The 2013 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks! (Photo: nhlblackhawks/instagram)
I am going to post an actual recap because I had it done before the game ended and well…I just think what I wrote should be preserved. I did change the title I had since the original one was “Right Team Wins As We Go To Seven”. I wouldn’t say I gave up on the Hawks but…come on! Anyone watching that game didn’t expect the Hawks to tie it nonetheless win the game. But then we all witnessed the most amazing 17 seconds in Stanley Cup history.
So without further ado, I bring to you my recap of game six clearly written while game six was going on…
No matter what teams say, in games like this the start is always obvious – the home team, who needs the win to survive, comes out flying while the road team just tries to survive until they get their legs underneath them. I was hoping the Hawks wouldn’t do that but had a feeling they would. After twenty minutes, they were still looking for their legs. I hoped they had left them in the locker room and would be able to get them during the intermission because the first period was…well it was just not good for the visiting team.
Somehow they escaped only down by one after being destroyed in shot attempts 32 to 8 (yes you read that correctly). They also lost one player as Andrew Shaw took a puck to the face and had to leave the game. From the view I saw when the play happened, it looked like Shaw was out cold when he went down. Of course NBC jumped straight to commercial then showed and said nothing when they returned. From those in the arena, it sounded like he got up on his own but headed straight to the locker room with some help. Somehow, after getting stitched up (apparently 12 stitches total), he was back for the second period. I still vouch he shouldn’t have been but I’m not going off on that tangent again.
I wouldn’t say the entire team succeeded in finding their legs but at least some of the guys remembered to bring them to the bench after intermission. Two and a half minutes into the period, the Hawks took their third penalty of the game (compared to none for the Bruins). With six seconds remaining in the kill, the Bruins were whistled for a hand pass in the offensive zone leading to a neutral zone face-off. Six seconds later, Toews rifled the puck into the back of the net on a beautiful fake pass to Kane and even prettier shot:
The Hawks would take a fourth penalty shortly after that goal but fortunately their penalty kill was the one thing that came to play tonight. (And Crawford. He was fine.) Yes some of the calls were light but most of them were penalties (only the second wasn’t in my mind).
Other than that, the only news of the period was how bad the ice was. I didn’t think it could get worse than the start of the game but the puck seemed to somehow be bouncing more and more as the game went on. Guess that’s what happens when it’s in the high-80s and very humid as the game is going on.
The first half of the third period said one thing to me – this game is headed to overtime again. It just seemed that way. Then things started to come undone and finally a little after the twelve minute mark, the Bruins finally took the lead on a goal I just knew was coming. You could just feel the momentum turning.
And then with less then eight minutes to go, the Bruins played keep away which is exactly what I would’ve done. The Hawks didn’t make it hard, especially placing two minutes of power kill time in the middle of it.
Then with less than a minute and a half to go, I don’t even know what happened. First it was Bickell who managed to do this:
Then SEVENTEEN SECONDS LATER, Dave Bolland did this:
I couldn’t even tell you what happened in the last minute but no other pucks hit the back of the net and the Chicago Blackhawks miraculously came back and became the 2013 Stanley Cup Champions.
Patrick Kane won the Conn Smythe, Jonathan Toews got to accept the Stanley Cup and the city of Chicago is partying tonight. That said, the Bruins and their fans should be holding their heads high for not only a great season but a fantastic series. It was definitely the best two teams remaining and either team would’ve deserved to win both tonight and the series.
We will hear about all the injuries in the coming days but for now – Congrats Hawks!!!!
