Chicagos Cup by Kelley Ellert

SPECIAL COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE

CHICAGO’S

CUP

The Blackhawks are 2013 Stanley Cup Champs 1

www.rylinmedia.com Chairman of the Board: Editor-in-Chief: Chief Designer: Senior Writer: Research Director: Operations Director: Senior Consultant: Executive Assistant: Librarian: Web Master: Photo Editor: Photos Provided By: Research Assistant: Editorial Assistant:

Dr. Roger Herrin Tom Zenner Kelley Ellert Brad Botkin Cory Williams Ryan Saran Jason Pritchett Cathy Ehrhardt Beatrice Saran Maria LeMairie Lindsay Saran, Brent Herrin AP Images DW Cox Avana Dash

National Advertising Sale Manager Ed Bowen Bowen Group Media Sales, Inc. Ed@BowenGroup.Biz (678) 795-9411 To purchase additional copies go to www.rylinmedia.com

074470 263487 ISSUE 22 All rights reserved. Except for use in a review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including: xerography, photocopying and recording, and in any information storage and retrieval system, is forbidden without written permission. This book is available in quantity at special discounts for your group or organization. For further information, contact the publisher. Printed in the United States

Rylin Media, LLC www.rylinmedia.com

Find us on Facebook at Rylin Media

CONTENTS History on the Horizon: 2013 Season Preview...............................8 Making History from Start to Finish................................................16 Western Conference Quarterfinals: Chicago vs Minnesota......... 66 Western Conference Semi Finals: Chicago vs Detroit..................78 Western Conference Finals: Chicago vs LA Kings....................... 94 2013 Stanley Cup Final: Chicago vs Boston................................ 116

FOREWORD The Chicago Blackhawks did some flat-out amazing things in 2013. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s start with their record breaking start, when they blew out of the gates in such dominating fashion it seemed like a court order would be the only thing that could stop them from winning games and attaining points to begin the season. In fact, it would be 25 games before another team figured out how to defeat them in regulation. Their incredible play at the beginning of the year was just a preview of what was to come, as they not only attained the best record in the NHL, but they ended the season the envy of the NHL, drinking champagne out of a 35 pound silver trophy shaped like a giant cup. For a team that accomplished so much and entertained so many, one of the most memorable qualities of this incredible collection of hockey players is the fact they never seemed to be fazed. Were they a team of destiny? Maybe. Was their roster overwhelmingly stocked with better and more talented players? Probably not. Was there a collective belief every man in the locker room shared that no challenge they would face was insurmountable? Absolutely. For six months, the Blackhawks showed that heart and soul are the key ingredients of a champion. They inspired and dazzled their loyal legion of long-time fans, and picked up millions of new ones along the way, and at the end of the road, for the second time in four years, the Second City is second to no one when it comes to being the home of the best team in hockey.

Tom Zenner @tomzenner Editor in Chief Rylin Media

HISTORY ON

THE HORIZON Chicago Blackhawks 2013 Season Preview

The Quest For the Cup Begins

he Chicago Blackhawks’ 2010 Stanley Cup trophy seems like a long time ago. You’d be forgiven for thinking hockey fans in Chicago would rest on their championship laurels following the franchise’s first Cup since 1961, but give fans a taste of glory and they will want more, especially once you consider the young talent on the roster. In 2011, the Blackhawks suffered from a classic case of championship hangover, losing stars like Dustin Byfuglien and Brent Soppel in salary cap moves. They fell to the eventual Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks in a seven-game, firstround series. So perhaps they get a pass for that early exit? Can’t win them all. But then the loaded Blackhawks proceeded to go out in the first round a year later after a so-so regular season, succumbing to the Phoenix Coyotes in six games. This disappointing result chipped away at the remaining Stanley Cup afterglow in Chicago with many even calling for coach Joel Quenneville’s job a mere two seasons after he helped to end a torturous 49-year drought. An ugly lockout hogged all the attention from what was supposed to be the start of the 2012-13 season. The third such labor dispute in commissioner Gary Bettman’s tenure, the lockout lasted from midSeptember to the first week of January, drawing the rightful ire of all hockey fans and cancelling more than 40 percent of the league’s scheduled games. When it finally came to an end on Jan. 6, Chicago fans could turn their attention back to their disappointing, yet very talented Blackhawks. One thing was guaranteed: A first-round defeat in 2013 would not be acceptable. A young team stacked with depth at every position, the ‘Hawks were poised to take advantage of the amended 48-game schedule devoid of interconference play. As usual, they were loaded with scorers. Stars Jonathan Toews (whose previous season was shortened by an injury) and Patrick Kane would ensure plenty of goals, helped by a collection of prolific pros like Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp and Viktor Stalberg. Don’t mistake this team as one that boasts a flashy array of offensive firepower. With Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, Chicago boasted one of the best blue-line tandems in the NHL. Niklas Hjalmarsson and Johnny Oduya were key parts of a deep bench, 10

CHAMPS STATS 2012 Leaders

Marian Hossa - 29 goals, 48 assists, 77 points Patrick Sharp - 33 goals, 36 assists, 69 points Patrick Kane - 23 goals, 43 assists, 66 points Corey Crawford - 57 games, 2.72 goals against average, 30 wins, 17 losses Ray Emery - 34 games, 2.81 goals against average, 15 wins, 9 losses 11

letting the Blackhawks attack opponents with wave after wave of snipers on the wings and tough defenseman at the blue line. On the negative side, questions about a surprisingly futile power play plagued the Blackhawks. How could a roster as loaded as this one rank near the bottom of the NHL in the man-advantage? Anyone in hockey knows power play success can be a fickle beast, but a team with Kane, Toews and Hossa should perform 12

much better on special teams. Would an increased emphasis result in more production in 2013? Another prominent question: Who would be the No. 1 goalie? Corey Crawford struggled some against the Coyotes in the 2012 playoffs, opening the door for a netminder debate in Chicago. The alternative was Ray Emery, a quality veteran goalie with stints in Anaheim, Philadelphia and Ottawa on his resume. In the previous season he notched

a 15-9-4 record with a 2.81 goals against average, so Crawford would have to be on his game to keep his starting job. For a team with Cup aspirations, finding an unquestioned starter in net would be absolutely essential, though picking between two competent goalies is not the worst problem to have. Thanks to the lockout, training camp only lasted a couple of weeks and the entire preseason slate was wiped out, leaving little time for story lines,

controversies and fan consternation to spiral out of control. Fans in Canada and the United States were merely glad to have their sport back even if the start of the season might get off on a shaky foot. In Chicago, getting their pucks back did not suffice. They knew they had the talent to make a deep run in the postseason. Anything less and the grace period from 2010â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s glorious run could vanish completely. 13

“We know expectations to win are high and getting back to being a champion is the ultimate goal. We’re all looking forward to winning and we all know the ramifications if we don’t. We welcome that challenge and let’s go.”

- Head Coach Joel Quenneville (On expectations for the season.)

CHAMPS FACTS

• Due to the NHL Lockout, the NHL season was shortened to a 99-day schedule. • The regular season schedule included 48 conference games and no inter-conference play.

• The NHL Lockout lasted 119 days. • The Blackhawks were coming off their second consecutive season of being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

• There were no preseason games due to the NHL lockout. • As part of their effort to help fans forget about the lockout, the Chicago Blackhawks

initiated a “Fan Salute” program in which they gave away 1,000 autographed jerseys throughout the season and also awarded fans with other signed team gear and perks.

Champs Chat “I’m excited to play hockey again, although it’s bittersweet because a lot of damage was done to our game. As players we need to keep showing our fans we care. We might have a long road ahead of us there, but for now it’s great to know we’ll be back on the ice very soon.”

- Blackhawks Captain Jonathan Toews (On the lockout being over.)

“I think we underachieved last year. When that’s the case, you don’t want to overreact personnel-wise, I don’t think we’re far off, but when you don’t reach your goal, you’re not pleased with it.”

- Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman

(On the team staying essentially the same as the one that lost in the first round of the 2012 playoffs.)

“I feel like I have something to prove. I’m 24 years old and probably haven’t reached my peak, which in my sixth year in the League people probably expected that to come already. I guess I want to prove to people I can be up there in the upper echelon of players. I know some may view me there already, but I feel there is more to give.

- Blackhawks Patrick Kane (On the upcoming season.)

2013 CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

MAKING

HISTORY FROM START TO FINISH

Unbeaten in regulation for the first 24 games of the season. Stanley Cup Champions

2013 Record 36-7-5 2013 Presidents Trophy Winner 17

he Blackhawks answered every question and erased nearly every doubt about their contender status with the best start to a season in NHL history. They won their first six games outright and wound up earning at least one point in 24 straight, a league record. The blazing fast and historic start engulfed Chicago in Stanley Cup fever. For years Blackhawks fans had believed this team was special and the guys on the ice proved them right. The campaign began with a

“We’re pretty much cheering and almost laughing on the bench. It’s just fun right now.”

- Jonathan Toews

(On winning pretty much every game.)

RECORD SETTING POINTS STREAK

CHAMPS STATS 24 Game Record Setting Start Offense 75 goals 3.13 goals per game

Patrick Kane - 12 goals, 15 assists, 27 points Jonathan Toews - 11 goals, 22 points Marian Hossa - 10 goals, 18 points

Goaltending

1.79 goals allowed per game

Corey Crawford - 11 wins, 2 shutouts Ray Emery - 10 wins RECORD SETTING POINTS STREAK

“At the end of the day when you have a chance to sit down and analyze what’s going on, we haven’t done that in here, but looking at our road record, that is very impressive. It speaks a lot to the preparation of our coaches and players that put into every game.”

- Patrick Sharp

(Following 3-0 win over the Blues on 2-28-13 and the Blackhawks 20th straight game without a loss in regulation.)

great opportunity to measure the squad against the defending champion Kings in Los Angeles the day Southern California raised its first Stanley Cup banner. The Blackhawks, with visions of raising their own banner in six months, showed they were up for the task by soundly beating the Kings. And it was only 20

RECORD SETTING POINTS STREAK

the beginning. The Blackhawks trumped their heated rival Detroit Red Wings in overtime to improve to 6-0, the best start in the franchise’s 85-year history. The 197172 team, in Hall of Famer Bobby Hull’s last season, started 5-0. This would not be the last team record

Champs Chat “I think we expect to win hockey games, we have a good team. There’s no special handshake we do in the room here. There’s no rah, rah, rah, anything like that. It’s hockey.”

