This goal this ending nobody saw it coming said Blackhawks Coach Joel Quennville after a finish that strained credulity. So sudden and late was Chicago s rally that even the Blackhawks themselves seemed not to believe what they had just seen.
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 Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask and tying the score at 2 2. With 59 seconds to go Dave Bolland beat the sprawling Rask after a rebound off the goal post and just like that the Blackhawks were ahead.
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.
Moments later Toews was lifting the Stanley Cup over his head in triumph the first Blackhawks captain in the club s 87 year history to win it twice.
These are the feelings you live for said his teammate Patrick Kane.
Bolland s goal was the latest Stanley Cup winning goal scored in regulation time breaking the mark set in 1929 when Boston s Bill Carson scored to win the Cup with 1 58 left in the deciding game against the Rangers.
The Blackhawks also became the first club to win a Stanley Cup clinching game in regulation by overcoming a deficit in the final two minutes.
On the Bruins side shock mingled with dejection.
It s a tough way to lose tough way to lose a game tough way to lose a series said Zdeno Chara the Bruins towering 6 foot 9 defenseman. Chara was especially glum. He had been on the ice for 10 of the Blackhawks last 12 goals in the series although not Bolland s Cup winner.
Bolland a third line center was surprisingly blas about what he had done.
I could always imagine the season ending this way he said a sentiment that was as credulity straining as the goal he scored. He was asked the difference between winning the Stanley Cup this season and in 2010.
What s the difference he said. Nothing.
Bolland and Bickell s goals ended this classic almost unbearably tense series in which three games went to overtime and every game was razor close. 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. He had 9 goals and 10 assists in the postseason.
It was the Blackhawks fifth championship joining their triumphs in 1934 1938 1961 and 2010.
Chicago trailed 1 0 and did not mount a real threat until Toews motoring at full speed after an undisclosed injury that knocked him out of Game 5 on Saturday scored at 4 24 of the second period.
In Game 6 players dropped left and right as they put everything on the line with the Cup at stake. Bruins center Patrice Bergeron played a full game despite a series of injuries that did not become known until after the game.
Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw played despite taking a hard shot to the face later he carried the Cup around the ice while bleeding through his stitches. Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson left 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. Chicago s Marian Hossa and Boston s Nathan Horton played on through nagging injuries as they have throughout this series.
{ 0 comments... Views All / Send Comment! }
Post a Comment