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In a Stunning Finish, a Fifth Stanley Cup for the Blackhawks In a Stunning Finish, a Fifth Stanley Cup for the Blackhawks
(about 1 hour later)
BOSTON — The Chicago Blackhawks completed perhaps their most improbable comeback in their storied history on Monday night. Trailing the Boston Bruins, 2-1, with 76 seconds left, the Blackhawks erupted for two goals 17 seconds apart to stun the Bruins, 3-2, and win their second Stanley Cup in the last four seasons. BOSTON — The Chicago Blackhawks completed perhaps the most improbable Stanley Cup clinching comeback in history on Monday night. Trailing the Boston Bruins, 2-1, with 76 seconds left, the Blackhawks erupted for two goals 17 seconds apart to stun the Bruins, 3-2, and win their second Cup in the last four seasons and fifth over all.
Milan Lucic put the Bruins ahead, 2-1, with 7 minutes 49 seconds left in regulation, seemingly forcing a Game 7 in Chicago on Wednesday. But then lightning struck. With 1:16 left, Bryan Bickell finished a feed from Jonathan Toews, knocking the puck past goaltender Tuukka Rask. With 59 seconds to go, Dave Bolland shot a rebound off the goal post past the sprawling Rask. Milan Lucic put the Bruins ahead, 2-1, with 7 minutes 49 seconds left in regulation, seemingly forcing a Game 7 in Chicago on Wednesday. But then lightning struck. With 1:16 left, Bryan Bickell finished a feed from Jonathan Toews, knocking the puck past goaltender Tuukka Rask. Then, with 59 seconds to go, Dave Bolland shot a rebound off the goal post past the sprawling Rask.
The crowd at TD Garden, roaring in celebration, suddenly fell silent. The only cheers came from the 200 friends and family chartered in by the Blackhawks. As they watched, the old trophy was brought out and given to Toews, the captain, who raised it over his head in triumph. “How can you call that?” Toews said, beaming, in the moments after victory. “We knew we needed just one bounce there. Obviously, that was a big goal for them to go up 2-1. But you never know what can happen, so you don’t stop playing until the end.”
Bolland and Bickell’s goals ended this almost unbearably tense series, in which three games went into overtime. Patrick Kane was voted the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs’ most valuable player, becoming the third straight American to receive the honor. Kane scored 9 goals and 10 assists in the postseason, but did not figure in the scoring Monday. The TD Garden crowd, roaring in celebration, suddenly fell silent. The only cheers came from the 200 friends and family chartered in by the Blackhawks. As they watched, the 34 ½-pound silver chalice was wheeled out and presented by Commissioner Gary Bettman to Toews, who raised it over his head in triumph. He became the first captain in the 87-year history of the Blackhawks to lift the Cup twice.
It was the Blackhawks’ fifth championship in their 87-year existence, joining their triumphs in 1934, 1938, 1961 and 2010. Bolland and Bickell’s goals ended this almost unbearably tense series, in which three games went into overtime. Patrick Kane was voted the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs’ most valuable player, becoming the third straight American to receive the honor. Kane scored 9 goals and 10 assists in the postseason.
The Bruins came out hard and kept charging, overwhelming the Blackhawks. They held a 12-6 edge in shots on goal in the first period. “These are the feelings you live for,” Kane said as he celebrated with his family on the Garden ice.
But they scored only once, with a goal from Boston’s third line — Chris Kelly, Tyler Seguin and Daniel Paille. They practically owned the Blackhawks, penning them in their own end for long stretches and swarming goalie Corey Crawford. Finally, at 7:19, the three combined to score, Paille to Seguin to Kelly, who finished a backhand feed for his second goal of the finals, and of the playoffs. It was the Blackhawks’ fifth championship, joining their triumphs in 1934, 1938, 1961 and 2010.
The Blackhawks’ lightning-strike goals brought to an end a classic series among the two Original Six teams. The Bruins came out hard and kept charging, overwhelming the Blackhawks in the first period.
But they scored only once, with a goal from the third line  —  Chris Kelly, Tyler Seguin and Daniel Paille. They practically owned the Blackhawks, penning them in their own end for long stretches and swarming goalie Corey Crawford. Finally, at 7:19, the three combined to score, Paille to Seguin to Kelly, who finished a backhand feed for his second goal of the finals, and of the playoffs.
The Blackhawks did not mount a real threat until the fifth minute of the second period. But they made it count on a goal from Toews, motoring at full speed after an undisclosed injury that knocked him out of Game 5 on Saturday.The Blackhawks did not mount a real threat until the fifth minute of the second period. But they made it count on a goal from Toews, motoring at full speed after an undisclosed injury that knocked him out of Game 5 on Saturday.
The play started with a neutral-zone face-off. But Chicago defenseman Michal Rozsival tipped the puck past Boston defenseman Zdeno Chara, and suddenly Toews had a two-on-one break with Kane. Toews used Kane as a decoy, then shot through Rask’s legs at 4:24 to make the score 1-1. Players dropped left and right as they put everything on the line in what amounted to a championship game. Patrice Bergeron played a full game despite grimacing on the bench from a series of injuries that did not become known until after the game ended. He sustained a broken rib in Game 5 and had to be hospitalized, and then he revealed he played with a separated shoulder during Monday night’s game.