- Duncan Keith

(On the Blackhawks expectation to win every game.)

RECORD SETTING POINTS STREAK

to fall by the wayside in 2013. They lost their next game to the Minnesota Wild in a shootout, ending their winning streak but keeping their run of earning at least a point in each game intact. The Vancouver Canucks handed Chicago a second straight shootout defeat on the first day of February, but any concerns that the Blackhawks were coming back down to Earth were soon dissolved. From that night on, the Blackhawks steamrolled through the league without mercy. The next night, on Feb. 2, the Blackhawks found some success in a shootout by topping the Calgary Flames. While Corey Crawford had started the majority of Chicagoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contests, backup goalie Ray Emery took advantage of his opportunity to stonewall the Flames at nearly every turn. He stopped 45 shots, and while not quite challenging Crawford as the No. 1, his strong outing had people wondering who truly was Chicagoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best goalie. A win over the Kings on February 17 matched the 1984-85 Edmonton Oilers for the secondlongest points streak to open a season at 15. Emery shined again, earning his fifth win in five starts in place of an injured 22

RECORD SETTING POINTS STREAK

CHAMPS FACTS

• The Blackhawks opened the season against the defending Stanley Cup Champion

Los Angeles Kings and had to watch as the championship banner was raised before the game.

• The Blackhawks started the season with a 24-game point streak, before finally dropping their first regulation game to the Colorado Avalanche.

• The 24-game point streak to begin the season set an NHL record. • Chicago began the season with 21 wins and 3 shootout losses. • By the time the Blackhawks had lost their first regulation game, they already held a 10-point lead in the Western Conference over the Anaheim Ducks.

• The Blackhawks first regulation loss of the season game in their 3rd game in four nights. 24

RECORD SETTING POINTS STREAK

Crawford. The Blackhawks matched the points streak record of 16 set by the 2006-07 Anaheim Ducks (who won the Cup that season) two days later with a dramatic victory over the Canucks thanks to shootout goals from Patrick Kane and Andrew Shaw. Marian Hossa did his part in regulation with two goals to support the red-hot Emery, who improved to 6-0 for the year. In front of their hometown fans at the new Madhouse on Madison on February 22, they topped the San Jose Sharks and set the standard for the greatest start to a season in the annals of the NHL. Rookie Brandon Saadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s short-handed goal in the third period stood up as the winner, backing up another stellar outing from Emery. The points streak had now reached 17, and the team was already entrenched in the record books, but they did not let up. Not at all. The Columbus Blue Jackets were the next victims and Chicago found itself atop the standings with an amazing 15-0-3 record. Crawford returned for his first start in nearly two weeks and disRECORD SETTING POINTS STREAK

“It’s a little different. I don’t mind the new realignment that the NHL decided to go with, but the one thing that does [stink] is not playing the Red Wings a number of times. I think the fans will always appreciate the rivalry, and when we do see them it will be a special game, but I like going to Detroit and playing in their building and I like it when they come in here. They’re fun games to play.”

- Patrick Sharp

(On the April 12th final division rival game against the Red Wings.)

played not a hint of rust as he notched his second shutout of the season. A thrilling overtime win over the Oilers upped the steak to 19, and perhaps had many wondering if the Blackhawks were even capable of losing. Certainly Emery seemed invincible as he improved to a perfect 8-0 in eight starts. As the pressure of the streak rose to unfath26

RECORD SETTING POINTS STREAK

omable heights, the team did not fold. In fact, they thrived. The points streak reached 20 in a dispatching of the St. Louis Blues that was also their seventh straight win. Jonathan Toews scored twice while Crawford and Emery combined for the shutout. Crawford was pulled in the first period with an upper body injury and Emery finished the job. They survived in overtime

Champs Chat “I talked to them after the game that they should be very proud of what they accomplished. They found different ways to win, night in and night out, and everyone contributed to something that hadn’t been done. It’s a great feather in our cap, but let’s move forward here and try to get better. Certainly it was a lot of fun up to today.”

- Joel Quenneville

(On the 24-game unbeaten streak coming to an end with the 6-2 loss to the Avalanche.)

RECORD SETTING POINTS STREAK

against the Blue Jackets, thanks to a score from Brent Seabrook for No. 21, as the season seeped into March with the regulation loss column still blank. At this point, Chicago’s last regulation loss was little less than a year before on March 25, 2012. A come-frombehind shootout victory over the Red Wings followed, the ‘Hawks 28th consecutive overall game with a least one point, matching the 1977-78 Montreal Canadiens for second best in history. Crawford returned to guard the net against Chicago’s big rival up north, making 32 saves as Patrick Kane did the work on the offensive end with a goals in regulation and in the shootout. Chicago won its 10th straight on March 5th, notching yet another franchise record. The next day, weary and short-handed due to injuries, they rallied to beat the Colorado Avalanche and extended their 2013 record points streak to 24. Toews tied up the game, and Daniel Carcillo broke the stalemate with 49 seconds left to provide Blackhawks fans another memorable moment to an already magical season.

“A lot of people might think that we’re pulling that game out of you know where, but really we’re working for it. There’s no special equation or whatever. There’s no magic. It’s just work ethic and the depth of our team kicking in.”

- Jonathan Toews

(On the 24-game unbeaten in regulation streak and 11game win streak.)

RECORD SETTING POINTS STREAK

CHAMPS FACTS • The previous record to start the season without a regulation loss was the Anaheim Ducks 15-game streak set in the 2006-2007 season.

• Chicago earned 45 out of a possible 48 points to begin the season. • The 24-game run was the third longest points streak in NHL history behind the 1979- 80 Philadelphia Flyers (35 games) and 1977-78 Montreal Canadiens (28 games).

• The Blackhawks had 13 different game-winning goal scorers during the streak. • Patrick Kane tallied at least a point in 19 of the teams first 24 games. • The Blackhawks had comeback wins in the 14 of the 24 games. • The Blackhawks unbeaten in regulation streak was actually 30-games counting the final 6-games of the 2011-12 season.

• Chicago finished the first half of the season with a record of 21-0-3. RECORD SETTING POINTS STREAK

Sadly, the magic had to run out sooner or later. The thrilling and captivating streak ended when the Blackhawks suffered a 6-2 defeat to the Avs in Denver on March 8th. Crawford had a rare off night, yielding five goals on 19 shots before being pulled in the third period. They wound up five games shy of the all-time 30

overall points streak of 35 set by the 1979-80 Philadelphia Flyers. As the bright spotlight started to wane, and with the season already half over, the Blackhawks returned to a sense of normalcy. First they needed some rest, which a sloppy 6-5

CHAMPS STATS 2013 Season Stats Offense

Patrick Kane - 23 goals, 32 assists, 55 points Jonathan Toews - 23 goals, 25 assists, 48 points Marian Hossa - 17 goals, 14 assists, 31 points Duncan Keith - 3 goals, 24 assists, 27 points Brandon Saad - 10 goals, 17 assists, 27 points

Goaltending

Corey Crawford - 30 games, 19 wins, 5 losses, 1.94 goals against average. Ray Emery - 21 games, 17 wins, 1 loss, 1.94 goals against average

NHL Team Rankings Goals per game - 2nd Goals against - 1st Penalty kill - 3rd

loss to the Oilers two days after the streak ended made abundantly clear. Following two months of wins, points and national adulation, Chicago had lost two in a row after playing seven games in 11 days. Over the course of any season, even the best of teams will find some valleys. For most clubs, two losses in a row wouldn’t register at all, but these Blackhawks weren’t your average club. Had the streak taken too much out them? Were they about to come tumbling down after the enormous highs of their record romp through the schedule? The unmistakable answer: no way. Chicago reeled off three straight wins, the last coming against the Avalanche in a night that saw Emery’s record improve to a perfect 110-0. Terrific for any goalie and particularly astounding for a backup. Two days later the Blackhawks faced a test against the second best team in the NHL – the Ducks. Despite the Blackhawks’ scorching start and collections of streaks, the Ducks were right behind them in the overall standings. Chicago seemed destined for a nice road win in rowdy Anaheim until the Ducks stormed back 32

with three goals in the final six minutes of the third period. It was the Blackhawks’ second loss to the Ducks, who only trailed Chicago by three points for the President’s Trophy. On the bright side, the Blackhawks could not afford to dip into complacency even if they wanted to do so. The Ducks were on their heels and losing the top seed in the West was unfathomable and unacceptable. Yet when you’re on the top, everyone comes after you. Even the champs. The Kings stole a wild one from the Blackhawks at the United Center, finding the back of the net in the final moments of the second and third periods. Marian Hossa’s absence for the games against the Ducks and Kings certainly didn’t help matters. Losing did not become a habit. They returned to the win column against the Flames as Emery improved to 12-0-0 while recording his first shutout in three years. Then those pesky Ducks struck again, capping a season sweep of the league’s best team and handing Emery his first defeat in net. Emery never quite challenged Crawford for the No. 1 spot despite coach Joel Quenneville’s coy public comments on the matter, but his numbers stacked up nicely. He ended the regular season 17-1-0, and his 1.94 goals against average was identical to Crawford’s. Consider those pre34

season questions about the Blackhawks’ goalie situation settled. Crawford and Emery finished in a tie for second place in league-wide GAA. They won the William Jennings Trophy, awarded to the goalie(s) with the fewest goals allowed at 102 in 48 games. To the chagrin of their opponents, the loaded Blackhawks had stellar goaltending to back up the best offensive attack in the Western conference. Speaking of that offense, it did not disappoint. Kane and Toews ended up with 23 goals apiece, good for fifth in the NHL. Kane compiled 55 points totals, also fifth in the league. Toews wasn’t far behind with 48. Kane, for his part, led the ‘Hawks in goals, points and assists. The elite pair made a strong case for the Hart Trophy, also known as hockey’s MVP award, but did not finish among the finalists. Don’t mistake these Blackhawks as topheavy. The veteran Hossa contributed 17 points and was top ten in plus/minus along with the celebrated Toews. Others like Saad, Shaw, Viktor Stalberg and Bryan Bickell chipped in with timely scoring in the front lines. Patrick Sharp, the 2011 All-Star Game MVP and an underrated forward, missed significant time to what is be36

lieved to have been a shoulder injury. In limited opportunities, he still racked up 20 points. He returned from a 14game absence in April, just in time for the final stretch and he proved to be a reliable contributor. Not to be outdone, defenseman Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith were one of the more productive blue line duos with 47 combined points. Keith won the Norris Trophy in 2010 and his name was in the mix this season, along with Seabrook. While Niklas Hjalmarsson did not receive as much attention, he boosted his reputation as one of the best defensive defenseman in the league. As for that mediocre power play of 2011-12, it improved, but not by much. Chicago converted 16.6 percent of its power plays, placing it in the middle of the pack. However, the Blackhawks had the No. 1 penalty kill percentage at a magnificent 93.3% rate. Behind all the talent and hype, Quenneville kept his players focused on the day-to-day hard work that championships demand. During a nine-game losing streak late in the 2012 season Chicago owner Rocky Wirtz met with GM Stan 39

