Seabrook’s Shorthanded Seals the Deal as Chicago Ties the Series

June 10 CHICAGO-- Brent Seabrook scored a short-handed goal with just over two and a half minutes to play to give the Blackhawks a two-goal cushion that proved too much from which Lightning to recover as Chicago added an empty net goal to win game 4 of the APBA Finals by a score of 5-2. Seabrook’s goal was his seventh of the playoffs and was assisted by Marion Hossa and Johnny Oduya. Oduya had opened the scoring in the 1st period when his slapshot eluded Tampa Bay goalie Ben Bishop at 6:36, with helpers from and Bryan Bickell. Less than two minutes later, however, Valtteri Filppula drew the Lightning even with his fourth of the playoffs off a nice feed from Steven Stamkos. Tampa Bay gained the lead before the intermission when Nikita Kucherov flipped home the rebound of a Tyler Johnson try over Chicago goaltender with a minute and a half to play in the 1st. The goal was Kucherov’s 10th of the playoffs. Seabrook would make a nice touch pass off of a pass from Marcus Kruger, finding Andrew Shaw at Bishop’s backdoor for the easy conversion, Shaw’s 6th of the playoffs, to knot the game at two midway through the 2nd. The teams would go off to the dressing rooms at that score after Chicago held Tampa Bay to just four shots on goal in the period and Tampa held Chicago to seven. Chicago struck quickly in the 3rd, however, when Teuvu Terravainen took the puck off of Braden Coburn’s stick and beat Bishop for his third of the playoffs just twenty-one seconds into the period. Things stood that way until Seabrook’s short-handed goal gave the Blackhawks some breathing room before Bickell added an empty-netter with just over a minute to play. The teams now return to Tampa for the pivotal game 5 on Saturday night.

Game 4 Tampa Bay 2 0 0 - 2 Chicago 1 1 3 - 5

1st Period Summary Oduya, Chi. 1 (Kane, Bickell) at 6:36; Filppula, TB 4 (Stamkos, Carle) at 8:28; Kucherov, TB 10 (Johnson, Garrison) at 18:32. Penalties: Kucherov, TB (minor) at 1:50; Hossa, Chi. (minor) at 1:50; Carle, TB (minor) at 13:46.

2nd Period Summary Shaw, Chi. 6 (Seabrook, Kruger) at 8:42. Penalties: Stamkos, TB (minor) at 2:50; Johnson, TB (minor) at 12:58; Carle, TB (minor) at 14:58.

3rd Period Summary Teravainen, Chi. 3 (unassisted) at 0:21; Seabrook, Chi. 7 (SH) (Oduya, Hossa) at 17:22; Bickell, Chi. 1 (EN) (Hossa, Hjalmarsson) at 18:57. Penalties: Toews, Chi. (minor) at 5:36; Stamkos, TB (minor) at 11:37; Hjalmarsson, Chi. (minor) at 11:37; Vermette, Chi. (minor) at 15:38.

Shots on goal: Tampa Bay 13-4-12--29; Chicago 10-7-13--30. Goaltending: Bishop, TB (59 mins; 29 shots, 25 saves); Crawford, Chi. (60 mins; 29 shots, 27 saves). Power plays: Tampa Bay 0-for-2; Chicago 0-for-4.

(Series tied 2-2)