Patrick Kane’s buzzer buzzkill sets up Tyler Johnson’s heroics: 4 takeaways from the Chicago Blackhawks’ 3-2 shootout win

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When Patrick Kanex tickled the twine as the clock read “0.1,” it certainly would’ve been a great capper to a great Chicago Blackhawks comeback win in overtime.

It even could’ve been the signature moment to potentially Kane’s last home game at the United Center. But referees have no regard for storybook finishes.

While the camera feed displayed “0.1,” the clock on the big board showed “0.0.” Officials huddled for a video review and ruled that time had indeed expired before Kane scored.

The night’s hero turned out to be Tyler Johnson. He just scored the power-play goal that tied the game 2-2 with 55 seconds left in regulation and scored the shootout’s only goal to seal the Hawks 3-2 win against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Johnson’s game-winner lacked the flare of Kane’s big windup at the buzzer, he just steadily walked up and flicked it through Laurent Brossoit’s five-hole.

Asked if it was his dream finish, Johnson replied, “I guess. It would’ve been cooler if Kane would’ve scored that goal. I think that would’ve made it a lot more fun.”

The Knights opened the scoring with Keegan Kolesar’s goal. Nicolas Roy threaded a beauty between Caleb Jones legs to set up a Kolesar back door score.

Later in the first period, the Hawks’ Cole Guttman scored for the second game in a row and fourth game of his NHL career.

Jack Eichel gave the Knights a one-goal lead, batting the puck by Tyler Johnson in the neutral zone and ripping it 79.6 mph by goalie Petr Mrázek. But Alex Pietrangelo gave the Hawks life when he tried to lift the puck out of the Golden Knights’ defensive zone and cleared the glass with two minutes left, drawing a delay of game penalty.

Hawks coach Luke Richardson pulled the goalie and the Hawks scored on the 6-on-4 man advantage.

Mrázek made 34 saves and earned wins in back-to-back starts.

“Never easy when they score on the first shot on goal,” Mrazek said. “But when the game got going, especially the second period, I had a lot of work there. I felt a lot more comfortable.”

Here are four takeaways from the game.

Kane looked as if he pulled off a finish for the ages when he rocketed a shot with 0.1 seconds left in overtime — at least to TV viewers.

When the little green light flashed behind the net, it might as well have been a big red X.

Here’s why: “The (NHL) Situation Room informed the officials that Patrick Kane’s shot did not cross the Vegas goal line before time expired. According to Rule 4.1, ‘A goal cannot be scored when a green light is showing.’”

“Yeah, that was exciting,” Richardson said of the would-be game-winner. “We just had to beat them twice, I guess.”

The TV clock and official clock don’t always sync up to fractions of a second. Unlike in the NBA where a basket counts if the ball leaves the player’s hand in time, the puck can’t just leave the player’s stick in time in the NHL — it has to cross the goal line.

How are you supposed to see a puck traveling 70-plus miles an hour cross a goal line before a light several feet behind it turns green? How are you supposed to know when a buzzer-beater is a buzzer-beater?

Leave it to the NHL to fine-tune ways to rob some excitement for fans.

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Guttman made a snap decision after a solid defensive play by Taylor Raddysh that sprung him for his goal.

Just as Michael Amadio was taking a shot, Raddysh chopped at the puck and knocked it back. Guttman bolted out of the zone as Tyler Johnson collected the loose puck, then banked it off the wall to him.

Guttman’s quick read helped him get a jump on defenders.

Johnson said of Guttman, “He’s obviously a great hockey player so he’s going to make those plays. He saw we were able to get the puck, so he just had to go there and I had to find him and he made a great play, showing the D-man there and was able to score.”

The Hawks went 1-for-3 on the power play during Johnson’s third-period equalizer that sent the game to overtime.

“It was 6-on-4, but it was PP and I guess we’ll take it,” Johnson said.

Before the game, the Hawks’ power play ranked second to last in the league in Corsi-for percentage (83.67%), an indicator how poorly they’re holding onto the puck and sustaining attacks in zone.

In the seven games before Tuesday’s matchup, the Hawks put up a goose egg in 20 opportunities.

“I know Vegas is going through the same thing, one goal in the last 10 games,” Richardson said before the game.

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Like the Knights, the Hawks have struggled to cross the blue line against the penalty kill and “we just couldn’t really get set up,” Richardson added.

The team watched video and worked with assistant coach Derek Plante for adjustments.

Richardson said after the game, “I think just after talking about it a little bit more yesterday and stripping down and going through all the routes for our breakouts and entries,” both units moved it more crisply, got some clear-cut looks and steadily built confidence with each power play.

Several injuries and a healthy scratch gave a couple of young Hawks an opportunity beyond Guttman.

Forward Brett Seney played his third game for the Hawks and first since Jan. 8. Defenseman Isaak Phillips drew in for his 16th game this season and first since Jan. 21.

“Very smart, intelligent,” Richardson said of Seney, who took four shots against the Golden Knights. “He’s not the biggest guy, but he’s not afraid and he’s sturdy on his feet. He’s a guy you can kind of play anywhere.”

Richardson said Phillips “had a bit of a rough start, nervous.”

“He hasn’t played in a while. Sometimes for a young defenseman, you have to settle into the game and I thought he did. Thought he played more physical and once he started moving his feet, he passes the puck hard and crisp and makes good plays.”