Chara, the 6-foot-9 tower of strength on the blue line, was on the ice for 9 of the Blackhawks’ last 10 goals. Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw played despite taking a hard shot to the face. He carried the Cup around the ice afterward while bleeding through his stitches. Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson left the ice for a short time after blocking a shot. Bruins forward Jaromir Jagr was rattled by a check from Bolland and missed most of the second period. Nathan Horton and Marian Hossa played on through nagging injuries, as they have throughout this series.
Players dropped left and right as they put everything on the line in what amounted to a championship game. Patrice Bergeron played a full game despite grimacing on the bench, probably from the undisclosed injury that sent him briefly to a hospital in the second period of Game 5.
Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw played despite taking a hard shot to the face and bleeding through his stitches. Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson left the ice for a short time after blocking a shot. Bruins forward Jaromir Jagr was rattled by a check from Bolland and missed most of the second period. Nathan Horton and Marian Hossa played on through nagging injuries, as they have throughout this series.
The Blackhawks became the first team of the N.H.L.’s salary-cap era to win the Stanley Cup twice. After their 2010 victory, General Manager Stan Bowman had to trade away or decline to re-sign nine players from the championship roster, because their rising salaries would have pushed the team over the cap.The Blackhawks became the first team of the N.H.L.’s salary-cap era to win the Stanley Cup twice. After their 2010 victory, General Manager Stan Bowman had to trade away or decline to re-sign nine players from the championship roster, because their rising salaries would have pushed the team over the cap.
Coach Joel Quenneville is also a holdover from 2010, and his Blackhawks teams have excelled at postseason crunchtime. Their record in Games 5, 6 and 7 of playoff series since he became the coach in 2009 is 19-4.Coach Joel Quenneville is also a holdover from 2010, and his Blackhawks teams have excelled at postseason crunchtime. Their record in Games 5, 6 and 7 of playoff series since he became the coach in 2009 is 19-4.
The Blackhawks rolled to the Stanley Cup. They set an N.H.L. record by going unbeaten in the first 24 games of the 48-game season, half the schedule. They went on to win the Presidents’ Trophy as regular-season champions, and on Monday became the first top regular-season team to win the Stanley Cup since the 2008 Detroit Red Wings.The Blackhawks rolled to the Stanley Cup. They set an N.H.L. record by going unbeaten in the first 24 games of the 48-game season, half the schedule. They went on to win the Presidents’ Trophy as regular-season champions, and on Monday became the first top regular-season team to win the Stanley Cup since the 2008 Detroit Red Wings.
They kept rolling in the first playoff round, beating Minnesota in five games. But in the second round, they fell behind the Red Wings, 3 games to 1, and won three straight games, two on the road, to overcome the deficit. Brent Seabrook scored the series winner, in Detroit, in Game 7 overtime. They kept rolling in the first playoff round, beating Minnesota in five games. But in the second round, they fell behind the Red Wings, 3 games to 1, and won three straight games, two on the road, to overcome the deficit. Brent Seabrook scored the series winner in overtime.
In the conference finals, the Blackhawks ousted Los Angeles, the defending Cup champions, in five games. Then came the Bruins, a team they had not faced in a playoff series since 1978, and never in the Cup finals.In the conference finals, the Blackhawks ousted Los Angeles, the defending Cup champions, in five games. Then came the Bruins, a team they had not faced in a playoff series since 1978, and never in the Cup finals.
It was a series worthy of two big cities with long love affairs with hockey. Bruins flags and sweaters were everywhere in Boston, as Blackhawks flags and sweaters were in Chicago. The Michael Jordan statue in front of United Center wore a Blackhawks jersey. At the Boston Public Garden, the “Make Way for Ducklings” statuettes wore little Bruins sweaters. It was a series worthy of two big cities with long love affairs with hockey. Bruins flags and sweaters were everywhere in Boston, as Blackhawks flags and sweaters were in Chicago. The Michael Jordan statue in front of  United Center wore a Blackhawks jersey. At the Boston Public Garden, the “Make Way for Ducklings” statuettes wore little Bruins sweaters.
Each game was razor-close, with the Bruins grabbing a 2-1 lead. But Seabrook played overtime hero again with the goal that won Game 4, 6-5, and the Blackhawks were on their way. Kane scored two goals in a 3-1 Game 5 victory, setting the stage for Monday night’s triumph. They won on the road, just as they did in 2010, when Kane’s overtime goal clinched the Cup in Philadelphia.
The Bruins, the champions from 2011, could not pull off another miracle as they did in the opening round against Toronto, when they set records in Game 7 by rallying from a 4-1 deficit with 11 minutes left in the game, scoring twice with their goalie pulled in the last 82 seconds to force overtime. Bergeron, who tied the game with 51 seconds left, scored again in overtime to win the series.