’ HAWKS TAKE THE CUP
CHICAGO — Showing off their grit and determination, the Blackhawks finally put away the Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final.
The city of broad shoulders, strong enough to carry the silver trophy once again. A Windy City party 77 years in the making.
Duncan Keith scored in the second period and directed a dominant defense that shut down Tampa Bay’s highscoring attack, and the Blackhawks beat the Lightning 20 in Game 6 on Monday night for their third NHL title in the past six seasons.
“It doesn’t feel real right now. It’s unbelievable,” captain Jonathan Toews said. “Feels like a dream. Every time we do it, it gets better and better. It’s an amazing feeling.”
Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist, helping the Blackhawks clinch the Cup on home ice for the first time since 1938. Corey Crawford, who was pulled from Chicago’s firstround series against Nashville, had 25 saves in his fifth career playoff shutout.
Keith was a unanimous selection for the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP after he finished with 21 points while playing over 700 minutes in a grueling postseason.
“We just seem to get better and better every year,” defenseman Brent Seabrook said. “We’ve been lucky enough to win three. Every time we’ve won it, it seems to get better.”
It was an appropriate conclusion to a series full of near misses and close calls that had fans in Chicago and Tampa Bay on the edge of their seats for almost two weeks. It was only the second final to begin with five onegoal games, and no team enjoyed a twogoal advantage until an open Kane buried a perfect pass from Brad Richards at 14: 46 of the third.
It was Kane’s first goal of the final, and it touched off a wild celebration by the frenzied crowd of 22,424, who broke out more chants of “We want the Cup! We want the Cup!”
“I’d say you have a dynasty,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman told the cheering crowd as he presented the trophy to the grinning Blackhawks.
Ben Bishop kept the Lightning in the game with 30 saves, fighting through a torn groin muscle that kept him out of Game 4. Led by Bishop and big defenseman Victor Hedman, the Lightning allowed just 13 goals in the series, but it wasn’t enough against the unflappable Blackhawks.
Crawford threw his gloves into the air as the final seconds ticked off, and a sea of red and black that braved a dangerous line of thunderstorms to pack the United Center erupted in pure joy. Kane pumped his right arm as Crawford approached for a big hug, and the goaltender then wrapped his arms around Keith after they helped limit the league’s highestscoring team in the regular season to 10 goals in the final.
“We keep growing, keep maturing, we keep wanting it more and more,” Toews said. “This is what it’s all about. This is why we play the game, for the group in the room for all these great fans in Chicago that unites the whole city. It doesn’t get any better.”