Bowman to discuss the coach’s job status. More than a year later, Quenneville had the team poised to win their second Stanley Cup of the decade. Known for being tough but fair with his players, Quenneville jumped from shaky ground to widespread consideration as a coach of the year candidate, drawing the 40

best out of his goaltending tandem and utilizing Chicago’s superb depth with a deft touch. Great scoring, a championship-level coach, solid defense, splendid goaltending and an impenetrable penalty kill … no wonder the Blackhawks kept winning. And winning. And winning.

They saved some of their best hockey for the homestretch. Chicago became the first team to lock up a playoff berth with a defeat of the Nashville Predators. Accustomed to fighting tooth and nail for playoff spots in previous years, clinching so early was a welcome change to those on Madison Street. Next target: the Central Division title. They secured this crown against the Red Wings on April 12 and finished the season 16-1-1 inside the division. The last time they won the division was the 2010 Stanley Cup title season. Did you expect the Blackhawks to be satisfied with a playoff spot and a Central title? No chance. They wanted the President’s Trophy, not so much for the hardware but for the perk of home ice advantage throughout the playoffs that comes with it. On tax day, the ‘Hawks charged toward their 70th point, leaving the Ducks well behind in the hunt for the best record in the West and owning the advantage over the Penguins for the No. 1 overall position. The top seed in the West came in the next game when Hossa scored in overtime against the Nashville Predators to stretch Chicago’s win streak to seven. Obviously, this group was inclined towards wins in bunches. 42

The streak ended at seven in a shootout loss to the Phoenix Coyotes, but their eyes were still on the prize. The Penguins were lurking within shooting distance, but the ‘Hawks had the inside track and did not falter. Against the Oilers they ended the race once

and for all. An easy 4-1 win in Edmonton secured the franchise’s first President’s Trophy since 1991, guaranteeing the road to the Stanley Cup would go through Madison Street and a crazed United Center crowd with “Chelsea Dagger” blaring after each home town goal. Not a pretty thought for the Ducks, 45

Sharks and Red Wings in the West, or the Penguins, Bruins and company in the East. The regular season came to a close in a loss to the St. Louis Blues, where the Blackhawks rested most of their regulars to prepare for the long grind of the playoffs. They rolled through the first half of 46

the season with a 21-0-3 record. They ended the season 11-2-2 in their final 15 games, stocked with momentum and overflowing with quiet confidence. This was not a squad losing steam. This was a squad gearing up for nothing less than a championship. Could anyone stop them? If the regular season

Champs Chat “A great effort all-around by the team. A game that we probably needed, since we’ve been in so many close games, to get some guys some confidence scoring some goals. It was good to see a lot of guys step up.”

- Patrick Kane

(On the 8-1 win over Stars on 3/16/13.)

CHAMPS FACTS • The April 12th meeting between the Blackhawks and Red Wings was the 725th between the two teams and final game as division rivals, with the Red Wings moving to the Eastern Conference next season.

• Ray Emery became the first NHL goalie to begin the season with 12 straight wins. • Prior to their game on April 19th, the Blackhawks honored longtime broadcaster

Pat Foley for his 30 seasons with the team. Foley was presented with a platinum microphone and commemorative painting.

Champs Chat “It was weird after [losing] the first one, now we’ve got to be careful not to get too down on ourselves, especially after the start we’ve had. We did something really special and no one can ever take that away from you. We were very happy with the start to the season. [We’ve] just got to regroup and get back to that mentality of not wanting to lose.”

- Patrick Kane

(Following 6-5 loss to the Oilers on 3/10/13 giving Chicago their second straight loss after going 24 consecutive games without a regulation loss.) 52

CHAMPS FACTS

• The United Center crowd of 22,272 for the April 20th game against the Phoenix Coyotes was the Blackhawks largest of the season.

• The Blackhawks and New York Rangers tied for the fewest penalty minutes in the league.

• Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews each took 11 shootout attempts during the season. Kane converted six times, Toews converted five times.

• The Blackhawks registered the highest average attendance in the NHL at their home games with an average of 21,775.

Champs Chat

“It goes without saying the difference those two guys make for us, but the reality is we have to find a way to play without them. This goes to show we’ve got a lot of skill on this team, a lot of guys that can step up and put pucks on net and make things happen.”

- Jonathan Toews

(On scoring the 7-1 victory over the Red Wings on 3/31/13 despite playing without Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa.)

Champs Chat “You look at how close you are to the finish line and you come up with nothing. It’s almost hard to imagine that we come up with no wins and only one point [against Anaheim]. It’s a disappointment in ways, but hopefully there are lessons there because when games are on the line, tight games, that’s when we gotta be our best.”

- Joel Quenneville

(On the Blackhawks struggles against Anaheim this season following their 2-1 loss to the Ducks on 3/29/13.)

Champs Chat “It’s an area that we know we can work on. There are areas in our game that we can just keep getting better at, but the power play sticks out because it’s specialty teams and they’re important in playoffs as we go along. At the end of the day, though, winning hockey games comes down to out-battling [teams] and winning one-on-one battles during 5-on-5. All year long we’ve done a good job at that and the penalty kill’s been great. It’s been our staple and gotten us to where we are.”

Duncan Keith

(On the Blackhawks improving their power-play throughout the season.) 61

Champs Chat “It’s nice. We’ve been winning a lot of games here. I thought we had a great finish to the season the last 15 games to get hot before the playoffs. We’ve got a lot of players that want to play and a lot of depth on the team. That’s huge when the playoffs come around.”

-Patrick Kane

(On the Blackhawks finish to the regular season.)

2013 REGULAR SEASON RESULTS JANUARY Jan 19 Los Angeles Kings

@ Los Angeles

5-2

Jan 20

Phoenix Coyotes

@ Phoenix

6-4

Jan 22

St. Louis Blues

vs St. Louis

3-2

Jan 24

Dallas Stars

@ Dallas

3-2

Jan 26 Columbus Blue Jackets

@ Columbus

3-2

Jan 27

Detroit Red Wings

vs Detroit

2-1

Jan 30

Minnesota Wild

@ Minnesota

OTL 2 - 3

Feb 1

Vancouver Canucks

@ Vancouver

OTL 1 - 2

Feb 2

Calgary Flames

@ Calgary

W 3-2

Feb 5

San Jose Sharks

@ San Jose

W 5-3

Feb 7

Phoenix Coyotes

@ Phoenix

W 6-2

D R O G C N I E K R REA T

FEBRUARY

R A T

Feb 10 Nashville Predators

@ Nashville

Feb 12 Anaheim Ducks

vs Anaheim

OTL 2 - 3

Feb 15 San Jose Sharks

vs San Jose

4-1

Feb 17 Los Angeles Kings

vs Los Angeles

3-2

Feb 19 Vancouver Canucks

4-3

Feb 22 San Jose Sharks

vs San Jose

2-1

Feb 24 Columbus Blue Jackets

vs Columbus

1-0

Feb 25 Edmonton Oilers

vs Edmonton

3-2

Feb 28 St. Louis Blues

@ St. Louis

3-0

Mar 1

Columbus Blue Jackets

vs Columbus

4-3

Mar 3

vs Vancouver

Detroit Red Wings

@ Detroit

2-1

Mar 5

Minnesota Wild

vs Minnesota

5-3

Mar 6

Colorado Avalanche

vs Colorado

3-2

MARCH

3-0

Mar 8

Colorado Avalanche

@ Colorado

2-6

Mar 10 Edmonton Oilers

vs Edmonton

5-6

Mar 14 Columbus Blue Jackets

@ Columbus

2-1

Mar 16 Dallas Stars

@ Dallas

8-1

Mar 18 Colorado Avalanche

@ Colorado

5-2

Mar 20 Anaheim Ducks

@ Anaheim

2-4

Mar 25 Los Angeles Kings

vs Los Angeles

4-5

Mar 26 Calgary Flames

vs Calgary

W 2-0

Mar 29 Anaheim Ducks

vs Anaheim

Mar 31 Detroit Red Wings

@ Detroit

W 7-1

1-2

APRIL Apr 1

Nashville Predators

vs Nashville

W 3-2

Apr 4

St. Louis Blues

vs St. Louis

OTL 3 - 4

Apr 6

Nashville Predators

@ Nashville

1-0

Apr 7

Nashville Predators

vs Nashville

5-3

Apr 9

Minnesota Wild

@ Minnesota

1-0

Apr 12

Detroit Red Wings

vs Detroit

3-2

Apr 14 St. Louis Blues

@ St. Louis

2-0

Apr 15 Dallas Stars

vs Dallas

5-2

Apr 19 Nashville Predators

vs Nashville

5-4

Apr 20 Phoenix Coyotes

vs Phoenix

OTL 2 - 3

Apr 22 Vancouver Canucks

@ Vancouver

1-3

Apr 24 Edmonton Oilers

@ Edmonton

4-1

Apr 26 Calgary Flames

vs Calgary

3-1

Apr 27 St. Louis Blues

@ St. Louis

1-3

OVERALL RECORD: 36-7-5 65

2013 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

WESTERN CONFERENCE

QUARTERFINALS

CHICAGO vs MINNESOTA

Game 1

Blackhawks: 2 (OT) Wild: 1

Game 2

Blackhawks: 5 Wild: 2

Game 3

Blackhawks: 2 (OT) Wild: 3

Game 4

Blackhawks: 3 Wild: 0

Game 5

Blackhawks: 5 Wild: 1

Game 1 vs Minnesota Wild After a record-breaking start to the season and their first Presidents’ Trophy since 1991, the Blackhawks began their quest for a second Stanley Cup title in the last four years with the loftiest of expectations. And with Chicago having been bounced in the first round in each of the previous two seasons, it was even more important to get off to a good start against the Wild. With a 2-1 victory at the United Center, Chicago was able to do just that. But it certainly wasn’t easy. After going down 1-0 in the first period, the Blackhawks finally evened the score with the second period

winding down when Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith assisted Martin Hossa for a power play goal to regain some much-needed momentum going into the second intermission. Neither team, however, could break through in the third period, with both defenses stiffening up down the stretch to send the game into overtime. Finally, the United Center crowd was able to exhale and erupt simultaneously, when Bryan Bickel scored on a 2-on-1 rush at the 16:35 mark of OT to give the Blackhawks the victory and a 1-0 series lead.

