept the Minnesota Wild in their conference semifinal series, and they did not trail in any of those games.
When Hampus Lindholm scored in the first period for the Ducks, the Blackhawks found themselves trailing for the first time since they played Game 6 against the Nashville Predators April 25 in the opening round of the playoffs. While they came back to win that game, they could not come back against the Ducks, and they absorbed a 4-1 defeat.
Despite the loss, the Blackhawks had the better of play in the first and second periods. However, they could only get one shot by Anaheim goaltender Frederik Andersen. The Ducks took advantage of their scoring opportunities, and while Blackhwks goalie Corey Crawford did not play badly, he could not match Andersen's performance.
Kyle Palmieri, Nate Thompson and Jakob Silfverberg also scored for the Ducks, while Brad Richards scored the only Chicago goal.
Game ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Steve Silverman
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