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Lightning vs Blackhawks

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Lightning vs Blackhawks - 2015 Stanley Cup Final

Fans greet Lightning back home after Final loss

Tuesday, 06.16.2015 / 6:46 PM / Lightning vs Blackhawks - 2015 Stanley Cup Final

NHL.com

The Tampa Bay Lightning were greeted by hundreds of fans upon at Tampa International Jet Center on Tuesday afternoon, less than a day after losing Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final to the Chicago Blackhawks, 2-0 at United Center, and failing to win the championship.

The Lightning remained in Chicago on Monday night and arrived home around 2:30 p.m. ET.

"It's tough not being able to come back with the Cup," captain Steven Stamkos said, according to the Tampa Bay Times. "To see the turnout here and to see the turnout [Monday at the watch party at Amalie Arena] is pretty remarkable."

Five reasons Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup

Tuesday, 06.16.2015 / 3:35 PM / Lightning vs Blackhawks - 2015 Stanley Cup Final

Brian Hedger - NHL.com Correspondent

CHICAGO -- Of the three Stanley Cup championships the Chicago Blackhawks have won during the past six seasons, the one they clinched with a 2-0 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning at United Center on Monday was the most difficult and least probable.

The Blackhawks played most of the Cup Final using four defensemen; one of them, Johnny Oduya, told ESPN.com he played the final three games of the Stanley Cup Final with a torn elbow tendon.

Chicago's top forwards, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, were limited to one goal each in the six-game series by the Lightning defense.

The Blackhawks' four wins in the Cup Final weren't pretty, but they showed why they were the last team standing.

Here are five reasons the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup:

Five reasons Lightning lost Stanley Cup Final

Tuesday, 06.16.2015 / 3:08 PM / Lightning vs Blackhawks - 2015 Stanley Cup Final

Corey Long - NHL.com Correspondent

After a memorable run through the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Tampa Bay Lightning lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Final.

The Blackhawks won Game 6 2-0 and the best-of-7 series 4-2. Each game was tightly contested, with neither team holding a lead of more than one goal until Patrick Kane scored at 14:46 of the third period in Game 6.

Here are five reasons the Lightning failed to win the Stanley Cup:

Goalie matchup: Inside Game 6 for Crawford, Bishop

Tuesday, 06.16.2015 / 1:28 PM / Lightning vs Blackhawks - 2015 Stanley Cup Final

Kevin Woodley - NHL.com Correspondent

A big part of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final was the battle between 2013 Cup winner Corey Crawford of the Chicago Blackhawks and Ben Bishop of the Tampa Bay Lightning. NHL.com scouted the goalies before the series and tracked their performances each game, identifying attack trends and shot quality. Kevin Woodley, managing editor of InGoal Magazine, uses Double Blue Sports Analytics software to chart goals and shots in each game. Here are his findings from Game 6, a 2-0 Cup-clinching victory by the Blackhawks, as well as a shot quality overview of the entire Stanley Cup Final.

For all the questions Corey Crawford faced as the Chicago Blackhawks' No.1 goaltender, he has twice won the Stanley Cup. He faced more tough chances in the Stanley Cup Final than the Tampa Bay Lightning's Ben Bishop and Andrei Vasilevskiy to win his second championship with the Blackhawks' 2-0 victory in Game 6 on Monday.

Draft, free agency can keep Blackhawks contenders

Tuesday, 06.16.2015 / 9:00 AM / Lightning vs Blackhawks - 2015 Stanley Cup Final

Corey Masisak - NHL.com Staff Writer

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Blackhawks have been the NHL's best franchise in June for years, whether it has been winning the Stanley Cup three times in six seasons or building the core of championship contender through the NHL Draft.

If the Blackhawks are to stay on top after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games in the 2015 Stanley Cup Final, general manager Stan Bowman must correctly make some difficult decisions about the roster.

Thinking this is the end of the line for Chicago because Bowman might need to make some salary cap-induced trades ignores the process and culture he has helped establish. Even with the pending cap crunch, the Blackhawks are built to continue their success.

"We'll try to enjoy this for a little while, but we'll get it done. We always do," Bowman said. "Obviously I've been thinking about that as well, but we're trying to enjoy this win as well."

Blackhawks' Richards made Cup promise come true

Tuesday, 06.16.2015 / 8:50 AM / Lightning vs Blackhawks - 2015 Stanley Cup Final

Dan Rosen - NHL.com Senior Writer

CHICAGO -- Brad Richards stood on the ice Monday surrounded by his family, a few feet away from the Stanley Cup, and thought back to the phone conversation that convinced him that signing with the Chicago Blackhawks last summer was the right move.