CHAMPS FACTS • The Blackhawks went to overtime for the 8th time in their past 9 playoff games dating back to the 2011 post season.

• Patrick Kane debuted his new playoff mullet haircut for the postseason in this game. • The Wild and Blackhawks were two of the top teams in one goal games during the regular season.

• Bryan Bickell recorded his 5th playoff goal in his past 14 playoff games over the last 3 seasons.

April 30, 2013 Minnesota: 1 Chicago: 2

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We just needed to stay patient, we were getting our opportunities. Not odd-man rushes like they were, but we got the one, and to capitalize on it is huge. With our speed, through the whole season a lot of teams were trying to shut us down and let us get frustrated.â&#x20AC;?

- Bryan Bickell (On the overtime win.)

CHAMPS STATS Bryan Bickell - 1 goal Marian Hossa - 1 goal Corey Crawford - 26 saves, 1 goal against

Game 2 vs Minnesota Wild Perhaps with some of the playoff jitters gone, Chicago played the way most expected it would in these playoffs, picking each other up for sixty minutes and never letting off the gas. Corey Crawford was great in net with 26 saves, and Patrick Kane notched a pair of assists, but the headliners were Michael Frolik and Patrick Sharp, each of whom netted a pair of goals as Chicago blistered Minnesota goalie Josh Harding with shot after shot all night long. The Blackhawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead but had that advantage trimmed in half late in the second

period when Devin Setoguchi sent a wrist shot into the net to put the Wild on the board. But the Blackhawks outshot Minnesota 17-6 in the third period and broke the game wide open. Sharp notched his first goal with a flip shot at close range, and then later in the period converted his second score off a perfect feed from Kane. Bryan Bickell added an empty netter, his second goal of the series, to seal Chicago’s 5-2 victory and extend its series lead 2-0.

CHAMPS FACTS

• Frolik’s short handed goal was the first for the Blackhawks in the playoffs since game 7 of the 2011 Western Conference quarterfinals.

• The short handed goal by the Blackhawks was the first allowed by the Wild all season. • The Blackhawks improved to 27-0-3 on the season with Patrick Sharp in the lineup. • Michael Frolik now has 6 goals in 13 career playoff games. • The Blackhawks outshot the Wild 48-28 in the game. 70

MAY 3, 2013 Minnesota: 2 Chicago: 5

“If we’re moving our feet, we’re playing our team game, the goals are going to come whenever they come, but if we’re playing Blackhawks hockey, we’ll be better off.”

- Patrick Sharp

(On the Game 2 victory.)

CHAMPS STATS Michael Frolik - 2 goals Patrick Sharp - 2 goals Bryan Bickell - 1 goal Corey Crawford - 26 saves, 2 goals against 71

Game 3 vs Minnesota Wild The series shifted to Minnesota for Game 3 and for the second time the contest between the two teams would have to be decided in overtime. But on this occasion the Blackhawks would not fair as well as they did in their earlier OT winner. Trailing 2-1 late in the third period, Chicago’s Duncan Keith took advantage of a slow line change by the Wild to score with 2:46 remaining in regulation and tie the game at 2. But the Wild shook off the Blackhawks’ stunning goal when Jason Zucker blindly sent a badangle shot past Corey Crawford, who had gone low to

protect the post against the wrap around, at 2:15 of the extra period to sink Chicago 3-2 and cut its series lead to 2-1. Crawford made 35 saves in a stellar performance, but Minnesota took the Blackhawks’ goalie top shelf all night, as all three of the Wild’s goals went high. Chicago got on the board first in the first period when Johnny Oduya blasted a shot into the back of the net with an assist from Patrick Kane. Kane also assisted on Keith’s third period goal to give him five in the series.

CHAMPS FACTS • The Wild outshot the Blackhawks 29-17 in regulation. • The Wild won their first home playoff game since April 11, 2008. • Minnesota outhit Chicago 34-13 in the game. • The Blackhawks have now gone into overtime for the 9th time in their past 11 playoff games, dating back to the 2011 post season.

• The game was Minnesota’s first home playoff game in 5 years. 72

MAY 5, 2013 Chicago: 2 Minnesota: 3

“I think we have to get easy goals if we want to be successful. There’s too much on the outside. We’ve got to get determined in that front area.”

- Head Coach Joel Quenneville

(On the Blackhawks plan for game 4.)

CHAMPS STATS Duncan Keith - 1 goal Johnny Oduya - 1 goal Patrick Kane - 2 assists Corey Crawford - 34 saves, 3 goals against

Game 4 vs Minnesota Wild After their disappointing Game 3 overtime loss, the Blackhawks came out strong in Game 4 thanks to another two-goal performance by Patrick Sharp and a stifling defensive effort to help secure Corey Crawford’s shutout. Sharp got things going for Chicago midway through the first period when he tipped in a rebounded shot off the stick of Michal Handzus to make it 1-0. Sharp then made it 2-0 late in the second period with an unassisted score, before Bryan Bickell added an insurance goal in the third to set the final count at 3-0. The win gave the Blackhawks a 3-1 series lead and

pushed the Wild to the brink of elimination. Crawford was impressive again between the pipes for Chicago. The veteran denied 25 shots to earn his second career postseason shutout. The victory was an especially exhaustive one for Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith, who had to return to Chicago during the Blackhawks’ off day to be at his wife’s side for the birth of their first child. Keith returned to Minnesota in time to play a teamhigh 23:57 in Game 4 without any sleep for almost two days.

CHAMPS FACTS • The morning of the game, Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith flew back to Chicago for the birth of his son, but returned to Minnesota in time to play the game.

• Despite arriving in Minnesota just before the game and not sleeping due to the birth of his son, Duncan Keith lead the Blackhawks in playing time in the game.

• Corey Crawford registered his second career playoff shutout. • Minnesota is the only playoff team not to register a power play goal this postseason. • The Wild are 0 for 15 in power play opportunities this postseason. • Due to injuries to their top two goalies, the Wild were forced to turn to their 3rd goaltender at the start of the 2nd period.

MAY 7, 2013 Chicago: 3 Minnesota: 0

“People want to make a big deal of the hits. That’s fine. We’ve won physical games before, and we’ve won games with our speed and playmaking ability. So whatever the type of game is out there, I feel confident in our guys.”

- Patrick Sharp

(On playing Blackhawk hockey.)

CHAMPS STATS Patrick Sharp - 2 goals Bryan Bickell - 1 goal Corey Crawford - 25 saves, Shutout

Game 5 vs Minnesota Wild Looking to buck the recent trend of early playoff exits for Presidents’ Trophy winners (three of the previous four were bounced in the first round), the Blackhawks pounded the Wild 5-1 in Game 5 to close the door on Round 1 and advance to the conference semifinals with a 4-1 series victory. Marian Hossa led Chicago’s onslaught with two goals and an assist in the lopsided win. Hossa notched his first goal early in the first period before the Blackhawks erupted for three more goals in the second to put the game out of reach. Marcus Kruger contributed an assist and his first goal of the

postseason, while Patrick Sharp notched a powerplay score in the third period for his fifth of the playoffs. Perhaps the highlight of the evening, aside from closing out the Wild, was when at one point the more than 21,000 fans in the United Center recognized goalie Corey Crawford’s outstanding play in the series by cheering and chanting his name. The win was extra special for head coach Joel Quenneville, who moved past Mike Keenan for second on the Blackhawks’ all-time playoff wins list with 34. There would be 12 more to come.

CHAMPS FACTS

• The Blackhawks are moving past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since their championship run in 2010.

• The Blackhawks won despite a recent trend where the team with the most regular season points had been eliminated in the first round in 3 of the last 4 seasons.

• Joel Quenneville moved ahead of Mike Keenan to take over second place on the playoff wins list with 34.

• Chicago outscored Minnesota 17-7 in the series. • The Blackhawks did not allow Minnesota a power-play goal in the series. • Patrick Sharp finished with 5 goals in the series. 76

MAY 9, 2013 Minnesota: 1 Chicago: 5

CHAMPS STATS Marian Hossa - 2 goals, 1 assist Marcus Kruger - 1 goal, 1 assist Patrick Sharp - 1 goal Corey Crawford - 21 saves, 1 goal against

“It’s not the regular season, there’s another appetite that we’ve got to get as well. I don’t think we should be happy where we’re at with our play. Let’s get angry as we go along here.”

- Head Coach Joel Quenneville (On the teams big picture goal.)

