At the time, when the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2 in an early April affair, we thought it was a disastrous result and only for the two teams involved. But no one could have possibly predicted the domino effect of a win for one of the NHL’s worst teams over Sidney Crosby’s playoff fringe Penguins.
Sometimes, when you least expect it, a seemingly normal late-season game can mean so much to the rest of the league.
Now, with the 2023 Stanley Cup Final matchup finally almost set in stone, let’s look back at three mind-blowing ways one Penguins-Blackhawks regular season battle forever changed NHL history.
One thing seems certain: We might even look back on this game and see more butterfly-effect outcomes down the line.