Stanley Cup Playoffs notebook: Wednesday, May 27

WEDNESDAY RESULT

Home Team in Caps

CHICAGO 5, Anaheim 2 – series tied 3-3

BLACKHAWKS KEEP DUCKS AT BAY, FORCE GAME 7 ON SATURDAY

Duncan Keith (0-3—3) sparked the Chicago Blackhawks to a 3-0 lead in a span of 3:45 during the second period, and Andrew Shaw scored two insurance goals after the Anaheim Ducks had pulled within one to help Chicago stave off elimination and force Game 7 in the Western Conference Final.

* The Blackhawks moved within one victory of their 13th all-time appearance in the Stanley Cup Final and third in the past six seasons (2010, 2013).

* The Blackhawks are 13-1 in their past 14 Game 6s dating to the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs. That includes a 4-1 record in such games when facing elimination.

* The Blackhawks, who lost Game 5 after forcing overtime with two goals in the final two minutes of regulation, have not lost consecutive games this postseason, responding with a win in all five such instances (including three times in this series).

* The Blackhawks are 31-0-0 this season, including the playoffs, when leading after two periods. They are the only team without a loss of any kind in that scenario in 2014-15.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Ducks and Blackhawks will meet in the fifth Game 7 of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Saturday at Honda Center. On Friday, the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers will determine a winner of the Eastern Conference Final in a seventh and deciding game at Madison Square Garden.

* Per the Elias Sports Bureau, each conference final series requires a Game 7 for the second time in the expansion era (since 1967-68). The other instance was in 2000, when the New Jersey Devils (2-1 W at the Philadelphia Flyers) and Dallas Stars (3-2 W vs. Colorado Avalanche) won their deciding game; New Jersey then won the Stanley Cup in the second overtime of Game 6.

LEADING BY EXAMPLE

Keith registered 0-3—3 – all in the second period – to tie a playoff career high for assists in a game. He also had three assists on June 4, 2010, at PHI (0-3—3) and April 27, 2014, vs. the St. Louis Blues (1-3—4).

* Per Elias, Keith is the first defenseman in Blackhawks history to have three assists in a game with Chicago facing elimination. He also was the previous defenseman to have at least three points in a game with the Blackhawks facing elimination (Game 5 of 2011 Western Conference Quarterfinals at the Vancouver Canucks: 2-2—4).

* Elias also notes that Keith is the first Blackhawks defenseman to have three assists in one period in a playoff game since Chris Chelios on May 18, 1992, vs. the Edmonton Oilers (three in third period).

* Keith, who also had three points on April 25 in Game 6 of the first round vs. the Nashville Predators (1-2—3), ranks second in the NHL in assists (14) and is tied for eighth in points (16) this postseason (16 GP); he leads defensemen in each category.

* Keith is one assist and point shy of matching playoff career highs in each category, set in 2010 (2-15—17, 22 GP). Elias notes that Keith’s 15 assists in 2010 matched a Blackhawks record for assists by a defenseman in a single postseason, set by Pat Stapleton in 1973 and equaled by Chelios in 1992.

* Keith again led all players with 28:35 of ice time in Game 6. Overall, he leads all skaters with 509:13 of total minutes and 31:49 of average time on ice this postseason.

GAME 6 BREAKDOWN

Corey Crawford made 30 saves, and four Blackhawks had multiple points – Keith (0-3—3), Shaw (2-0—2), Patrick Kane (1-1—2) and Andrew Desjardins (0-2—2) – to help guide Chicago to victory.

* Overall, Crawford is 8-4 with a 2.53 goals-against average, .918 save percentage and one shutout in 13 appearances this postseason.

* Shaw had two goals in a playoff game for the second time (also May 25, 2013, vs. the Detroit Red Wings: 2-0—2) and multiple points for the sixth time in his postseason career (54 GP).

* Kane danced around a Ducks defender in the slot before scoring his 10th goal of the postseason (16 GP), matching his single-year playoff high set in 2010 (22 GP).

* Overall, Kane leads the Blackhawks and is tied for fourth in the NHL with 10-7—17 in the 2015 playoffs. Lightning forward Tyler Johnson (12) is the only player with more goals.

* Kane scored his 10th career playoff game-winning goal (third this year), tying Jonathan Toews for third on the Blackhawks’ all-time list behind Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita (each 11).

* Desjardins had multiple assists/points for the second time in his playoff career (40 GP). He has 1-2—3 in 14 playoff games, compared to 0-2—2 in 13 games with Chicago after being acquired at the 2015 NHL Trade Deadline.

* Marian Hossa scored his second goal of the series and third of the postseason. Per Elias, the Blackhawks improved to 15-0 in the playoffs when Hossa scores a goal.

* Hossa (48-91—139, 187 GP) tied Jacques Lemaire (61-78—139, 145 GP) for 34th on the all-time postseason points list. Only Jaromir Jagr (78-121—199, 202 GP) has more postseason points among active players.

* Brandon Saad showcased his speed to open the scoring with his fifth goal of the postseason (16 GP), one shy of his career high set last year (19 GP). He also scored the first goal of Game 4 in a similar fashion.

LOOSE PUCKS

The team that has scored first has won each game in the Western Conference Final; overall, the Ducks (7-0) and Blackhawks (8-1) are a combined 15-1 when scoring the first goal this postseason . . . The Ducks fell to 11-4 in the 2015 playoffs, but suffered their first regulation loss. Their 14 straight games to open the playoffs without a regulation loss equaled an NHL record set by the 1979 Rangers (also 11-3, with 3 OT L) . . . The Blackhawks won following an overtime game for the first time this postseason (1-4) . . . Chicago improved to 7-1 at home during the playoffs (outscoring opponents 30-19), with its lone such loss in Game 3 vs. ANA . . . Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson equaled a career high (regular season and playoffs) with a plus-4 rating . . . Ducks goaltender Frederik Andersen made 18 saves – highlighted by two sprawling pad stops on Saad and Marcus Kruger – but suffered his first regulation loss of the 2015 playoffs (11-4, 2.18 GAA, .919 SV%, 1 SO) . . . Ducks defenseman Clayton Stoner scored his second career goal in the postseason and ended a 17-game point drought dating to March 28 (regular season and playoffs) . . . Stoner’s only other playoff goal also came against the Blackhawks at United Center (May 2, 2014, with the Minnesota Wild) . . . Click here for an all-access look at Game 6 between the Rangers and Lightning . . . The Oilers signed forward Anton Slepyshev to a three-year entry-level contract.