Havlat Ties It, Then Wins It in OT

A healthy Marty Havlat did wonders for the Hawks during the regular season.

Tonight he left the Flames wondering where they went wrong.

Although Toews and Kane get a majority of the accolades, Havlat was clearly the teams' MVP this season. He was the team's leader in points and assists, all the while playing on a checking line with Dave Bolland and Andrew Ladd. Towards the end of the season, the Hawks went with all the big guns on one line, as he moved up to the Kane and Toews unit.

But back to tonight...

With under six minutes left in the game, and the Hawks at risk of losing the home ice edge, Havlat was able to convert his own rebound past a sliding Kiprusoff to tie the contest at two apiece. Then, only 12 seconds into OT, he was able to snap a pass from Bolland by a distracted Calgary Goaltender.

Winning game one at home was of the utmost importance for this young Blackhawks team. For a team of younger players, confidence is vital. I thought Chicago's young core was able to get their feet wet quickly in their first taste of the post-season, and didn't seem too out of sorts, especially as the game wore on.

Winning Game One will go a long way towards giving the Hawks that all-important key to any playoff series - confidence.