Down 3-0, heading into the second period of game one, Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville made the bold decision to sit starter Corey Crawford and go with Scott Darling, in an attempt to spark his team. Before that, Darling had played just 14 career NHL games.
A total of 14 games that Darling himself never expected to play. And for good reason. Four years earlier, the Chicago-native was at the lowest point in his career. Playing in the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL), one of the worst “professional” hockey leagues out there, Darling played for the worst team and to make matters worse, they didn’t think much of him either. From being kicked off the University of Maine hockey team to being cut by the Phoenix Coyotes during training camp, the team that drafted him in 2007, all signs pointed to this being the end of Scott Darling’s journey in hockey.
In an interview with the Chicago Sun Times, Darling confessed he had a drinking problem and after being fired by his goaltending coach, on the worst team in the worst league, he decided that enough was enough and it was time for a change.
It was at that moment that Scott Darling gave up drinking.
The following year, Darling bounced between the ECHL and AHL, playing for the Wheeling Nailers and Hamilton Bulldogs. The year after, Darling dressed for the Milwaukee Admirals (AHL) and the Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL). After posting respectable numbers in the AHL, the 26-year-old moved on to the Rockford IceHogs and eventually got his first taste of the NHL. Backing Corey Crawford, it was expected that he wouldn’t get many starts, with Crawford being the rock in goal. However when he was relied on, Darling put up solid performances and recorded nine wins.
A Chicago-born goaltender, putting on the Blackhawks jersey and donning the #33, Darling entered his first playoff game as relief to Crawford, and attempted to help put the pieces back together to help his team chip away at a 0-3 deficit.
Slowly, they did. Sending the game to overtime with a score of 3-3, defenseman Duncan Keith scored the game winning goal, putting game one away and earning the Blackhawks the series lead. Meanwhile, a goaltender that went from rags to riches celebrated in his crease, as the rest of the team came to join him. Among the crowd, was Crawford, who couldn’t hide the smile he had going from ear to ear. Over 67 minutes of shutout hockey, Darling set a record as the goaltender who played the most time as relief without conceding a goal.
Scott Darling set an #NHL playoff record Wednesday for playing the most amount time (67:44) in a relief appearance, without allowing a goal.
— NHL EXPERT PICKS (@NHLexpertpicks) April 16, 2015
Crawford would get a second chance at starting a game, but his performance was below average, giving up 6 goals on 35 shots in a 6-2 loss, evening up the series at one win apiece. Darling was given the spotlight in game 3 and after stopping 35 of the 37 shots he faced, he took the starting job away from Crawford, at least for the time being. And if there is any wonder whether Crawford is bitter towards the decision, he actually supports Darling and the team going forward. Darling himself had nothing but good things to say about Crawford in return, citing him as a mentor that has helped him with his maturity and confidence.
His second start of the series, game four, was nothing short of spectacular, facing 52 shots and stopping all but two of them. The game hit extra periods for the second time in the series, this time going to a third overtime. The result was the same, with the Blackhawks winning thanks to a goal from defenceman Brent Seabrook. Named the first star of the game, Scott Darling posted an impressive .962 save percentage in 100:59 of play.
In a matter of four years, Darling went from a questionable career in hockey and the struggles with alcoholism, to becoming one of the biggest feel-good stories of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs. In five years, he’s played for a total of nine different teams in five different leagues, but he’s now found a fit in Chicago, in front of his family and people he has grown up with. Whether Darling continues to start for Chicago during this series, that’s completely up to him and the way he performs, but it seems that Quenneville is trying his luck and playing the hot goaltender.
For now, we’ll just leave it up to the fans to tell us what they think of their Darling in Chicago.
For all you young goalies that don’t know of Scott Darling’s journey to the NHL, do some research & use it as motivation. #neverquit — Kane Van Gate (@KVanGate38) April 16, 2015
SCOTT. DARLING. OH. MY. GOD
— Blackhawks Die Hards (@BHawksDieHards) April 16, 2015
SCOTT DARLING IS A MAN POSSESSED — Second City Hockey (@2ndCityHockey) April 16, 2015
