The game was about to slip away from the Bruins in Chicago last Saturday night.

They were clearly the better team, but the Blackhawks had a 2-1 lead in the second period and it looked like they would surely make it 3-1 when the Hawks broke in on a 2-on-1.

Joonas Korpisalo looked like he had no chance to go post-to-post after the cross pass. But out of nowhere, Alex Steeves came flying in on the backcheck to break up what appeared to be a tap-in. The crisis was averted and the B’s scored the next four goals to win going away.

But if that puck had found the back of the net, it’s anyone’s guess as to which way that game would have gone.

“Yeah, Korpi told me he would have given me an eight-year extension after that backcheck,” Steeves with a laugh.

Steeves didn’t get eight years from the Bruins, but he did get two, and that’s two years more than anyone thought he would get when he was sent to Providence near the end of training camp. The B’s announced the deal that will pay him $1.625 million a year on Monday.

“It feels really good. I had expectations but there’s also always unknowns when you change organizations in free agency. But ultimately they’ve given me a really good opportunity,” said Steeves. “It’s just really a special feeling and I’m appreciative that they believe in who I am as a person and player and my potential so it feels really good. The opportunity to be a Bruin for two more years is something I don’t want to pass up on.”

Steeves’ story is one of perseverance. He spent four years in the Toronto organization going up and down – mostly down. He got 14 NHL games in that time before signing with the B’s in the offseason. He did not make opening night roster but, when injuries hit he was called up in November and did not squander the opportunity.

“I think it’s a great story,” said coach Marco Sturm. “Hopefully it’s going to help some other young guys to believe in themselves and also see how a guy like Alex Steeves worked on it. It’s not like I just gave him a chance, no, he actually worked on it. Stuck with it, went back to the minors, got called up, got his chance. Now here we are, he’s got a two-year contract. Hopefully it’s going to help a little bit, especially the guys in the minors to see that.”

Steeves did not despair when he was sent to Providence.

“I definitely felt confident that I’d be back,” said Steeves. “My mindset was things didn’t go my way over a two-and-a-half week sample. Life goes on. I’m still extremely lucky to play this game and being in an organization like this. I wanted to go down, get a good start, find some confidence, be a leader in that locker room. Then things took care of themselves.”

While Steeves broke into pro hockey as a goal scorer, and he’s been fairly prolific at it in the AHL, he has had to add other elements to his game. He went into Thursday’s game against Vegas on a 12-game goal drought but his physicality and his energy has kept him in the lineup. Plays like the one in Chicago are what has allowed him to hang around.

“For me, it starts with physicality and defense, managing the game well,” said Steeves. “You can see it right now. I’m in a stretch where I haven’t scored in a little bit. But I was thinking about that the other day. My entire hockey career, every single season I’ve had stretches like this. I had a stretch like this last season and I scored (36) goals. It would be pretty naive to think that I’d break into the hardest league in the world and not have a stretch like this in my rookie year. That B game, I’m working on it. And things will fall.”

Steeves joins Jonathan Aspirot as a former long-time minor leaguer who earned multi-year contracts with the B’s.

“As players, it’s really, really tough to break into this league,” said Steeves. “I guess it’s cool to see that if you earn it, you can do it. It’s possible. I’m really happy for Aspy. He earned that contract and I’m grateful to have the same opportunity.”

Cassidy praises Sturm

Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy coached in the B’s organization for 15 years, the last six-plus as head coach in Boston. He has been impressed with the job Sturm has done in his first season.

“They play hard,” said Cassidy. “When we saw them early in the year, there was a lot of newness, players and coaching systems. They’re a different team now. They’ve kind of got their feet under them in how they want to play and their identity. To me, I see a Bruins with an identity that I saw for a long time and a long time before I was here. They’ve found that again. They’re going to play hard and they’re going well. I think that’s just a product of a new style of play and players. And health. We all go through that.”

Eichel visits BU

North Chelmsford native Jack Eichel spent the Knights’ off day over at Boston University, where he played for a season and took the Terriers to the NCAA championship game before losing to Providence College at the Garden.

“It was a cool. I had a lot of fond memories there. BU’s a special place for me. I had a very memorable year there. Unfortunately it ended in this room here,” said Eichel, sitting in the visitor’s room at the Garden. “But it’s really cool to be able to talk to the guys on that team to try and give them a little bit of wisdom. But I don’t know. I feel like nowadays, kids are farther along at that same age than maybe I was. But BU’s a great place. It was cool to practice there and it was great to see a lot of familiar faces.”

Loose pucks

Rasmus Andersson, the former Calgary Flames defenseman whom the B’s showed interest in before Vegas obtained him, is still dealing with visa issues and is not yet with the team. Cassidy still wasn’t sure if he’d be able to play when on Friday in Toronto for Mitch Marner’s highly anticipated return to his former city and hometown. … Jordan Harris, out since October with a broken ankle, was sent to Providence on a conditioning stint.