Morning Box Score: Blackhawks Make Historic Comeback

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Oct 13, 2009 3:00PM

If you gave up on the Blackhawks in their game against Calgary last night - and who can blame you as the Flames were up 5-0 a little over halfway through the first period - you missed a historic comeback by the Blackhawks who pulled out a thrilling 6-5 overtime victory. The huge early hole came via a meltdown that saw the Flames score all five goals in a five-and-a-half minute span in the first period. The first three Flames goals came in a 53-second span and led to goalie Cristobal Huet being yanked in favor of Annti Niemi who, just minutes later, allowed a pair of goals a minute apart. And then the 'Hawks hunkered down. After those two goals, Niemi wouldn't allow another shot past him, finishing with 13 saves and the 'Hawks defense held the Flames to only 10 shots total in the second and third period, as many as they had in the first period.

As for the 'Hawks offense, it was a slow and steady climb out of the hole started by John Madden late in the first. The 'Hawks then got a trio of goals from Patrick Kane, Dustin Byfuglien, and Dave Bolland (Kane was credited with assists on the Byfuglien and Bolland goals) to pull the score to 5-4. Just a few minutes into the third period, Patrick Sharp deflected a Duncan Keith shot past Miikka Kiprusoff to tie the game and tying the NHL record for the biggest comeback in the league's history (according to the Elias Sports Bureau) and breaking the record for the largest Blackhawks comeback. Brent Seabrook scored the game-winning goal just 26 seconds into overtime, cementing the historic comeback.