Martin Havlat Stars in Chicago's Return to The Playoffs

After the performance Martin Havlat put on in the third period and overtime of Chicago's 3-2 win on Thursday night, that seven-year playoff drought was almost worth it for long-suffering Blackhawks fans. After scoring the game-tying goal with just under eight minutes to play in regulation, Havlat buried the game-winner behind Calgary's Miikka Kiprusoff just 12 seconds into the extra period, giving Chicago its first playoff win since April 18, 2002.

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Havlat has always been a world-class talent, but has struggled with durability, playing 80 games only once (this season) in his seven-year career. Not only did the 27-year-old winger set a career-high in games played with 80, he also led the Blackhawks with a career-best 77 points, including 29 goals.

After Kiprusoff frustrated the Blackhawks for much of the night, flashing a lightning fast glove hand, Havlat put home his own rebound at the 14:27 mark of the third period, tying the game at two. Cam Barker also scored for the Blackhawks, while Nikolai Khabibulin stopped 23-of-25 shots in goal.

While Havlat was filling the back of the net, TSN analyst Pierre McGuire spent much of the night raving about Chicago's 20-year-old captain, Jonathan Toews, and for good reason. While Toews only recorded one assist on the night, he was making his presence felt in a variety of ways, including the faceoff circle where he won a commanding 10 of his 14 draws. Quite a playoff debut for one of the game's brightest young talents.

Speaking of playoff debuts, Calgary's Olli Jokinen took part in his first NHL playoff game after playing in 799 regular season games. The veteran forward, acquired from the Phoenix Coyotes at the trade deadline, played 19 minutes and finished as a -1, registering three shots on goal.

So, where do the two teams go from here? Well, the objective for Calgary on Saturday is the same as it is for any team opening a best-of-seven series on the road: find a way to win one of the first two games. If the Flames can steal one in Chicago, they'll have essentially taken home-ice advantage away from the Blackhawks, setting the stage for a frenzied "C of Red" in Calgary. If Kiprusoff plays like he did for much of Thursday night, the Flames stand a reasonable chance of accomplishing that goal. The only problem? The Flames have now lost five straight to the Blackhawks. Hey, maybe they're due?

For the Blackhawks, they have to continue to build on the momentum they gained in the third period, as they dominated the Flames in the shots department by a 12-4 margin. Chicago recorded only five shots on goal during the first 25 minutes of regulation, before turning it up a notch over the final two periods.

The only negative to come out of this game is the fact the NHL's first overtime game of the postseason ended so quickly.