Blackhawks Force Game 7 After Trailing Series, 3-0

The Chicago Blackhawks, who backed into the playoffs in the final moments of the regular season, will play a Game 7 against the Vancouver Canucks, the top team in the regular season, after trailing by 3-0 in the series.










The Blackhawks, the defending Stanley Cup champions, won Game 6 in overtime, 4-3, on Sunday night when the rookie forward Ben Smith scored on a rebound at 15 minutes 30 seconds of overtime.

The visiting Canucks, with the N.H.L.’s best record during the regular season, have lost three straight after it appeared they were in control of the series. Game 7 is Tuesday in Vancouver.

Smith, who had one goal in six regular-season games, followed in a long, hard shot from the point by teammate Niklas Hjalmarsson that bounced off goalie Roberto Luongo.

Luongo did not start the game but was called upon in the third period after Cory Schneider was injured as he tried to stop Michael Frolik’s penalty shot, which tied the score at 3-3.

PREDATORS 4, DUCKS 2 Nick Spaling’s first two playoff goals earned him a footnote in Predators history as Nashville defeated Anaheim to win its first series in the 13 years of the franchise.

Spaling, a 22-year-old forward who had eight goals in the regular season, scored his second goal of the game at 4:53 of the third period. It proved to be the winner as Nashville beat the Ducks at home and advanced to the Western Conference semifinals against a still-undetermined opponent.

FLYERS 5, SABRES 4 Goalie Brian Boucher got his second chance, and thanks to Ville Leino, the visiting Philadelphia Flyers made this comeback stick against the Buffalo Sabres.

On the brink of elimination, and with the Flyers enduring the latest in a string of goalie shuffles, Boucher stopped 24 shots in yet another relief effort and Leino capped Philadelphia’s two-goal comeback by scoring 4:43 into overtime to force Game 7 in the first-round playoff series.

The deciding game is at Philadelphia on Tuesday.

Michael Leighton became the third Flyers goalie to start a game this series, before proceeding to become the third Flyers goalie to be pulled after allowing three goals on the first seven shots he faced.

Enter Boucher, who made up for his dreadful performance in a 4-3 overtime loss on Friday.