CHICAGO -- The Chicago Blackhawks should thank the hockey gods — or Marc-André Fleury.
Perhaps they’re one and the same.
How else do you explain a 43-15 deficit in shots on goal while remaining tied 1-1 with the Boston Bruins midway through the third period?
That was the incredible turn of events when Brandon Hagel redirected Caleb Jones’ shot past Linus Ullmark to put the Hawks on the board with 10 minutes, 24 seconds left in regulation.
The Hawks’ good fortune extended only so far, however.
In overtime, Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat doubled David Pastrnak, and Matt Grzelcyk made them pay when Jones faced a two-on-one. Grzelcyk one-timed a pass from Taylor Hall 1:40 into OT to give the Bruins a 2-1 win at the United Center.
The Hawks were lucky to make it to overtime.
When you see an NHL box score with a 35-11 difference in shots on goal through two periods, usually it’s the makings of a massacre.
And it well could’ve been if not for some outstanding saves by Fleury, who finished with 46.
He made back-to-back-to-back stops against Derek Forbort, Hall and Pastrnak in the first period, but the real gem was a sliding post-to-post robbery of Brad Marchand on a power-play one-timer in the second period.
The Bruins finally broke the stalemate in the third after Calvin de Haan tripped Curtis Lazar.
The Hawks killed the penalty but found themselves in chase mode in their zone when Patrice Bergeron found the puck amid a mad scramble at the net and flipped it over Fleury’s back.
