It almost hasn't mattered how much the Ducks have dominated at times during the Western Conference finals. Some way, some how, the Blackhawks have perfected their role as a persistent thorn in the side.
It happened again Monday in Game 5, when Chicago erased three-goal and two-goal deficits to force what seemed, at the time, an improbable overtime. But Matt Beleskey bailed the Ducks out, scoring 45 seconds into the extra period for a 5-4 win and a 3-2 series lead.
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Overtime seemed distant after the Ducks jumped out to a 3-0 lead in a commanding first period. The Blackhawks' first shot of the period came with 3:40 left. By that time, Anaheim had already amassed 10 shots, and had scored their first two goals 32 seconds apart.
The game shifted in Chicago's favor from there.
After falling into that 10-0 shot deficit, the Blackhawks outshot the Ducks 23-8 by the time the third period was halfway over. Brent Seabrook's goal with 25 seconds left in the second period cut the Ducks' lead to 3-2. But with 14:45 gone in the final frame, Patrick Maroon scored to give the Ducks a seemingly insurmountable lead, given their deft ability to close out games in the postseason.
When Chicago pulled goalie Corey Crawford with a little more than two minutes to play, captain Jonathan Toews, who had been kept largely in check most of the series, took it upon himself to lead the rally. Toews scored twice in the game's final 1:50 with an empty net to force OT.
Suddenly, the Blackhawks, winners of four of six playoff games in which they had been trailing by three goals, appeared primed to come through with yet another opportune goal. But Beleskey and the Ducks struck before it could happen again, capitalizing on an odd-man rush that was the sure product of a tired Blackhawks defense.
45 seconds was all it took for @matt_beleskey to win it for the @AnaheimDucks. #StanleyCup https://t.co/P8WKerOFRH
— NHL (@NHL) May 26, 2015It was ultimately those defensemen who did the Blackhawks in. Specifically, their bottom pairing of Kyle Cumiskey and Kimmo Timonen were a combined minus-3 in less than 11 minutes of ice time. That left Chicago's top pairing of Seabrook and Duncan Keith to shoulder the load. They were the pair on the ice when Anaheim scored the overtime winner.
Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf finished with two assists, giving him 19 points in 14 games this postseason to break the franchise record for playoff points in a single year that he set in 2007.
The Ducks still haven't lost in regulation through 14 games this postseason, joining the 1979 Rangers as the only team to accomplish such a feat, per Elias Sports.
The series shifts to Chicago for Game 6 on Wednesday (8 p.m., NBCSN), where the Ducks can seal their first trip to the Stanley Cup Final since they won it in 2007.
Highlight: After scoring three goals in 37 seconds in Game 4, the Ducks followed up with a pair of goals separated by 32 seconds in the first period Monday for a quick 2-0 lead. Cam Fowler got things started with a seeing-eye point shot and Kesler followed with a nifty tip-in.
In a somewhat related manner, Emilio Estevez, who played Gordon Bonbay in the iconic "Mighty Ducks" trilogy, live-tweted the game. You can probably guess what side he was rooting for.
SUCK IT, WINDY CITY WINDBAGS!!! DUCKS WIN! DUCKS WIN! DUCKS WIN! @AnaheimDucks @NHL
— Emilio Estevez (@EMILIOTHEWAY) May 26, 2015Tuesday's game: Eastern Conference finals Game 6, Rangers at Lightning, 8 p.m., NBCSN