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Niemi lifts Blackhawks over Flyers
(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-06-02 10:28
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Chicago Blackhawks' Antti Niemi (R) is congratulated by teammate Jonathan Toews (2nd R) after they defeated the Philadelphia Flyers during the second period of Game 2 during the NHL Stanley Cup final in Chicago May 31, 2010. [Agencies] |
Patrick Sharp fired a shot from the left circle and after Leighton stopped it and with Chicago's Troy Brouwer battling for the puck, Hossa poked it in from the left side with 2:51 left in the second. Hossa, in his third straight Stanley Cup finals with a different team, got his third goal of the playoffs and first since May 5 against Vancouver in the conference semifinals.
"It bugged me definitely," Hossa said of his goal drought. "I tried not to get frustrated but I was waiting for something. Like I said, a garbage goal."
Just 28 seconds later, with the crowd still abuzz, Dustin Byfuglien made a steal and passed the puck to fourth-line forward Eager. Eager skated to the right circle and unleashed a shot that beat Leighton high on the glove side to make it 2-0.
It was the first goal of the playoffs for Eager, a former Flyers forward, who did some yapping with defenseman Chris Pronger after the game.
"I don't speak that language, whatever he was speaking," Pronger said. "Nothing, really, Just a postgame chat, it was nothing," Eager said. "He's just been picking the pucks up after the game. Told him he could keep it."
Philadelphia broke through with a second left on a power play when Gagne scored from the left circle.
Gagne nearly chipped in a tying rebound about 7 minutes later but was denied by Niemi's pad in close.
Leighton, who was drafted by the Blackhawks and played parts of two seasons for them, got the nod despite being pulled in Game 1 after yielding five goals on 20 shots. He made 24 saves on Monday.
"We had a little turnover at the blue line. I talked to Matt Carle about it. He said his gap wasn't as good as he wanted it to be, so it allowed him to walk in," Leighton said of Eager's goal. "I just didn't see him release the puck. He made a good shot."
Associated Press