On the other end of the phone was Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman and coach Joel Quenneville. There was some foreshadowing.

"The last thing Joel said when I hung up was, 'Come to Chicago, we'll win a Cup,'" Richards said. "He said it like three times in that conversation. He kept interrupting me, kept saying that, and I kept hearing that, thinking, 'How does he know that?'

Lightning deal with disappointment of losing Final

Tuesday, 06.16.2015 / 2:38 AM / Lightning vs Blackhawks - 2015 Stanley Cup Final

Shawn Roarke - Director, Editorial

CHICAGO -- The mantle of leadership can be a heavy burden to bear. On Monday it was crushing Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos under its weight.

Stamkos had suffered through losing the most important game of his life, a 2-0 defeat to the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final that ended the Lightning's season two wins short of its ultimate goal. He sat almost motionless in his stall in the visiting dressing room at United Center trying to process his shattered dream as the championship party raged yards away out on the ice, the opponents he battled across 360 minutes of mostly one-goal hockey taking their turns skating with the famous trophy.

He had managed enough energy to take off his skates, but little more. Neither the energy nor the inclination to look anywhere but straight ahead was present as he tried to explain what went wrong.

"It's so tough right now," he said. "We had a chance to win the Cup. We felt like it was a pretty evenly matched series and it could have gone either way. It's tough to look back and see the emotions of winning the Eastern Conference [Final] against the New York Rangers and then come here and see the emotions of the complete opposite.

"You're trying to accomplish your childhood dream and watching someone else win it instead of your group … I mean, it is so hard to get here. I can't express how frustrating it is not to get the job done."

Crawford backstops Blackhawks to another Cup

Tuesday, 06.16.2015 / 2:13 AM / Lightning vs Blackhawks - 2015 Stanley Cup Final

Arpon Basu - Managing Editor LNH.com

CHICAGO -- The game was still scoreless early in the second period when one of the National Hockey League's premier offensive talents came in alone on the Chicago Blackhawks goal.

The way the Stanley Cup Final had gone to that point, a Steven Stamkos goal would have given the Tampa Bay Lightning a good chance to push the series to a decisive seventh game at home with a chance to win the Stanley Cup.

Stamkos came in quickly, slowed down, deked to his backhand, then his forehand and tried to tuck the puck inside the post.

But Corey Crawford was there with his pad, the puck stayed out, and it was the Blackhawks who won the Cup instead with a 2-0 victory in Game 6 of the best-of-7 series at United Center on Monday.

Blackhawks' Keith unanimous Conn Smythe choice

Tuesday, 06.16.2015 / 1:59 AM / Lightning vs Blackhawks - 2015 Stanley Cup Final

Brian Hedger - NHL.com Correspondent

CHICAGO -- At the end of the night, Duncan Keith was finally able to take a knee.

The Chicago Blackhawks defenseman was a unanimous choice for the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after a 2-0 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final at United Center on Monday that gave the Blackhawks their third championship in six seasons.

Keith, who scored a goal and played 30:19, got on the ice with his 2-year-old son, Colton, and next to Colton was hockey's most cherished prize, the Stanley Cup. The Conn Smythe Trophy was somewhere else while Keith finally caught his breath and helped Colton hoist the Cup.

He is the ninth defenseman to win the award, and is the first player to win the Conn Smythe and score the Stanley Cup-clinching goal since Henrik Zetterberg did so in 2008 with the Detroit Red Wings against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

"It feels so great," Keith said. "You want to keep being a part of these things. You don't get these awards without being on great teams with great players, and I'm just proud to be a part of this group of guys who cares so much and do whatever it takes."

This time, Blackhawks celebrate Cup with their fans

Tuesday, 06.16.2015 / 1:48 AM / Lightning vs Blackhawks - 2015 Stanley Cup Final

Dan Rosen - NHL.com Senior Writer

CHICAGO -- There was a moment in the pause before the Stanley Cup arrived on the ice when Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews skated away from his teammates, looked up to the roaring, raucous crowd, and started applauding.

Cameras followed him, showing him on the scoreboard.

"Unbelievable," Toews said with his arms raised, hands clapping. "Unbelievable."

The 22,424 standing, hugging, cheering, selfie-taking, red-clad and relieved fans applauded back at their captain, loudly. Toews smiled and pumped his fists.

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