Game 1 going to third overtime

Chicago, IL – Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals remains tied after two overtimes as Chicago and Boston are currently deadlocked at 3-3.

The longest game of the playoffs thus far is also the first time an opening game of the Cup Finals has gone to triple-overtime since Boston and Edmonton went three extra sessions to open the 1990 Stanley Cup Finals.

With the legs starting to get tired, neither side had many quality chances in the early part of the second overtime, but each squad had an opportunity pass by later in the frame.

Michael Frolik broke through the defense down low and was able to get a shot off on a rolling puck, but it went wide with around 6 1/2 minutes to play.

Just over a minute later, Daniel Paille blasted a shot from the right wing that Corey Crawford stopped. A big rebound went to the left point and Torey Krug got a one-timer off, but Crawford made a left pad save to keep the game going.

Chicago took its second too many men call in overtime with 52.8 seconds to play and dodged a couple of bullets to send the game to a third overtime.

Crawford made a stop on a Jaromir Jagr right circle shot moments into the frame, and a Zdeno Chara shot from the high slot was tipped off the right post by Jagr.

Tuukka Rask and Crawford each made 10 saves in the second overtime.

Boston will have 1:03 of power play time to work with when the third overtime starts.

The best chance of the first overtime came around the eight-minute mark as Rich Peverley fired a shot from the left circle that Crawford stopped, and the goaltender then made a beautiful save on Tyler Seguin's backhand on the rebound.

Chicago was whistled for too many men with 7:52 to play in the overtime, and the team caught a break during the shorthanded situation as a Nathan Horton rebound chance went off the post.

With just over four minutes to play, Boston rushed down the other end and a shot from the slot by Seguin was stopped. David Krejci tried to follow up with the rebound, but it was just out of his reach.

Frolik had a pair of shots late in the frame, but Rask turned away both to force a second overtime.

With Boston holding a 2-1 lead in the third period, Chicago took its first penalty of the game at 5:51 when Frolik was called for a trip on Bruins captain Chara, and the Boston power play went to work.

The Blackhawks had killed off 55-of-58 shorthanded situations in the playoffs coming into the game, but failed to stop this one as Patrice Bergeron gave the Bruins a 3-1 lead.

Milan Lucic held the puck along the right boards and sent a pass to the slot that got deflected, but it made its way to Seguin, who quickly fired it over to the left circle where Bergeron one-timed it home with a clink of iron at 6:09.

Chicago refused to give an inch from there, potting the next two goals.

The first one came off a Boston mistake as rookie defenseman Krug tried to clear the puck out of his end through the middle and it was picked off by Andrew Shaw, who skated it in down the right wing. From the boards, he fired it over to the left side and Dave Bolland one-timed it home for his first of the playoffs at the eight-minute mark.

Crawford kept it a one-goal game with around 10 1/2 minutes left as he stopped Lucic off a 2-on-1 and the Blackhawks rewarded his efforts.

Holding the puck at the right point, Johnny Oduya blasted a shot on net that was going wide, but it his off the back of the left skate of Andrew Ference and trickled past Rask to tie the game at 12:14.

Both sides had their chances to finish the game in regulation, but the goaltenders held their ground to force overtime.

Boston broke through at the 13:11 mark of the opening period. Krejci went for the puck behind the net and shrugged off a hit from Niklas Hjalmarsson. Krejci then dished the disc to the left circle where Horton one-touched it to the slot, and Lucic one-timed the puck home for his fourth of the playoffs.

Rask stopped eight shots in the first period and made a stop just 30 seconds into the second period as Marian Hossa got a shot on net from the slot that saw Rask make a left pad save on and the play went the other way.

Lucic won a battle in the neutral zone along the left boards and got the puck to Krejci, who took the disc in down the left wing. From the top of the circle, Krejci fed it to the slot and Lucic one-timed it in off Crawford for his second of the game 51 seconds in.

Chicago got on the board just over two minutes later. Hossa stole the puck behind the net and skated to the left boards, before sending it to the circle where Brandon Saad one-timed it high into the net for his first career playoff goal.

The strike energized Chicago as the team took the play to Boston over the next several minutes, generating pressure in the visitors' end and sending several shots on Rask.

Jonathan Toews had an excellent chance with just over 13 minutes to play when he sent a shot on net from the slot, but Rask came up with the stop.

The first power play of the game went to Chicago when Horton was called for interference on Michal Handzus in front of the Chicago net at 12:23.

Just 43 seconds later, Boston was called for too many men on the ice to give Chicago 1:17 worth of a 5-on-3, but the Bruins penalty killers did their job and limited the Blackhawks to just one shot, a one-timer from Patrick Sharp at the left circle that Rask easily stopped.

Chicago was awarded another power play when Chara was called for high sticking with 7:07 to play, but again limited to the hosts to just one shot to maintain a one-goal lead.