CHICAGO — For a moment, the one-goal lead the Rangers had protected for nearly 32 minutes seemed to vanish — but only for a moment.
Somehow, goaltender Henrik Lundqvist had managed to pin Chicago’s captain, Jonathan Toews, under his right pad. The Blackhawks, the defending Stanley Cup champions, had pulled goaltender Corey Crawford, looking to equalize against the Rangers and complete their title celebration on the season’s opening night.
With the puck seemingly protected under Lundqvist’s pad, Patrick Kane skated in and pushed it into the back of the net, setting off an eruption inside United Center.