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Beleskey, Ducks strike early in OT to deny Blackhawks in Game 5

May 26, 2015 - 11:36 AM Anaheim, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Chicago seemed poised for more overtime magic in Game 5 after scoring two goals late in regulation to force an improbable extra session.

But Matt Beleskey was in no mood for another marathon game.

Beleskey scored just 45 seconds into overtime to lift the Anaheim Ducks to a 5-4 victory over the Blackhawks for a crucial 3-2 series lead in the Western Conference finals.

Following a failed Chicago dump-in, Jakob Silfverberg sent a stretch pass up to Ryan Kesler, who embarked on a 2-on-1 into the Blackhawks zone. Corey Crawford kicked aside Kesler's wrist shot, but the rebound went straight to Beleskey, who lifted the puck into the top of the net to send the Honda Center faithful into a frenzy.

"That's the biggest goal I've ever scored. It's a great feeling any time you do that, especially at home," said Beleskey. "We're one game away from a Stanley Cup berth. It was a huge goal and it felt unbelievable."

Sami Vatanen and Kesler each tallied a goal and an assist, Cam Fowler also lit the lamp and Ryan Getzlaf and Silfverberg each supplied two assists.

Frederik Andersen made 24 saves for the Ducks, who will try to book their first trip to the Stanley Cup finals since 2007 in Game 6 at United Center on Wednesday.

"You're playing elite teams that aren't going to give up at any point," said Getzlaf. "We've had two overtime games against them that we've lost, and in those games we went into overtime trying not to lose. We went out there and executed what we wanted to do. We came up with a big play early on."

Jonathan Toews scored twice late in regulation, Teuvo Teravainen and Brent Seabrook each finished with a goal and a helper, and Crawford stopped 23 shots for the Blackhawks.

Chicago came in 4-0 in overtime games this postseason, including a 3-2 win in triple overtime in Game 2 and a 5-4 double-overtime decision on Saturday.

Trailing 4-2, Crawford was pulled in favor of an extra attacker. The Blackhawks' hungry forecheck forced a turnover in the offensive zone and Toews one-timed Marian Hossa's dish from the left circle over Andersen's shoulder for a 4-3 game with 1:50 to play.

With Crawford on the bench again, Seabrook dumped the puck into the Anaheim zone. Toews hunted the puck down in the left corner and fired a shot from a difficult angle along the goal line. The puck banked off Andersen's skate and into the net with 38 seconds left to force overtime.

"I think we always show that we can always dig ourselves out of those holes," said Toews. "I think going into overtime we were feeling that the game was in our hands and we're going to get that next break so it's unfortunate that we couldn't take advantage of it."

Anaheim opened the scoring 5:10 into the game. Andrew Cogliano wrestled the puck off a defender on the forecheck and Nate Thompson sent a pass to Fowler, who moved in from the blue line and wristed a shot off the post and past Crawford.

Just 32 seconds later, Silfverberg took a failed clear and sent a fluttering puck on net. Kesler deflected the shot at the left circle and the puck bounced off the ice and Crawford's skate before crossing the goal line for a 2-0 game.

Striking quick against Crawford was no new feat for the Ducks, who scored three times in a 37-second span during the third period of Game 4.

The Ducks continued to pour it on during the first period. Getzlaf won an offensive zone faceoff at the right circle back to Vatanen, who blasted a shot from just inside the blue line for a 3-0 game at 14:37.

Chicago failed to register a shot on goal until 16:26 into the game on Toews' wrister and was outshot by an 11-3 margin in the opening period.

Just over a minute into the second, Teravainen skated into the offensive zone, cut into the slot and wristed a shot through the legs of Ducks defenseman Clayton Stoner and past Andersen to cut the deficit to 3-1.

Seabrook made it a 3-2 game with 24.8 seconds remaining in the second. Teravainen sent a pass from behind the net to Seabrook, who crept into the play on the right side from the blue line and wristed a shot under the glove of Andersen.

Patrick Maroon gave Anaheim a 4-2 lead with 5:15 left in the third period.

Game Notes

Getzlaf set a new franchise record for most points in a postseason with 19, surpassing his previous record of 18 set in 2009 ... Toews notched his sixth career multi-goal postseason game ... Beleskey's overtime goal was the second fastest in franchise history. Steve Thomas scored 39 seconds into the extra frame on June 2, 2003 for a 1-0 victory against New Jersey in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals ... Anaheim matched a playoff record by playing 14 straight games to start the postseason without losing in regulation, a record previously set by the 1979 New York Rangers ... The Blackhawks entered with a 14-0 record when tied 2-2 in a playoff series since the 2009 season ... Andersen improved to 10-1 in his playoff career at Honda Center.