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Jonathan Toews scores two goals in 72 seconds to send Game 5 into OT

Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews celebrates.  (AP Photo)

Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews celebrates. (AP Photo)

Jonathan Toews has a nickname he hates. Captain Serious. He earned it for his stern demeanor early in his Chicago Blackhawks captaincy.

Now, he’s earning himself another nickname. Captain Clutch.

Down 4-2 in Game 5 of the Western Conference final against the Anaheim Ducks and with less than two minutes remaining, Toews scored two clutch goals in a 1:12 span to force the game into overtime for the third time this series.

With 1:50 left in a pivotal game, Toews fired off the post and beat Ducks goalie Frederik Andersen. That brought the game within one. Still, scoring another goal against the Ducks, who’d been up 3-0 at the end of the first period, was less than likely.

Toews was up to the challenge, though, and manged to score with a shot straight down the goal line with 37.2 left in the game that somehow WENT IN THE NET.

I don’t know how that goal goes in. It has to be sheer determination and willpower or just a little bit of puck luck.

Toews’ late-game heroics weren’t enough to outlast the Ducks, though, who needed only 45 seconds in OT to win the game 5-4 with a shot from Matt Beleskey.

This loss marks the first time Chicago has dropped a Game 5 under coach Joel Quenneville after the series has been tied 2-2.

After the game, Toews told reporters that his team thrives under high-pressure situations.

“Most guys, if not everybody in this room, definitely believe that that’s when we play our best when our backs are against the wall.”

Now, Anaheim stands one win away from its first trip back to the Stanley Cup Final since 2007 and the Blackhawks are in a must-win situation.

Lucky for fans of incredible hockey, the two teams meet again for Game 6 on Wednesday night.

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