The Blackhawks didn't exactly come out with authority in the first period, even though they led 1-0 after the first period. Boston out shot the Hawks 11-8 and were much more physical. The good news was that even though they came out a little flat, they were still able to win the period.
The Blackhawks came out with a little more fire in the second period, scoring a second goal, and out shooting the Bruins 11-5. Play was a little closer than the stats indicate, but the Hawks looked good. Twenty more minutes and the Hawks had a 3-2 lead going into game 6.
Due to some injuries, the third period was a shitshow. The Bruins were able to cut the Hawks lead on 13 shots, and the Hawks were able to manage 9 shots of their own. A late open net goal cemented the Blackhawks win as they took a 3-2 series lead into game 6, Monday night.
- The Blackhawks took a late 1st period lead when Crazy 8s picked up a loose puck to Rask's right. The original play was set up by Toews using his strength against Chara and dumping the puck across the Bruins slot area. The puck ended up going to Oduya, who let a shot go. The shot went off Seidenberg's stick which slowed it down to a crawl. As the puck was going wide and past Rask, Kane grabbed it and stuffed it past the post. 1-0 Hawks.
- Kaner scored his second goal of the game about 5 minutes into the second period. The play was started with a Toews and Bickell working a nice little give-n-go that ended up with Bickell one-on-one with Rask. He ended up carrying the puck wide and around the net, banking it off the side of the net to Kane. Kane put the puck up and over Rask's glove for a 2-0 Blackhawks lead.
- Dave Bolland was able to ice the game with an empty net goal from the red line.
- Crawford rebounded after a weak game 4 and was huge in net for game 5. He made 24 of 25 possible saves, and stood tall in the 3rd. The only goal he gave up was nearly impossible to stop.
- The Hawks were listed as having 21 takeaways, which is 12 more than the Bruins had.
- With Bergeron out, the Blackhawks were huge at the faceoff dots. They were 58% as a team, and all the Hawks centers were 50% or better.
- As bad as Hjalmarsson's night was in game 4, he was a plus three to lead the Hawks in game 5.
- I keep waiting for the luster on Andrew Shaw to wear off, but he just keeps making things happen. He gets the hell beat out of him game after game, and just pops back up and takes it all over again. How he has enough score goals or do anything else is beyond me.
- FrankenChara cut the Hawks lead in half about 4 minutes into the third period, when the Hawks got caught running around in their own zone. Krejci saucered a perfect pass from behind the net to Chara and he one timed the puck past, you guessed it, Crawford's glove.
- Patrice Bergeron seemed to tweak a back or something, in the second period, and was reportedly taken away in an ambulance during the second intermission. He's been a monster in this series, and would definitely help the Hawks with his extended absence.
- Lucic, Horton, Krejci, Chara and Seidenberg were all minus 2, for game 5. More please!
- Early in the second period, the Hawks looked to draw a penalty and got tagged for a diving call. I guess NOW we're going to start with the diving calls, now, right NHL? Weak call.
- About halfway through the second, El Capitan made a nice rush through 3 Boston defenders, and it was finished up with a borderline head high hit to his head. But let's call diving penalties. Ridiculous. I don't have a problem if you ragdoll Toews with a clean hit, but when it's head/neck high, I have an issue. Of course, then he didn't play at all in the third period. Might not be a suspension, but it should be looked at and it should have been a penalty. Lets home he's alright for Monday night. He was a plus 2, with 2 assists before he was forced to sit out.
