After sending Corey Crawford to the bench with a Game 7 seemingly imminent, the Chicago Blackhawks did the impossible, scoring twice in the final minutes to hoist the Stanley Cup at Boston’s TD Garden. Just 17 seconds after Bryan Bickell netted the equalizer, Dave Bolland beat Tuukka Rask to shock the capacity crowd in Boston and end one of the more memorable NHL playoff series in history.
The Boston Bruins aspired to force a seventh game in Chicago with a victory, much like they did two years ago when they beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-2. Early on, the home team looked well on its way to doing just that.
The Bruins dominated the first period, outshooting their opponents 12-6, but much like Chicago in Game 2, they would go on to regret grabbing just one goal in the period.
A brilliant shift from Daniel Paille, Chris Kelly and Tyler Seguin missed ever so slightly on numerous chances, before Kelly finally put one home. 7:19 into the evening, Daniel Paille flipped the puck towards the net, but Tyler Seguin handed it down to his stick. Seguin then swiped a lovely pass across to Kelly who slotted home his second of the series.
Throughout the first, the Bruins established tons of offensive pressure by grinding in the corners and activating the point. They also managed some superb chances on two power play opportunities, but they would fail to score with the man-advantage despite four opportunities on the evening.
In the second period, the Bruins eased off the pedal and let the Hawks climb back into the contest. Four and a half minutes into the second, a bad pinch by Zdeno Chara following a faceoff just outside the Chicago zone led to a Jonathan Toews–Patrick Kane two-on-one.
The Bruins had to respect the pass considering Patrick Kane’s recent hot streak, but the Hawks captain used a lightning quick release to sneak the puck through Tuukka Rask’s five hole to tie it.
Many expected Toews to be ineffective in the game after missing the third period of Game 5, but he led the way as he so often does with a brilliant effort. Patrice Bergeron on the other side was also excellent following injury concerns, but he could not help the Bruins to extend the series.
A tense third period featured good looks for both teams, with Tuukka Rask and Corey Crawford once again showing off their spectacular skills. Crawford’s glove hand was perfect on the evening, but he did concede a second goal midway through the third.
A turnover by Corey Crawford behind the net allowed the Bruins to set up down low. From behind the net David Krejci put a bouncing puck out front, and Milan Lucic banked it home off the post. The TD Garden erupted as the Bruins looked certain to hang on.
A superb penalty kill minutes later raised spirits in the building, and the anticipation of a Bruins victory reached a boiling point. As the clock ticked down, Tyler Seguin had a chance to end it but he rang the iron, which echoed a cruel reminder of his poor luck this postseason.
Inside the two minute mark, Corey Crawford headed to the bench and the game went wild. Some excellent work down low by Duncan Keith allowed Jonathan Toews to feed Brian Bickell in front for an improbable equalizer that stunned the Boston crowd. Tied at two with just over a minute remaining, Game 6 promised to be the fourth overtime game of the series.
However, the Chicago Blackhawks had other plans. 17 seconds after the tying goal, Johnny Oduya smacked a puck off the post and Dave Bolland potted the Cup-winning goal into the net.
Just 18 seconds earlier the Bruins expected to live another day, but after conceding twice, they found themselves awkwardly sitting through a Blackhawks’ party.
Chicago held off the Bruins in the final minute and the celebration began, as devastated fans continued to chant “Let’s Go Bruins…” For the second time in four years, the Chicago Blackhawks are Stanley Cup Champions, clinching the title in dramatic fashion in a sixth game on the road.
Patrick Kane was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy. After scoring the Cup clinching goal in 2010, Kane added to his legacy with 19 points in 23 postseason games. He scored three goals in the finals, and his remarkable speed and skill proved to be a nightmare for Zdeno Chara in the series.
Corey Crawford was of course deserving of recognition as well. The netminder stopped 23 of the 25 shots he faced in Game 6 and he finished the playoffs with an excellent .932 save percentage and 1.84 goals-against average. The netminder struggled in some moments in these playoffs, but he was Chicago’s rock through four grueling series. It was his brilliance that kept the Bruins from opening a big lead in Game 6, and he was arguably the Hawks’ most valuable player as they won their 16th game of the summer.
For Boston, this will be remembered as a collapse of epic proportions. The pain it will inflict upon the city may not be fully measured for decades. It will leave a bitter sting in the hearts of the players, the coaches and, perhaps most of all, the fans.
But in Chicago and around the hockey world, it will shine as a moment of greatness. A spectacular drama, it was tragic for one side and glorious for the other. It is only a shame that we will not be treated to a seventh game between these two great competitors. In a series that required so much sacrifice, endurance and will, a true and worthy champion emerged.
So for the Bruins what remains of the summer will seem endless, and the nightmares will haunt them to the ends of the earth. The victors on the other hand will now enjoy a celebration unlike any other as they have engraved their names on the greatest trophy in all of sport.