2013 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

WESTERN CONFERENCE

SEMI FINALS

CHICAGO vs DETROIT

Game 1

Red Wings: 1 Blackhawks: 4

Game 2 Red Wings: 4 Blackhawks: 1

Game 3

Blackhawks: 1 Red Wings: 3

Game 4

Blackhawks: 0 Red Wings: 2

Game 5

Red Wings: 1 Blackhawks: 4

Game 6

Blackhawks: 4 Red Wings: 2

Game 7

Red Wings: 1 Blackhawks: 2 (OT) 79

Game 1 vs Detroit Red Wings The Blackhawks’ Western Conference semifinals opener against the Red Wings was a tight affair until the third period, when Chicago produced three goals and held Detroit scoreless to secure Game 1, 4-1. With the Red Wings’ Gustav Nyquist in the penalty box for hooking, Marian Hossa came through with a power play goal in the first period to stake the Blackhawks to an early advantage. But Detroit answered right back when less than two minutes later rookie center Damien Brunner poked in a rebound for a goal. Neither team could break the 1-1 tie in the second

period, but Chicago unlocked the door in the third when Johnny Oduya, Marcus Kruger and Patrick Sharp each notched a goal. Sharp’s goal and two assists in the game pushed his postseason point total to nine. Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard withstood a heavy wave of pressure from the Blackhawks in periods one and two, but couldn’t hold off their strong attack in the third, as Chicago defeated Detroit for the eighth consecutive time dating back to last season.

CHAMPS FACTS • The Blackhawks defeated the Red Wings for the 8th straight time dating back to last season.

• The game marked the 75th all-time playoff game between the two teams. • This marked the 16th playoff series between the Red Wings and Blackhawks. • The Blackhawks are a perfect 20 for 20 on the penalty kill this postseason. • This was the 800th meeting between the Red Wings and Blackhawks. 80

MAY 15, 2013 Detroit: 1 Chicago: 4

“Much better from our prior series. I thought what we’re talking about in our team game was in place. Had some pace, had some speed, zone time, and I thought everybody contributed.”

CHAMPS STATS

- Head Coach Joel Quenneville (On the game 1 victory.)

Patrick Sharp - 1 goal, 2 assists Marian Hossa - 1 goal Johnny Oduya - 1 goal Corey Crawford - 20 saves, 1 goal against 81

Game 2 vs Detroit Red Wings The Blackhawks found out the hard way that the Red Wings came to play in their second-round series matchup, as Game 2 took a 180-degree turn from the series opener. This time it was Detroit shoving its way to a 4-1 victory, evening the series at 1. Patrick Kane gave Chicago a 1-0 lead late in the first period, but that would be the Blackhawks’ lone highlight of the afternoon. In the second period, Damien Brunner tied the game when he deflected a shot by Jakub Kindl, and Brendan Smith put the Red

Wings on top for good when he scored off a feed from Henrik Zetterberg on a 3-on-1. In the third period, Detroit’s Johan Franzen fired a shot past Corey Crawford that made it 3-1, and Valtteri Filppula closed out the scoring with 7:57 left in the game. That was more than enough support for Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard, who stopped 19 shots. The Blackhawks came into the game on a 9-0-2 run against the Red Wings, who beat Chicago for the first time in nine attempts.

CHAMPS FACTS • Patrick Kane’s first period goal was his first of the postseason. • The Red Wings have gone 0 for 7 on the power play through the first two games of the series.

• This was the first time this season Corey Crawford had allowed more than 2 goals in a game against the Red Wings.

• The Red Wings snapped an 8 game losing streak to the Blackhawks with the win. • The Blackhawks are the only team in the playoffs to have not allowed a power play goal this postseason.

MAY 18, 2013 Detroit: 4 Chicago: 1

“They kind of used our own style against us as far as holding onto the puck and keeping it away from us.”

- Patrick Kane

(On the game 2 loss to the Red Wings.)

CHAMPS STATS Patrick Kane - 1 goal Corey Crawford - 26 saves, 4 goals against

Game 3 vs Detroit Red Wings After losing home-ice advantage in Game 2, the Blackhawks travelled to Detroit in need of a Game 3 win to reclaim home ice and the series advantage, but unfortunately, it was not to be. After a scoreless first period, the Red Wings’ Gustav Nyquist and Drew Miller scored 31 seconds apart midway through the second period to put Chicago behind 2-0. Patrick Kane cut into the deficit with a breakaway goal 4:35 into the third period that pulled Chicago to within one. About a minute later, it looked as if the Blackhawks had tied the game when Viktor Stalberg found the back of the net, but the goal was

waved off because the officials ruled Brian Shaw was in the crease. Pavel Datsyuk then restored Detroit’s two-goal advantage in the third period when he ripped a shot under the crossbar that hit inside of the net and bounced back out in a hurry. The goal finished off the Blackhawks 3-1. It had been nearly two months since Chicago had lost consecutive games, and now the Presidents’ Cup Trophy winners found themselves trailing the seventh-seeded Red Wings 2-1 in the series.

CHAMPS FACTS • Jonathan Toews has failed to score in the Blackhawks last 9 playoff games. • The Blackhawks lost their second straight game for the first time in almost two months. • Detroit head coach Mike Babcock tied Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville for the most playoff wins for an active coach with his 77th postseason victory.

• The Blackhawks wrapped up their 8th straight playoff game without allowing a

power play goal, matching the 2001 St. Louis Blues for the longest streak since 1988.

• The Blackhawks suffered just their 9th regulation loss in 56 games this season. 84

MAY 20, 2013 Chicago: 1 Detroit: 3

“It takes something like this to slap you in the face, so to speak, to really understand what adversity is and how tough the playoffs can be. A lot of guys in this room have been in tough positions before in the playoffs and that’s never stopped us. We know this is a long series and we’re going to be fighting until the end.”

- Jonathan Toews

(On the game 3 loss to the Red Wings.)

CHAMPS STATS Patrick Kane - 1 goal Corey Crawford - 27 saves, 3 goals against 85

Game 4 vs Detroit Red Wings Trying to get back into the series and avoid being pushed to the brink of elimination, the Blackhawks could not solve Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard in Game 5 and were blanked 2-0. The loss was Chicago’s third straight in their Western Conference semifinal series (their first three-game slide of the season) and moved the top-seeded team to one defeat away from being sent home. Detroit scored its first goal of the game when Jakub Kindl sent a low shot past Corey Crawford for a powerplay score in the second period. The game stood at

1-0 until the final minute of regulation, when Daniel Cleary knocked in an empty netter for Detroit. Corey Crawford was impressive in net, stopping 25 shots and allowing the Red Wings just the secondperiod score. But his counterpart on the other end was just a little bit better. With the series now returning to Chicago, the Blackhawks, trailing 3-1, would have to rely on the home ice of the United Center to regain momentum and attempt the task of climbing out of a three-game hole. If not, they could start booking tee times.

CHAMPS FACTS • Chicago allowed their first power play goal of the playoffs.

• The Blackhawks were shutout for the first time this season. • Chicago is 1-12 on power plays in the series. 86

MAY 23, 2013 Chicago: 0 Detroit: 2

“Everyone’s a little [ticked] off, I thought we played well again. It just seems like we’re not getting bounces. I think we had three off the post and out, and they had one off the post and in. It just pretty much sums it up the last couple games for us.”

- Goalie Corey Crawford (On the Blackhawks struggles.)

CHAMPS STATS Corey Crawford - 25 saves, 1 goal against

Game 5 vs Detroit Red Wings With their season on the line, the Blackhawks returned home and found the remedy, at least for one game, for their recent power play struggles and delivered a Game 5 victory to remain alive. The teams were tied 1-1 in the second period before Chicago pulled off two power play goals in a span of less then three minutes. The first one belonged to Andrew Shaw, who had a perfect tip on Duncan Keith’s slap shot to make it 2-1. Then, when Detroit was down a man, Jonathan Toews broke through with his first goal of the playoffs. The Blackhawks’ captain

was mobbed by his teammates after he skated to the boards, and the United Center crowd of 22,014 roared in excitement. Bryan Bickell gave Chicago a commanding firstperiod lead with a goal, and Shaw added his second score of the game in the third to put the final at 4-1. With their backs against the wall, the Blackhawks got big efforts from their stars. Chicago’s top four forwards - Toews, Patrick Sharp, Marian Hossa and Patrick Kane - combined for 17 shots on net in the win.

CHAMPS FACTS • Jonathan Toews’ had his first playoff goal since April 21, 2012, at Phoenix, snapping a scoreless postseason drought of 10 games.

• Chicago Blackhawks Charities donated their portion of the Split the Pot money from Game 5 to the Oklahoma Strong Disaster Relief Fund to benefit the victims of the deadly tornadoes in Oklahoma.

• Chicago outshot the Red Wings 45-26 in the game. • The Blackhawks broke an 0-12 power play drought with Andrew Shaw’s second period goal.

MAY 25, 2013 Detroit: 1 Chicago: 4

“Tonight was the way we know we can play and the way we can skate. It was nice to see the power play get going. That was a big boost to our team tonight.”

- Blackhawks Duncan Keith (On the game 5 victory.)

CHAMPS STATS Andrew Shaw - 2 Goals Jonathan Toews - 1 goal Duncan Keith - 2 assists Corey Crawford - 25 saves, 1 goal against

Game 6 vs Detroit Red Wings If the Blackhawks were going to stay alive and force a Game 7 in Chicago, they’d have to put their two recent loses at the Joe Louis Arena out of their minds and come up with a plan to win Game 6 in Detroit. The plan the came up with and executed worked, as the Blackhawks scored three times in the first half of the third period and edged the Red Wings 4-3 to even their second-round series 3-3. After Corey Crawford allowed an uncharacteristic soft goal in the second period, Chicago fell behind 2-1. But Michal Handzus, Bryan Bickell and Michael Frolik, via a penalty shot, each produced a goal in

the third period to rally the Blackhawks to a seasonsaving victory. After losing three straight for the first time and trailing Detroit 3-1 in the series, Chicago, the team with the best record in the NHL this season, refused to exit the postseason quietly and stormed back to see a Game 7. In order to advance to the Western Conference finals, the Blackhawks would have to win a third-straight game while facing elimination. A near impossible task for most teams, but just another challenge for this once-in-a-generation Blackhawks squad.

CHAMPS FACTS • The Blackhawks are 5-0 when they score on the power play this postseason. • The Red Wings are 2-6 this postseason when they allow a power-play goal. • Michael Frolik became the first player in league history to score two goals on penalty shots in the playoffs.

• Joel Quenneville earned his 79th playoff win to pass Detroit Head Coach Mike Babcock for the most by an active coach.

