CHICAGO – The Chicago Blackhawks made it official Monday night on home ice, they are now a dynasty.
Duncan Keith scored with less than three minutes left in the second period to stake the Hawks to a 1-0 lead, an advantage they would not relinquish in a 2-0 Cup-clinching win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“We’re going to enjoy this so much,” Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane said. “We know it’s going to be a short summer, but that’s what we want. It’s unbelievable. I don’t think there’s going to be much sleeping tonight.”
Patrick Kane added insurance in the third period off a brilliant feed from Brad Richards leaving Kane to one-time the puck past lunging Ben Bishop.
“It’s kind of hard to talk about it now,” Bishop said. “You think about how long the season has been, how close we were. It feels like every game of the series could have gone one way or another. It’s just a terrible feeling. I don’t know how to describe it. Listening to that [celebration on the ice while in the dressing room], it just makes you sick.”
Bishop made 30 saves in the game.
“It’s the greatest feeling in the world,” Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. “Once you do it once, you can’t wait to do it again. It was special tonight doing it in front of our own fans. The building was electric.”
Corey Crawford made 25 saves for the shutout.
The standing room only crowd at the United Center was pumped from the opening phrase of the national anthem and only quieted as the Stanley Cup was carried to its presentation table on the red line.
Keith was announced as the unanimous choice for the Conn Smythe Trophy after the game. His game-winner in the second period was the clincher for the silverware.
“I’s about time,” Toews said of Keith being named MVP. “We all know he’s going to go down as one of the great players to play the game. In our room, we knew that before the playoffs, but he keeps proving it time and time again. So I couldn’t be happier for a guy like that. It’s really incredible.”
The core of the success the Blackhawks have enjoyed rests with the eight members of the team who have been in Chicago for all three Stanley Cups in the last six years including coach Joel Quenneville, Toews, Kane, Keith, Brent Seabrook, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Bryan Bickell Patrick Sharp, and Marian Hossa.
“You’re almost thinking about, when’s the next game?” Hjalmarsson said. “You’ve [always] got to be prepared for next game, but the season is over, and you’re a champion.”
Much had been made this post season that this year was critical for the Blackhawks to win as their salary issues and tough decisions in the off season may end breaking up the team. But for now, Chicago can bask in the glory of one more Cup, their win on home ice since 1938.
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