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Vermette scores winner in 2-OT as Blackhawks even series

May 24, 2015 - 5:49 AM Chicago, IL (SportsNetwork.com) - Antoine Vermette scored at 5:37 of the second overtime as the Chicago Blackhawks grabbed a 5-4 win over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals.

Patrick Sharp had the puck behind the Anaheim net and sent a backhand out front for Vermette, who put a wrister on net that was blocked by a Ducks player. Vermette, though, collected the puck and from a sharp angle at the left side was able to snap it in to tie the series.

Brandon Saad had a goal and two assists, Jonathan Toews posted a goal and an assist while Brent Seabrook and Patrick Kane also scored for the Blackhawks, who got 47 saves from Corey Crawford in the win.

"We have that experience," Kane said. "We've been in these situations before. We're accustomed to playing in these types of games, whether it's going to overtime or tight games."

Corey Perry, Emerson Etem, Ryan Kesler and Matt Beleskey all scored for the Ducks, who saw Frederik Andersen turn aside 35 shots in the loss.

"It's one game. We still have home-ice advantage," Perry said.

Game 5 will be in Anaheim on Monday night.

Chicago nearly scored with 2 1/2 minutes to play in the first as Bryan Bickell slipped a pass to Brad Richards in the slot, but Andersen was able to stop the forehand chance.

Seabrook took a slashing call moments later to give the Ducks a power play, but it was the Blackhawks who took advantage.

As Saad was bringing the puck out of his end, Francois Beauchemin got tangled up with a linesman and Saad was able to skate down the other end cleanly. Avoiding a stick swipe from Kesler, Saad then snapped a shot into the left corner with 46.5 seconds to play in the first.

Chicago was dominating the second period as it limited Anaheim's opportunities, but a high-sticking call to Toews gave the Ducks a power play and the team came to life.

The Blackhawks were able to kill off the advantage, thanks to several big stops by Crawford, but the Ducks had all the momentum and tied the game on Etem's goal with 1:46 to play in the second.

Beauchemin kept the puck in at the left point and fired a pass to the slot, where Kyle Palmieri got a shot on net that deflected off Etem and went past Crawford.

Chicago took a 2-1 lead 2:38 into the third as Saad kept a clear in at the left point and got it to Marian Hossa, whose shot on net was blocked in front but he passed the loose puck over to the right where Toews snapped it in.

The Blackhawks then made it a 3-1 game five minutes later as Saad had a wraparound chance from the right side poked away, but Seabrook one-timed the puck in.

Anaheim then went on a three-goal blitz over 37 seconds to take the lead.

The first goal came at 8:42 as Jakob Silfverberg skated to the low right side of the net and passed it out front where Kesler one-timed it home.

Moments later, Kimmo Timonen passed the puck up the middle in his zone for Vermette and he had the puck knocked away by Beleskey, who snapped a wrister into the left corner at 9:05.

Chicago then called timeout to settle things down, but the Ducks took their first lead of the game 14 seconds later as a weak clear was kept in at the left boards by Ryan Getzlaf, who threw a backhand on net. Perry knocked in the rebound for a 4-3 advantage.

The Blackhawks, though, got a power play when Silfverberg was called for holding with 7:37 to play, and tied the game as Richards sent a hard pass from the high slot to the low left side where Kane redirected it on net and it squeezed under Andersen.

Chicago had a power play in the first overtime after Sami Vatanen was whistled for hooking halfway through, but Andrew Shaw chipped one off the post and Toews was tied up and unable to get a shot off.

The Blackhawks got another great chance when Sharp was sprung on a clean break with just under four minutes to play, but Andersen stopped the wrister to force a second overtime.

Game Notes

Anaheim's three-goal outburst was the second fastest three goals scored by one team in postseason history. Toronto scored three in 23 seconds in a playoff game on April 12, 1979 against Atlanta ... Getzlaf has 15 assists this postseason, breaking his own team record ... Chicago went 1-for-4 on the power play, while Anaheim was 0-for-2 ... Kane's goal was the 46th of his playoff career, moving him past Steve Larmer for fourth on the club's all-time list.