With the game on the line, Sean Avery cost his team, greatly. With only a minute to go, Avery decided to shoot the puck at Niklas Backstrom a full two seconds after the whistle. Referee Bill McCreary gives Avery a 2 minute minor for unsportsmanlike, and losing his cool, Avery then breaks his stick on the net right behind the Blackhawk goaltender.
"I had no idea what he was doing." said Backstrom. "But that is how he plays...a loose cannon."
On the ensuing powerplay and faceoff in the Avalanche end, Joe Thornton won the faceoff to Marian Gaborik who passed back to Thornton at the circle. Thornton shot and was halted by a sprawling Peter Budaj. Alexander Frolov banged in the rebound to send the game into overtime.
Thornton wasn't done there, he won an own zone face off to Lubomir Visnovsky, who rang the puck around the boards to Marian Gaborik who chipped the puck up to Thornton for the breakaway. Budaj stopped the first shot but Thornton poked in his own rebound for the victory and a berth in the Finals.
"People talk about Joe and the playoffs. They are full of it." said Jason Blake. "The guy is all world and the biggest reason we are here today."
Thornton was a little more dismissive. "We aren't really anywhere yet. It is nice to be in the finals, but if we don't win, then we haven't accomplished anything. We have a great team here, and it took a lot to get here. But we are four wins short of where we need to be."
The Hawks have a few days off to rest their bumps and bruises and wait for the East to crown a champion. The Sabres and Rangers are tied a two games each.