MAY 27, 2013 Chicago: 4 Detroit: 2 “I just thought we played two Game 7s, so we’re looking forward to the real Game 7. We’ve put ourselves in a good spot and I’m excited about it.”

- Head Coach Joel Quenneville (on the upcoming game 7.)

CHAMPS STATS Bryan Bickell - 1 goal Marian Hossa - 1 goal, 1 assist Michael Frolik - 1 goal Michal Handzus - 1 goal Corey Crawford - 35 saves, 3 goals against

Game 7 vs Detroit Red Wings Rumors of the Blackhawks’ demise had been greatly exaggerated, as Chicago overcame a 3-1 series deficit to force a Game 7 at home, and then dramatically win the clincher in overtime, to eliminate the Red Wings and advance to the Western Conference finals. Tied at 1 in OT, Brent Seabrook ripped a shot from the high slot that bounced off Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall and past goalie Jimmy Howard to win the game. The sellout crowd of 22,103 exploded as Seabrook skated to the boards and was mobbed by his teammates. It appeared that the Blackhawks had scored the go-ahead goal with 1:49 left in regulation, when

defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson blasted a slap shot into the net. But matching roughing penalties away from the play negated the goal. Patrick Sharp’s seventh goal of the postseason put Chicago in front in the second period, but early in the third Henrik Zetterberg scored an easy one-timer for Detroit to tie the score. The victory capped the Blackhawks’ first-ever comeback from a 3-1 series deficit, and they became the 25th team in NHL history to accomplish the feat. If there were any doubts this was a team of destiny, this series emphatically eliminated them.

CHAMPS FACTS • The game was the third game 7 between the Blackhawks and Red Wings. • White Sox 1B Paul Konerko won his matchup with Cubs RHP Jeff Samardzija in shoot the puck after the second period.

• Brent Seabrook became the first defenseman in 12 years to score an overtime goal in a Game 7 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

• Chicago became the 25th team to win a series after trailing 3-1. • The Blackhawks came back from a 3-1 series deficit for the first time in franchise history.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;You go back to after Game 4, their approach and the belief in the room, and each other, was there. It was a strong season and we had to find a way. I think winning here in Game 5 got us excited again and got the momentum back.

- Head Coach Joel Quenneville

(On the game 7 win after being down 3-1 in the series.)

MAY 29, 2013 Detroit: 1 Chicago: 2

CHAMPS STATS Brent Seabrook - 1 goal Patrick Sharp - 1 goal Corey Crawford - 26 saves, 1 goal against 93

2013 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

WESTERN CONFERENCE

FINALS CHICAGO vs LA KINGS

Game 1

Kings: 1 Blackhawks: 2

Game 2

Kings: 2 Blackhawks: 4

Game

Blackhawks: 1 Kings: 3

Game 4

Blackhawks: 3 Kings: 2

Game 5

Kings: 3 Blackhawks: 4 (OT)

Game 1 vs Los Angeles Kings After using key goals to rally for their improbable comeback series victory against the Red Wings, the Blackhawks relied on goalie Corey Crawford in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals to defeat the Kings, the reigning Stanley Cup champions, and take a 1-0 series lead. Crawford recorded 21 saves and allowed just a first-period goal en route to Chicago’s 2-1 win. The Blackhawks had trailed 1-0 before Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa scored less than four minutes apart in

the second period to provide Chicago all the offense it would need. Sharp notched his eighth goal of the playoffs off a rebound from the slot at 12:29 to tie the game at 1. Hossa then scored his sixth of the postseason with a tip-in from the slot 3:53 later to give the Blackhawks a lead they would not relinquish. The Blackhawks, who won for the fourth straight time, improved to 6-0 in the postseason when leading after two periods - holding a 26-1-2 mark in such games during the regular season.

“All in all we can be happy with the 60 minutes we played, but we know it’s going to be tougher as the series goes on. Every series we’ve been a part of gets more physical and more difficult as it goes on.”

- Patrick Sharp

(On being happy with how the team played in game 1.)

JUNE 1, 2013 Los Angeles: 1 Chicago: 2

CHAMPS STATS Patrick Sharp - 1 goal Marian Hossa - 1 goal Corey Crawford - 21 saves, 1 goal against 97

CHAMPS FACTS • This is the second playoff series between the Kings and the Blackhawks. • There was no shoot the puck competition after the second period, part of an NHL mandate designed to preserve ideal ice conditions.

• Chicago is now 7-1 at home in the playoffs this season. • Marian Hossa has at least one-point in four straight games. • The Blackhawks outshot the Kings 17-2 in the first period but were down 1-0. 98

Champs Chat “It’s always great when you win the first game, especially back-to-back, to give you a little momentum. I felt like we did lots of good things today. We know we have to be better (Sunday) and keep doing those things.”

- Marian Hossa

(On getting the game 1 victory.)

“If Quick’s going to see it, he’s going to stop it. If we can get a slight tip on it, I think it changes his view. It was a nice tip by Hoss.”

- Bryan Bickell

(On trying to score on Kings goalie Jonathan Quick and the tip in goal by Marian Hossa.)

Game 2 vs Los Angeles Kings The Blackhawks came out in attack mode for Game 2, as they scored twice in the first period and two more times in the second to chase Kings standout goalie Jonathan Quick and cruise to a 4-2 victory and a 2-0 series lead. The Blackhawks got rolling with goals off clean shots from Andrew Shaw and Brent Seabrook in the first period to open a 2-0 lead. In the second, Bryan Bickell scored on a power play, and Michal Handzus beat Quick on a 2-on-1 to increase their advantage to 4-0. Kings head coach Darryl Sutter was forced to pull

Quick, the reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner, at the 9:20 mark of the second period. Quick had gone 34 consecutive games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs without allowing more than three goals and hadn’t been pulled from a playoff game since April 2010. Patrick Sharp and Brandon Saad added two assists apiece while Corey Crawford made 29 saves in another solid performance, drawing chants of “Corey! Co-rey!” from the capacity crowd at the United Center.

“We went through a little spurt there in the last series where we were doing the right things but the pucks weren’t going in, so now we’re getting the results we want. We can do what we’re doing more often. We can do it better as well in the next few games.”

- Jonathan Toews

(On the Blackhawks play.) 100

JUNE 2, 2013 Los Angeles: 2 Chicago: 4

CHAMPS STATS Andrew Shaw - 1 goal Brent Seabrook - 1 goal Bryan Bickell - 1 goal Michal Handzus - 1 goal Patrick Sharp - 2 assists Brandon Saad - 2 assists Corey Crawford - 29 saves, 2 goals against 101

CHAMPS FACTS • The Blackhawks won their 5th straight game. • The Blackhawks and Kings played a rare back-to-back playoff game due to the Rolling

Stones concert tour.

• Chicago has allowed just 2 goals in 47 power plays this postseason. • Kings goalie Jonathan Quick had gone 34 consecutive playoff games without allowing more than 3-goals.

• Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick was pulled in a playoff game for the first time since April 23, 2010.

102

Champs Chat “It’s a high-speed game. If we use our speed, we’ll be all right. We played our game. That’s the difference. The guys played good. We all competed for each other. We did everything we needed to do, keeping it deep in the zone.

- Andrew Shaw

(On the game 2 victory.) “We had some nice shots. We had some high-quality stuff off the rush, as well, in that period. I still think that’s going to be an ongoing challenge with him.”

- Coach Joel Quenneville

(On the Blackhawks getting to Jonathan Quick.)

103

Game 3 vs Los Angeles Kings The Blackhawks took control of their series against the Kings after earning wins in their first two meetings of the Western Conference finals. But as the series moved to Los Angeles, where the Kings had a 14game winning streak (including their last seven in the postseason), Chicago had its work cut out for them. A Kings win would make it 15 straight for LA. Slava Voynov tallied a goal and an assist, and Jonathan Quick rebounded from a poor Game 2 to lead the Kings past Chicago and grab Game 3 to trim the Blackhawks’ series lead to 2-1. Chicago’s only goal came in the second period when, trailing 2-0, Bryan Bickell scored

unassisted in the closing seconds. The Blackhawks matched their playoff low with only 20 shots, but were one good bounce away from tying the score in the final minutes. Brandon Saad nearly had an open net goal after a cross-ice pass from Viktor Stalberg with five minutes left, but couldn’t collect the puck. Moments later, Duncan Keith missed a near breakaway at the Kings’ blue line when Chicago went offside. Nobody expected this series to be easy, and this game proved it probably wouldn’t be.

“We knew exactly the kind of game they were going to play and that they were going to have more confidence, more energy in their own building. We just didn’t bring that same effort and that same pace. We know we have to be better than that in the next one.”

- Jonathan Toews

(On the Blackhawks performance in game 3.) 104

JUNE 4, 2013 Chicago: 1 Los Angeles: 3

CHAMPS STATS Bryan Bickell - 1 goal Corey Crawford - 25 saves, 2 goals against

105

CHAMPS FACTS

• The Kings have now won 15 straight games at home. (Including the regular season.) • This was Chicago’s first game in Los Angeles since the season opener. • Celebrities Tom Cruise and Jim Belushi were in attendance for the game. • The Kings are 1-7 on the road in the playoffs and 8-0 at home. 106

Champs Chat “We knew exactly what kind of game they were going to play, and that they would have more confidence and more energy in their own building. We just didn’t bring that same effort and same pace. There were a lot of little things we could do better, but that comes with our preparation and being ready to play at the highest level. We know we’ve got to be better than that.”

- Brandon Saad (On the game 3 loss.)

“I thought their forecheck was a little heavier than we saw in the first couple games. I thought even if it wasn’t a clean exit out of our end, we didn’t get it out indirectly. They sustained puck time, generated some plays. I don’t know about the quality of chances, but they definitely got the momentum out of the game spending time in our end.”

- Head Coach Joel Quenneville (On the Blackhawks game 3 performance.)

