CHICAGO — It was Game 3. It felt like Game 4.
The Anaheim Ducks and the Chicago Blackhawks played one hundred sixteen minutes and twelve seconds of playoff hockey in a triple-overtime thriller Tuesday night. They did what they could to recover – fluids, cold tubs, massages, pillows, blankets. Still, they flew four hours from California to Illinois and played again Thursday night.
Man, it was a slog, a test of body and mind.
“It was more of a mental battle for everyone tonight,” said Ducks center Andrew Cogliano, who compared it to playing after a hard weight workout.