Jon Casey was stopping the Blackhawks just fine Sunday night. But then his own defenseman threw the Minnesota goalie a curve.
Jocelyn Lemieux banged the puck off the stick of North Star Jim Johnson as they skated left of the net along the goal line. The puck took off like a Gaylord Perry spitter.
As a result, Casey found himself suddenly dancing with the puck at his feet and made the wrong two-step. It caromed into the net off his skate for a Lemieux goal that established a one-goal Hawks lead after two periods.
But the North Stars` Mike Modano scored his second goal with 3 minutes 58 seconds left in regulation and the teams settled for a 4-4 tie after overtime at the Stadium.
A significant power-play chance for the Hawks was allowed to slip away for the second straight game. In Saturday night`s 4-3 loss in Minnesota, they failed to score on a long two-man advantage late in the second period.
Sunday night, a five-minute match penalty against Minnesota`s Gaetan Duchesne for attempt to injure-clipping Chris Chelios in the face with his stick-didn`t help the Hawks pad a one-goal lead.
They didn`t even get a shot on goal during the second half of the split power play, the final 2:51 ticking off uneventfully to open the third period. A 3-0 Hawks lead in the first period wasn`t enough. It revived memories of 2-0 leads they fumbled this season against St. Louis and Pittsburgh. Both of these ended in 4-4 ties.
The Stars rebounded with a couple of goals in the closing four minutes of the first period. But they didn`t tie 3-3 until a power-play score 1:11 into the second period.
The Hawks began the period short two skaters due to penalties against coach Mike Keenan, whose sharp words angered referee Terry Gregson, and Chelios.
Gregson called Keenan for a bench minor. Chelios, who scored two first-period goals, compounded the problem with a cross-checking foul 53 seconds later.
Brian Bellows didn`t score until this Hawks disadvantage was reduced to one skater. He was camped all alone left of the crease and stood untouched by deflecting Modano`s point shot by goalie Jimmy Waite.
Keenan surprised by not allowing Ed Belfour to make his Stadium debut here. He felt Belfour was disappointing in Saturday`s loss and returned to the young goalie who has played most games this season.
Just when the Hawks started to feel comfortable, surging ahead 3-0 in the first 15 minutes, Minnesota put them on edge again.
Bobby Smith and Modano scored goals for the Stars within a 39-second span in the first period to reduce the bulge to a goal.
Smith`s power-play goal was reviewed on instant replay. But the sight of Waite`s water bottle being knocked off the top of the net by the puck solved any questions of whether it was good or not.
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An inability by the Hawks to clear their zone led to Modano`s goal. Defenseman Steve Konroyd`s pass ahead along the boards was too tough for Stu Grimson to handle deep in Hawk territory and Modano quickly gained control.
He rushed the net and shot the puck under Waite`s legs as the goalie opened up for his first goal this season. Minnesota made the most of its few shots. Its pair of goals came from just six shots overall.
Chelios scored two goals in the opening period, one during a scramble in the crease and the other on a shorthanded pass from Steve Larmer.
Larmer ignited the scoring with his power-play goal. Keith Brown`s point shot caromed out between the legs of Stars defenseman Chris Dahlquist and Larmer batted it back through Dahlquist`s legs and past Casey.
Chelios hiked the lead to 2-0 at 13:19 when he pulled out a loose puck from a pile of players at the right crease edge. Chelios backhanded the puck by Casey, assisted by Brent Sutter and Dirk Graham.
This score officially wasn`t on the power play. But a hooking penalty by Mike Craig on Michel Goulet expired just three seconds before the goal.
Chelios added another goal with Sutter serving time for tripping. Larmer made a perfect pass to him as they attacked the net. Chelios, rushing down the right wing, stayed with the play after Casey got enough of the puck on his first shot to stop the momentum in the crease. Chelios took a second whack and scored as he fell to the ice.
Once again, the shot totals showed a different story than the scoreboard. The Hawks outshot Minnesota 17-8 over the first 20 minutes, but Chicago`s goaltending can`t come up with the critical save after defensive lapses.