Stanley Cup Final, Game 4: Blackhawks win in OT to tie series

“You always get second-guessed,” Quenneville said post-game. “At the same time, you know, I think we didn’t mind the way we played the first game, first part of the second game. Game 3 we were disappointed with our offense. So we went to the well. I’m sure [Bickell, Kane and Toews are] excited about returning together. Maybe it looks like I didn’t know what I was doing.”

“Well, I think from a coaching standpoint, you’re always looking for different match-ups,” Kane said after the game.

I’m going to apologize in advance for the amount of gifs in this. This game was too intense to omit any of these. Your browser will hate it, but it’ll get over it. (Unless it’s Safari. Safari holds grudges.)

Meanwhile, someone apparently left an old cheeseburger in the rafters at TD Garden.

The goal won the game for the Blackhawks, 6-5. The series is now tied and heads back to Chicago for Game 5 on Saturday.

Let’s take a look at the big questions we were tracking in Game 4:

The Bruins had killed off 29 consecutive penalties before the goal from Sharp.

The two teams finished regulation tied, 5-5. The Blackhawks led in shots, 41-28.

• Complete Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage

• Why you shouldn’t cheer for Chicago, by a Boston fan

• Complete Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage

• Why you shouldn’t cheer for Chicago, by a Boston fan

• Complete Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage

• Why you shouldn’t cheer for Chicago, by a Boston fan

The period ended with a flurry of activity but no more goals for either side. The Blackhawks lead the Bruins, 4-3, after 40 minutes. Chicago has the edge in shots, 25-20.

• Complete Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage

• Complete Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage

• Why you shouldn’t cheer for Chicago, by a Boston fan

Unfortunately for Chicago, that assist didn’t mark the beginning of a great game for Saad. He gave the goal back with a bad giveaway on another Boston power play late in the period:

The period was a physical one, with the angry play that took over at the end of Game 3 showing up early in Game 4:

For the record, the chant in Boston is, “Let’s go B’s!”

Not bees. We’re not on board with that. So let’s just hope these are flies hovering around the cameras at TD Garden.

The Blackhawks are fighting an uphill battle already being down in a series, but being on the road makes things even tougher on Chicago. They are just 3-5 on the road in the playoffs, while Boston has been excellent at the TD Garden, winning seven straight at home and allowing just 1.6 goals per game in that stretch.

Now the Bruins get another game in front of their home crowd, but this time they can move to within one game of the Stanley Cup. Whether Hossa plays or not, the Bruins have momentum, Rask and a shiny silver cup waiting for them at the end of the road, unless the Blackhawks can do something about that.

Hossa was a game-time scratch for Game 3 on Monday night due to an undisclosed upper-body injury, but was considered day-to-day and “likely” to play in Game 4. The forward did not participate in practice Wednesday morning, but that apparently will not play a factor in his availability for the actual game because every member of the organization who commented about Hossa’s status after practice stated that he was expected to play.

Bruins head coach Claude Julien is expected to ice the same lineup as Game 3. And, considering the amount of success the Bruins have achieved with those combinations, it’s a wise decision by the Bruins’ bench boss.