107

Game 4 vs Los Angeles Kings The Blackhawks came to LA with the goal of splitting their two games against the Kings, in order to return home up 3-1 in their best-of-seven series. But in order to achieve this task, they had to find a way to end the Kings’ home winning streak – which after LA’s Game 3 win had stood at 15. So the Blackhawks battled hard and overcame two deficits in Game 4 to secure a 3-2 victory and snap the Kings’ streak. The win moved the Blackhawks one victory away from advancing to the Stanley Cup Final. Marian Hossa produced the game winner for the Blackhawks, breaking a 2-2 tie 70 seconds into the third period. Chicago trailed 1-0 in the first period

108

before Bryan Bickell tied it when his shot slipped out of Kings goalie Jonathan Quick’s glove and trickled into the net. The Blackhawks again rallied to tie the contest with Patrick Kane’s tap-in goal. Niklas Hjalmarsson assisted on Bickell’s and Kane’s score while Johnny Oduya assisted on Hossa’s gamewinner. The Blackhawks now were heading back to sweet home Chicago to try to close out LA in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals. After seven grueling games against Detroit, a little extra rest would be welcomed if they could finish off the Kings back home.

JUNE 6, 2013 Chicago: 3 Los Angeles: 2

CHAMPS STATS Marian Hossa - 1 goal Patrick Kane - 1 goal Bryan Bickell - 1 goal Corey Crawford - 19 saves, 2 goals against

109

CHAMPS FACTS • The Kings lost at home for the first time this postseason. • Chicago’s Bryan Bickell has scored in 3-straight games, and 5 of the last 7. • Patrick Kane scored his first goal in 8 games. • The teams combined to go 0-7 on the power play in the game. • Bryan Bickell has recorded at least a point in every game of the series. 110

Champs Chat “We knew our defense was going to step up, and they did. We had a good feeling coming in. We had a bitter taste from the last game. They had a big start, but we stuck with it and eventually got it back.”

- Bryan Bickell

(On the defense stepping up to help get the win.) “Right from the first couple shifts, we were moving our feet, playing with speed, we were getting in on the forecheck and making good plays. It was big for our group to come back with a good effort.”

- Blackhawks Brent Seabrook (On the Blackhawks performance.)

111

Game 5 vs Los Angeles Kings The Blackhawks had to know it wouldn’t be easy to close out the Kings in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals and send the reigning champions packing. And it wasn’t. But Chicago outlasted LA in an epic double overtime thriller to take the series 4-1 and advance to the Stanley Cup Final. Patrick Kane delivered a historic performance, scoring three goals, including the double OT winner, to record the first hat trick in a conference championship-clinching game since Wayne Gretzky did it 20 years ago. Corey Crawford also helped carry Chicago as the goalie made 33 saves, 13 coming in the overtime periods.

The Blackhawks were poised to finish off the Kings in regulation, but Mike Richards scored a deflection goal with 9.4 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime -- leading to a celebration for the Kings while the home crowd groaned in disbelief. Duncan Keith scored Chicago’s first goal of the game early on in the first period before Kane scored the next three. The Stanley Cup Final appearance for the Blackhawks, winners of this season’s Presidents’ Trophy, will be their first since they won it all in 2010. They were now just four wins away from owning the most famous trophy in sports, and waiting for them were the Boston Bruins.

“Right now I think it’s almost like I’m in a different zone, like in the Twilight Zone or something, I’m kind of out of it. It’s definitely a good feeling, though.”

- Patrick Kane

(On his play in the game.)

112

JUNE 8, 2013 Los Angeles: 3 Chicago: 4

CHAMPS STATS Patrick Kane - 3 goals Duncan Keith - 1 goal Corey Crawford - 33 saves, 3 goals against. 113

CHAMPS FACTS

• Patrick Kane is just the fourth player in the last 30 years to record a hat trick in a

conference finals clincher, and the first to do it since Wayne Gretzky of the 1993 Kings.

• The Blackhawks knocked the 2012 Stanley Cup Champions out of the playoffs and will now move on to face the 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Bruins.

• Chicago advances to the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in 4 seasons. • In what has become a tradition, no member of the Blackhawks touched the Clarence Campbell Bowl after earning the award for winning the Western Conference finals.

• Since 2001, teams that have touched their conference trophy are 4-5 in the Stanley Cup Final.

114

Champs Chat “I honestly don’t think there’s a worse feeling in hockey, when your nine seconds away, you know you have to get the puck out. Two little bounces go against you, next thing you know it’s in your net. Your heart sinks pretty quick. We just tried to tell each other in the locker room that we can’t be thinking about what could have been, we have to just turn the page, get over it. It’s the only way you’re going to move on and win the game.”

- Jonathan Toews

(On the Kings scoring with under 10-seconds left in the game.) “It’s a special couple places. The tradition of the Bruins and the Hawks is special. I’m sure, you know, the rivalry could return instantly come Game 1. I think it’s good for the league. It’s good for hockey. Two great hockey markets. We’re very excited to be a part of it.”

- Head Coach Joel Quenneville

(On moving on to the Stanley Cup Final against the Bruins.)

115

2013 STANLEY CUP

FINAL CHICAGO vs BOSTON

116

Game 1

Bruins: 3 Blackhawks: 4 (3 OT)

Game 2

Bruins: 2 Blackhawks: 1 (OT)

Game 3

Blackhawks: 0 Bruins: 2

Game 4

Blackhawks: 6 (OT) Bruins: 5

Game 5

Bruins: 1 Blackhawks: 3

Game 6

Blackhawks: 3 Bruins: 2

117

Game 1 vs Boston Bruins For the first time since 1979, two Original Six franchises advanced to the NHL’s final round as the Blackhawks faced the Bruins in a battle for Lord Stanley’s Cup. Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final was another multi-overtime affair for Chicago, as Andrew Shaw scored a double-deflection goal in the third OT to give the Blackhawks a come-from-behind 4-3 victory in the longest finals game in five years, and fifth longest all time. Corey Crawford continued his stellar play between the pipes for Chicago, making several superb saves in overtime. Crawford stopped 29 shots in the three OT’s

118

and had a remarkable 51 for the entire game. Boston had jumped out to leads of 2-0 and 3-1 before Dave Bolland started the Blackhawks’ comeback with 12 minutes to play in regulation. Bolland scored with a one-timer from the left circle to cut the deficit to 3-2, and Johnny Oduya tied it with 7:46 remaining when his shot deflected into the net. The Blackhawks’ won for the eighth time in nine games, and improved their home playoff mark to 101. The game was a thriller, and a preview of what was to come in this classic series.

JUNE 12, 2013 Boston: 3 OT Chicago: 4

119

CHAMPS FACTS • This marked the first time the Bruins and Blackhawks have met with a Stanley Cup on the line.

• This is the first time since 1979 that two of the original 6 franchises have meet to decide the Stanley Cup Champion. • This was the first meeting since October 15th, 2011 between the teams.

• The game marked the longest Stanley Cup Final game in 5 years. • Chicago is now 10-1 in the playoffs this season at home. • President Obama sent a tweet out before the game that read, “hope to welcome you back to the White House again as #StanleyCup champs.”

• Before the game, Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones tweeted out a picture of himself holding a Bruins Jersey. 120

Champs Chat “The bigger the stage, the bigger the challenge. He rises to the occasion; he knows where the front of net is. Doesn’t have to be pretty. He’s a warrior. He’s one of those guys that you appreciate he’s on your side and he’s relentless.”

- Head Coach Joel Quenneville (On the play of Andrew Shaw.)

“It’s exhausting, I just try to tell myself to make the next save, and we’re going to score on our next shot.”

- Goalie Corey Crawford

(On the physical nature of a game like this.)

121

Game 2 vs Boston Bruins For the third straight game, and sixth time in this postseason, the Blackhawks had to go to overtime to settle their contest, as Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final was once again tied at 1 at the end of regulation. This time however, Chicago was on the losing end of a sudden-death score, as Daniel Paille won it for Boston with a shot from the left side at 13:48 of the extra period, evening the series at 1-1. The Blackhawks took a first-period lead when Patrick Kane and Michal Handzus fired off a series of shots at the Bruins’ goal, and Patrick Sharp was there waiting

122

to knock in the puck that had squirted out. Chicago nearly had a second goal 70 seconds later when Marian Hossa pushed the puck past Boston goalie Tuukka Rask, who had fallen flat across the goal line with the puck near his feet when the referee blew his whistle to stop play. Replays showed the puck did cross the goal line, but upon video review the NHL’s Situation Room ruled that the ref had blown the play dead before Hossa pushed Rask’s pads and the puck across the goal line.

JUNE 5, 2013 Boston: 2 Chicago: 1

CHAMPS STATS Patrick Sharp - 1 goal Corey Crawford - 26 saves, 2 goals against

123

“We just didn’t continue to play the way we’d been playing. We let them have the puck a little too often. We didn’t move our feet. We were too easy to check.”

- Jonathan Toews

(On the Blackhawks play during the game.)

CHAMPS FACTS

• Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews received a standing ovation when he was

recognized in the first period with a videoboard message honoring him for winning this year’s Frank J. Selke award, given to the NHL’s best defensive forward.

• The game marked the first split of the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final since 2004.

• This marks the second year in a row that the Stanley Cup Final went to overtime in the first two games.

• The Blackhawks have played 3 consecutive overtime games. • Chicago is now 4-2 in overtime games this postseason. • The Blackhawks outshot the Bruins 19-4 in the first period. 124

Champs Chat “You’ve got to kind of swallow this one and move on. We know what’s on the line in this series and going into Boston’s going to be tough, but we’re ready for the challenge. We’ll find a way to be better for Game 3.”

- Patrick Sharp

(On the game 2 loss to the Bruins.)

“Maybe we left something out there, [we] had everything right in that first part of the game; had some good looks, as well. [We] did what we were looking to do. But, hey, it’s a long game. You know, we got to be better than that.”

- Head Coach Joel Quenneville (On the game 2 loss to the Bruins.)

125

Game 3 vs Boston Bruins For only the second time in the postseason the Blackhawks were shutout, as a two-goal second period for the Bruins was enough to beat Chicago in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. With the series shifting to Boston, Daniel Paille, who scored the OT winner in Game 2, and Patrice Bergeron each netted a goal in the Bruins’ win to put the Blackhawks at a 2-1 disadvantage in the series. Chicago’s lack of offense could be attributed to the unexpected loss of Marian Hossa, who was scratched with an upper body injury following warm ups. Entering the game, Hossa had been responsible for three game-winning goals in the playoffs, was tied for

the team lead with 15 playoff points, and stood third on the Blackhawks with 17 goals during the regular season. Needless to say, it was a huge disadvantage for the Blackhawks to take the ice without him. A bizarre incident occurred before the puck was even dropped for the opening faceoff, when Bruins captain Zdeno Chara suffered a gash over his eye that required stitches from colliding with teammate Milan Lucic near the end of the pregame skate. It was not the Blackhawks night, and they would now have to dig out of a hole if they were to become champions.

