25 IN 25: Clinching the Cup at Home

As children, hockey players dream about participating in a Game 7. But the Blackhawks, mature young adults cognizant of inherent perils attendant to a winner-take-all situation, have shown a strategic affinity for a slightly less stressful Game 6. They attained a Stanley Cup that way in 2010, and again in 2013.

In Philadelphia, victory required overtime. In Boston, two goals in 17 seconds assured that there would be no tomorrow. In either case, Game 7, if necessary, wasn't.
25 IN 25
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So it was that on June 15, 2015, the Blackhawks assembled at the United Center with absolutely no desire to extend another superlative season. They led the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 in the series, and if another bus ride was pending, it would be on double-deckers during a parade, not en route to O'Hare.
Outside on this warm Monday afternoon, the sky was angry. Dark clouds with an ominous tinge of green moved in, bearing torrents of rain and tornado warnings. But once inside, the 22,424 spectators, many of them drenched, sensed a different form of electricity. Would their beloved Blackhawks win another Stanley Cup, and for the first time in eons, at home?
"WE WANT THE CUP!!" chanted fans, early and often, but the industrious Lightning held its own. Tampa Bay won the Eastern Conference in Game 7 at Madison Square Garden, so neither stage fright nor an inhospitable soundtrack would be a problem.
Duncan Keith, however, would be. Joining the rush from faraway, he accepted a brilliant pass from Patrick Kane, and bore in on goalie Ben Bishop. Bishop made one save, but not another. Keith drained his own rebound and the Blackhawks led, 1-0, at 17:13 of the second period. Among the celebrants was Anthony Rizzo. The Cubs had been flooded out at Wrigley Field two hours before puck drop, so he hustled to the United Center, joining Hall of Famers Frank Thomas and Chris Chelios.
Corey Crawford stayed airtight in the Blackhawks' net, and then some breathing room introduced itself in the third period. As the Lightning pressured, Brandon Saad interceded in his end, carried the puck into Tampa Bay territory, then left it for Brad Richards. From the left circle, he deftly slid a pass beyond a lone Lightning defender to Kane, who blasted from the right circle.
Kane can detect the smallest of openings, but on this occasion, he had plenty of net at his behest behind the shifting Bishop. It was 2-0 at 14:46. A bearded and smiling Kane waved thanks to Richards, who had also assisted on Keith's goal. The rest of the evening, as they say, was history. And hysteria. When it ended, one question remained. Would the Stanley Cup be united with old friends? Because of the violent storm, the silver trophy was delayed, requiring a police escort.

As noted above, the Blackhawks waited 77 years to clinch a Stanley Cup on home ice. So what's another few minutes? In 1938, they claimed their second Cup at the Stadium. But the Blackhawks, who had entered the playoffs after winning only 14 of 48 games in the regular season, were deemed so unlikely to run the table that the Cup was waiting in Toronto where the Maple Leafs surely would triumph in a climactic Game 5. However, the Blackhawks captured the Final, 3-1. Ooops.
After Keith grasped the Conn Smythe Trophy as unanimous choice for most valuable playoff performer, the slightly tardy Stanley Cup renewed acquaintances in the hands of captain Jonathan Toews. He raised it, said hello again, and then turned it over to Kimmo Timonen. A 40-year-old defenseman who logged fewer than four minutes that evening, Timonen was a stabilizer acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers at the trade deadline. Timonen cried and retired happily ever after, a champion.
It was Timonen around whom Kane cranked his sharp angle shot that disappeared momentarily when the visiting Blackhawks secured their 2010 Cup. Kane's marker against Tampa Bay wasn't a decider, but it created the only two-goal separation of the entire taut Final. It was also the 11th in the 2015 playoffs for Kane, a big-game hunter who collected three winners that postseason, boosting his career haul at age 26 to 10, already a franchise record.
After incurring a broken collarbone in February, Kane missed several weeks, prompting Senior Vice President/General Manager Stan Bowman to continue a prescient shopping spree. He'd signed free agent Richards and his proven pedigree in July. Richards was a perfect fit. With Kane down for an extensive period, the Blackhawks were allowed to add salary above the hard cap. Antoine Vermette came aboard from the Arizona Coyotes, snagged crucial faceoffs, and scored three playoff winners, including two against the Lightning. Not finished, Bowman then traded for Andrew Desjardins, another valuable role player, from the San Jose Sharks.
National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman, on ice, declared that with three Cups in six seasons, the Blackhawks indeed defined a dynasty. President & CEO John McDonough hesitated about the designation for a reason. "We're not done," he exclaimed. "Our goal was to get one Cup and try to get the franchise on the right track. Apparently, we have. But we're not done."
It was a grueling 2015 postseason for the Blackhawks: 23 games, plus 151 minutes and 23 seconds of sudden death. A phenomenal Conference Final against the Anaheim Ducks featured the mother of all marathons in franchise annals: Game 2, won by Marcus Kruger, at 56:12 of extra time.
But the boys of winter still had ample energy after it was over. They piled into their locker room and instantly transformed it into a combination car wash/cigar lounge. Head Coach Joel Quenneville didn't take a shower, he was given one. The Blackhawks had somewhat redecorated guest quarters in Philadelphia and Boston, but now it was tumultuous merriment at home. Familiar surroundings, albeit a familiar feeling.
"Three in six years," mused Johnny Oduya. "This isn't normal."