Brent Seabrook did it again last night, scoring the game-winner in overtime against the Predators to claim another playoff victory.
Seabrook one-timed a pass from Patrick Kane into the net after 1 a.m. Wednesday to win in the third overtime period, giving the Blackhawks a 3-1 series lead in the opening round of the playoffs.
Seabrook, of course, was the overtime star of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs, scoring two more overtime winners.
In Game 7 of a second-round series against the Red Wings, Seabrook’s shot from the high slot bounced off defenseman Niklas Kronwall’s skate and into the net 3:35 into overtime to seal a magical 2-1 victory. The win propelled the Hawks into the Western Conference Finals after being behind 3-1 in the series.
Then, in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals against the Bruins, Seabrook scored with 9:51 remaining in overtime to give the Blackhawks a critical 2-1 victory, evening the series at two games apiece. The Hawks went on to win games 5 and 6 to claim their second title in four years.
Here’s a look at some more Chicago sports heroes who shined after regulation in the playoffs (listed alphabetically):
-Geoff Blum
Of all the iconic players on this list, Geoff Blum sticks out as an outlier. But he is very much a part of White Sox lore after hitting a home run in the 14th inning of Game 3 of the 2005 World Series. He rocked Ezequiel Astacio’s 2-0 pitch over the right-field wall to give the White Sox a 6-5 lead. The moment wasn’t as dramatic as others since it wasn’t a walk-off winner, and the Sox added another run later in the inning, but Blum still gave the White Sox the go-ahead run to take a 3-0 series lead.
-Doug Glanville
The former Cub came up clutch in the 2003 NLCS, cranking an 11th inning triple that scored Kenny Lofton and gave the Cubs an eventual 5-4 win over the Marlins. We all know how the series ended — Steve Bartman, Alex Gonzalez, etc. — but the Cubs were riding high after the win and went on to take a 3-1 series lead before the epic collapse.
-Robbie Gould
The Bears’ kicker made a 49-yard field goal to secure a 27-24 first-round playoff win against the Seahawks in overtime back in 2007. Gould had also made a 41-yard kick with 4:24 remaining in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 24-24 and send it to overtime.
-Stan Hack
Smiling Stan played in four World Series with the Chicago Cubs in the 1930s and 40s. He nearly lifted the Cubs to a World Series title with his extra-inning heroics in the 1945 series. In Game 6 against the Tigers, Hack hit a walk-off double to left field that scored pinch-runner Bill Schuster in the 12th inning. The win tied the series at three games apiece, and the Cubs went on to lose the decisive Game 7.
-Michael Jordan
Of course, Michael Jordan. The legend shined in Game 3 of the 1991 finals against the Lakers, scoring a 12-footer with 3.4 seconds remaining to tie the game at 92 and send it to overtime. Jordan also made a reverse layup with two minutes remaining that gave the Bulls the lead for good to claim a 2-1 series lead. The Bulls went on to win the first of their six titles of the decade.
Jordan came up clutch again in a first-round series against the Nets in 1998. Jordan got a steal followed by a breakaway layup and was fouled on the play with 43 seconds remaining in Game 1. It was vintage Michael – tongue out and all. He made the free throw to give the Bulls a three-point lead, which was too much for the Nets to overcome. The Bulls swept the series and went on to win their sixth title.
-Patrick Kane
Kaner hit the game-winning goal 4:06 into overtime in Game 6 of the 2010 Stanley Cup finals, securing a 4-3 victory over the Flyers and ending a 49-year championship drought. Kane scored on a nearly impossible angle and slipped the puck past Michael Leighton.