• The Bruins have killed 27 straight penalties in the playoffs. • Chicago fell to 3-5 on the road this postseason. • Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask has 3 shutouts in his last 7 games. • Counting overtime in game 2, the Blackhawks have now gone scoreless in the 6-plus periods.

• The Blackhawks have failed to score in 20-straight power plays. 126

JUNE 17, 2013 Chicago: 0 Boston: 2

“We’ve got a deep team and plenty of guys who can fill in. I’m confident with the players we have on this team. We’ve had no problem scoring goals ever, really, since I’ve been here. We’re in the Stanley Cup Final against a team that deserves to be here, that’s here because of the way they play physically and check away from the puck, so it’s just tough to score out there. We’ve got to find a way. We know what’s on the line.”

- Patrick Sharp

(On the Blackhawks needing to score.)

CHAMPS STATS Corey Crawford - 33 saves, 2 goals against

127

Game 4 vs Boston Bruins After struggling to produce a single goal in Game 5, the Bruins erupted for their largest scoring output of the postseason with a six-goal effort, including the winner in overtime, to defeat the Bruins in Game 4 and even the Stanley Cup Final at 2 games apiece. Brent Seabrookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s slap shot 9:51 into OT gave the Blackhawks the victory, and returned the homeice advantage to the Western Conference champs. Seabrookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goal was his third of the playoffs and his second OT score. Michal Handzus, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marcus Kruger and Patrick Sharp also scored for Chicago, with Bryan Bickell and Michal Rozsival contributing two assists each.

128

The Blackhawks had built leads of 1-0, 4-2 and 5-4 in the game, but each time the Bruins were able to even it up. The game marked the first time a Stanley Cup Final contest featured more than 10 goals and ended in overtime since the Islanders defeated the Canucks 6-5 in Game 1 of the 1982 Final. The Blackhawks were headed back home to the United Center, where they were 10-2 during this postseason run, for a pivotal Game 5 in front of their home fans who were enjoying a classic series in every sense of the word.

JUNE 19, 2013 Chicago: 6 Boston: 5

CHAMPS STATS Patrick Kane - 1 goal, 1 assist Michal Handzus - 1 goal Marcus Kruger - 1 goal Patrick Sharp - 1 goal Jonathan Toews - 1 goal Brent Seabrook - 1 goal Corey Crawford - 28 saves, 5 goals against

129

CHAMPS FACTS

• The Blackhawks had only scored 5 goals through the first 3 games of the series before breaking out for 6 in game 4.

• Bruins Hall of Famer Bobby Orr, who also played briefly for the Blackhawks, was in the crowd, waving a yellow towel in support of the Bruins.

• The Blackhawks broke through for their first power play goal in 15 opportunities against the Bruins in this Stanley Cup Final.

• This was the first time a Stanley Cup Final game ended in overtime and featured more than 10 goals since the New York Islanders defeated the Vancouver Canucks 6-5 in Game 1 of the 1982 Final.

• 22 players had at least a point in the game. • The series is now guaranteed to go at least 6-games for a sixth straight postseason. • Chicago snapped the Bruins 7-game home winning streak in this years playoffs. 130

Champs Chat “Yeah, you know, you think you have a good lead at 3-1, they make the score 3-2. We score a big goal the next shift to make it 4-2. Then they score on a power play. It was just kind of back and forth the rest of the game. I guess it was just our turn to score again.”

- Patrick Kane

(On the back and forth nature of game 4.) “We knew if we were going to lose this one it would be really tough to come back. It’s an even series again.”

- Marian Hossa

(On tying the series at 2-2.) 131

Game 5 vs Boston Bruins The closer the Blackhawks moved to securing the Stanley Cup, the higher the level Patrick Kane elevated his game. The young forward scored two more goals in Chicago’s Game 5 victory against the Bruins, pushing the Presidents’ Trophy winners one win away from its second Cup in four years. Kane put the Blackhawks in front 1-0 in the first period, and then made it 2-0 in the second when his backhand punched the back of the net, popping the water bottle off the top. Dave Bolland added an empty netter late in the third period to set the final count at 3-1. Kane’s red-hot play could be attributed to head

132

coach Joel Quenneville returning him to Chicago’s top line with Jonathan Toews and Bryan Bickell. Kane now has nine goals in the postseason, one behind teammate Patrick Sharp for the lead. The Stanley Cup Final will return to Boston for Game 6, where Chicago, leading 3-2, would have the chance to clinch the title. At the end of Game 5, the United Center crowd roared when the video board displayed “No. 1” and the Stanley Cup, signifying that their Blackhawks were one victory from their fifth franchise title. The celebration could come in just 48 hours.

JUNE 22, 2013 Boston: 1 Chicago: 3

CHAMPS STATS Patrick Kane - 2 goals Dave Bolland - 1 goal Corey Crawford - 24 saves, 1 goal against

133

CHAMPS FACTS • Former Blackhawk Ed Belfour received a loud ovation, and chants of “Ed-die! Ed- die!” when he was shown on the videoboard in the second period.

• Since the NHL went to a best-of-seven format for the Stanley Cup in 1939, the winner of Game 5 in a tied series has gone on to win the title 15 of 22 times.

• Chicago moved to 11-2 at the United Center this postseason. • Boston dropped to 6-4 on the road this postseason. • Patrick Kane now has 9 goals and 10 assists for a team leading 19-points this postseason.

• Actress Michelle Pfeiffer and her husband David Kelley, a TV writer and producer, attended the game.

134

Champs Chat “It’s been a war. It’s been a battle. It’s every game, every shift you’re fighting. You look at every minute from game one to where we’re at today. It’s been an amazing series and relentless hockey, and I commend the guys on both teams for leaving it out on the ice.”

- Head Coach Joel Quenneville (On the win and overall series.)

“I think it’s exciting to be back in that situation again. This is what you work for all year, all summer, when you’re training throughout the year at training camp, whatever it may be. This is what you work for, this opportunity. We’ve got to seize the moment and take advantage of it.”

- Patrick Kane

(On being one win away from another Stanley Cup.) 135

Game 6 vs Boston Bruins Well, how’s that for a finish? Chicago fans weren’t really sure what the heck happened, but after two goals in 17 seconds, the Blackhawks went from trailing by one and almost certainly headed for a Game 7, to Stanley Cup champions for the second time in four years. The clinch happened in Boston, but you could hear the city of Chicago screaming halfway across the country in what will surely go down as one of the most incredible finishes in Stanley Cup history. What made Chicago’s furious rally even more improbable was the fact that goals had been so hard to come by for most of the game. Chris Kelly got the Bruins on the board at the 7:19 mark of the first period, and Chicago wasn’t able to tie it up until Jonathan Toews found the net for his third goal of the playoffs

136

with under five minutes to play in the second period. For the most part, both defenses and goaltenders were up to the challenge of a Stanley Cup deciding game. So when Boston’s Milan Lucic scored to give the Bruins a 2-1 lead with under eight minutes remaining, you knew it was going to be tough for the Hawks to answer. But answer they did. Almost immediately after goalie Corey Crawford was pulled for an extra attacker, Brian Bickel scored on a wrist shot to tie the game with just over a minute to go. Then, with the Boston crowd sill stunned, Dave Bolland scored just 17 seconds later to secure the title. Less than a minute later the Blackhawks spilled onto the ice to celebrate a victory that nobody, Blackhawks fans or otherwise, will ever forget.

JUNE 24, 2013 Chicago: 3 Boston: 2

CHAMPS STATS \Jonathan Toews - 1 goal, 1 assist Bryan Bickell - 1 goal Dave Bolland - 1 goal Corey Crawford - 23 saves, 2 goals against

137

CHAMPS FACTS

• Dave Bolland’s goal with 58.3 seconds remaining was the latest in regulation that a Cup-winning goal has been scored.

• It was the 4th time in the series one goal separated the two teams. • The Blackhawks clinched their second Stanley Cup in the past 4 years and fifth total. • Chicago is the fourth team since 2000 to win the Presidents Cup and Stanley Cup. • The Stanley Cup has been clinched on the road in 5 of the last 6 years. • The Blackhawks finished 5-5 on the road this postseason. • Chicago is 18-3 all-time in a best of 7 series when up 3-2. • Patrick Kane was awarded the 2013 Conn Smythe Trophy. 138

Champs Chat

“It was the best year of my life, just playing with these guys. Starting off the season like we did with so many wins, and the pressure of winning the President’s Trophy and hanging onto that pressure all the way to the end. You’re down 2-1 in the last minutes and then you come through with a win. It’s unbelievable.”

- Patrick Kane

(On this Stanley Cup Championship season.)

139

“What a team. What an ending. What a special group.’’

- Head Coach Joel Quenneville (On the Stanley Cup Championship.)

140

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think you see that puck bounce around there, I knew I just had to tap it in. It was a huge goal.â&#x20AC;?

- Dave Bolland

(On his game winning and series clinching goal.)

141

Champs Chat “That’s Blackhawks hockey. It’s not always the prettiest, but we play for each other and we play exciting hockey and two Cups in four years isn’t bad.”

- Patrick Sharp

(On the game 6 come from behind win to clinch the Stanley Cup.)

142

“I still can’t believe that finish. Oh my God, we never quit, I never lost confidence. No one in our room ever did.”

- Corey Crawford

(On winning the Stanley Cup Championship.)

143

“With the team in 2010, we didn’t really know what we were doing, we played great hockey and we were kind of oblivious to how good we were playing. This time around we knew definitely knew how much work it takes and how much sacrifice it takes to get back here. This is an unbelievable group. We’ve been through a lot together this year and this is a sweet way to finish it off.”

- Jonathan Toews

(On winning this Stanley Cup compared to 2010.)

144