Chicago Blackhawks Win Stanley Cup, Third Title In 6 Years
By Benjy Lipsman in News on Jun 16, 2015 2:35PM
The Blackhawks shut out the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-0 on Monday night to claim their third title in six years, and sixth in franchise history. They clinched the series in six games, winning the Stanley Cup on their home ice for the first time since 1938.
After falling behind two games to one in the series, the Hawks won three games in a row in order to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup above their heads in front of their United Center fans. The Stanley Cup is Chicago's again.
In another nail biter of a game, Duncan Keith scored the first goal of the game for the Hawks late in the second period, following up his own shot with a rebound and knocking the puck past Lightning goalie Ben Bishop. Patrick Kane scored his first goal of the series in the third period, giving Chicago a 2-0 lead and representing the first time in the entire Stanley Cup Finals that either team led by more than a single goal. Meanwhile, Corey Crawford was a force in goal, blocking all 25 shots he faced to seal the shutout in the clinching game.
Keith won the Conn Smythe trophy as playoffs MVP, a unanimous selection after a monster playoff run. The defenseman logged more than 700 minutes on the ice, scoring three goals and assisting on 18 others for 21 playoff points.
With their third title in six years, the Blackhawks can rightfully be called a dynasty. With a strict salary cap ensuring more parity than any other pro sport, the Hawks have overcome that challenge to win yet another title. Eight players have been a part of all three recent titles. Others, like 40-year-old Kimmo Timonen, won their first this time around.
On Thursday fans will fills the streets for a parade and rally again, and in the meantime we can expect the Stanley Cup to resume its grand tour of Chicago's hot spots. I's time to follow @WheresTheCup if you hope to catch a glimpse of Lord Stanley's Cup in person.