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"The Cup" is home where it belongs, in CHICAGO!!!
(Arguably, the greatest sports city with the greatest sports fans in America)
Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup; defeat the Lightning 2-0 in game 6 and win the series 4-2.
Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews hoists the Cup again. (Photo/Getty Images)
"Hawks Win, Three Times in Six Years, Hawks Win"
The Chicago Blackhawks pose with the Stanley Cup after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning by a score of 2-0 in Game Six to win the 2015 NHL Stanley Cup Final at the United Center on June 15, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Sports Quote of the Day:
"Hard work pays off." ~ Patrick Kane, NHL Blackhawks Hockey Player, in television interview after Game 6 Stanley Cup victory, (June 23, 2013). Note: We used this quote on our Stanley Cup Special Edition June 25, 2013. Words more true have never been spoken.
Blackhawks win Stanley Cup, defeat Lightning 2-0.
By Corey Masisak
When the Chicago Blackhawks celebrated Monday on the ice at United Center, their place in hockey history did not matter much to them.
The grind of another deep run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs did not matter. What may become of some members of the team did not matter.
The Blackhawks keep winning championships, and that is all that matters to them.
Chicago won the Stanley Cup for the third time in six seasons with a 2-0 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the Final.
"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."
Kane and Duncan Keith scored, and Corey Crawford made 25 saves for Chicago, who also won the NHL championship in 2010 and 2013.
It is the sixth Stanley Cup championship in Blackhawks history; they won three times in their first 82 seasons.
Chicago captain Jonathan Toews became the first player to lift the Stanley Cup at United Center, and he gave it to 40-year-old defenseman Kimmo Timonen, who missed most of this season because of a blood clot in his lung and joined the Blackhawks in late February in a trade from the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Blackhawks won the Cup at home for the first time since 1938, when they defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs.
"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."
Keith was a unanimous choice for the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, becoming the ninth defenseman to win it. He averaged more than 31 minutes of ice time in 23 playoff games, and his 21 points are tied for 10th-most by a defenseman in a postseason.
"It'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."
Keith scored with 2:47 remaining in the second period to give the Blackhawks the lead. Kane collected a pass along the right wall and crossed into the Lightning zone before stopping and waiting for help. He slipped a pass through two defenders to Keith in the middle of the ice. Tampa Bay goaltender Ben Bishop stopped Keith's first shot, but he went around Lightning center Cedric Paquette and put the rebound off Bishop into the net for his third goal of the playoffs.
"Right from the first [playoff] game against Nashville, I saw a different level of hockey [from Duncan] that I'm not sure I've ever seen on my team," Blackhawks forward Brad Richards said. "Just how he kept doing it and never showed any signs of fatigue. He's probably the best player I've ever seen live. It was unbelievable what he did out there."
Kane scored his first goal of the Final to make it 2-0 with 5:14 remaining in the third period. Brandon Saad carried the puck into the offensive zone and left a drop pass for Richards. Richards, who won the Conn Smythe in 2004 with the Lightning, fed Kane, who was playoff MVP in 2013, with a pass for a one-timer and the first two-goal lead in almost 355 minutes of play in the series.
Kane fractured his clavicle Feb. 24, and the initial diagnosis was 8-12 weeks of recovery, which would have left him out for the first two rounds of the playoffs. Instead, he returned after seven weeks and tied Lightning forward Tyler Johnson for the postseason scoring lead with 23 points.
"I felt so good and I knew I had to step up," Kane said. "So many guys on our team had already done that during the series, so I knew I had to do something. It was great to come in and produce. My line mates made great plays, [Keith] made a great play on his goal. We got great goaltending. Just a complete team effort."
Crawford, replaced in net for three games during the Western Conference First Round, allowed two goals in the final three games to the highest-scoring team in the NHL during the regular season.
Bishop made 30 saves for the Lightning. He missed the end of Game 2 and all of Game 4, and revealed after Game 6 he was playing with a torn right groin muscle.
"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."
Johnson, who led the playoffs with 13 goals, said after the game he played much of the Cup Final with a broken wrist, which explained why he took very few face-offs late in the series.
Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos did not score in the series despite several great chances. He had a sure goal go off the shaft of a defenseman's stick, put a shot off the crossbar in Game 6, and had a breakaway denied by Crawford.
"I obviously feel like I didn't produce here," Stamkos said. "I don't know what could have happened if I get a few in this series, so it is really tough to think of any positives right now.
"I don't think a lot of people thought we would get this far. We came together at the right time. Words can't even describe how hard it is to get to this stage. You need so many things, and that is why it is so impressive to see those guys over there and the things they have done in the last six years."
It is the first Stanley Cup for Timonen, NHL Trade Deadline additions Antoine Vermette and Andrew Desjardins, and rookies Teuvo Teravainen and Trevor van Riemsdyk.
Timonen hinted on multiple occasions during this run he would retire after this season.
"I was dreaming about this moment for a long time, and it's right here," Timonen said. "This game has given me so much, and I'm relieved, happy, ready to leave this game, and I'm leaving this game as a Stanley Cup champion."
It is the third championship for eight Blackhawks players, and for Quenneville.
Toews, Kane, Keith, Brent Seabrook, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Bryan Bickell were drafted by the Blackhawks, Patrick Sharp joined in a trade in 2003, and Marian Hossa signed as a free agent in 2009.
Each has been an integral member of the closest thing the NHL has seen to a modern dynasty.
"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."
Blackhawks win Stanley Cup, establish dynasty.
By Sean Gentille
The Blackhawks' dynasty lives. It may not last long, but for now, that couldn't matter less.
Chicago won its third Stanley Cup in six seasons — and first in front of its home fans — with a 2-0 win over the Lightning on Monday night in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith scored the first goal of the game with an absurd individual second-period effort, firing a contested shot past Lightning center Cedric Paquette, then beating Paquette and defenseman Andre Sustr to the rebound. Keith fired a shot over Ben Bishop's shoulder, and the game barely felt close after that.
There were more than 23 minutes of play remaining.
Along the way, Keith became the fourth player to record more than 700 minutes of ice time in the playoffs since the league started keeping the stat. He was an obvious choice for the Conn Smythe Trophy by the second round, and that came to pass.
The goal was Keith's third of the playoffs and 21st point, pulling him into a tie for the second on the team in points with Jonathan Toews. Scoring the second goal with less than five minutes remaining, his first of the Final was, naturally, Patrick Kane, who finishes with a team-leading 22 points.
Great as Chicago has been, and as well as GM Stan Bowman rebuilt them after their first Cup in 2010, climbing the mountain will be even harder moving forward. Top-pair defenseman Brent Seabrook is an unrestricted free agent, top-six winger Brandon Saad is eligible for an offer sheet, and huge contract extensions for Toews and Kane ($13.8 million cap hits for each) kick in next season.
That's a question for another day, though. Monday was about pulling off the exact thing the salary cap was instituted to prevent. It was a coronation, and it came in front of nearly 23,000 fans whipped, at times, into near-psychosis.
Blackhawks win Stanley Cup, defeat Lightning 2-0.
By Corey Masisak
Corey Crawford is at the center of a mob of teammates after winning the Stanley Cup. (Photo/Anthony Souffle/Chicago Tribune)
The grind of another deep run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs did not matter. What may become of some members of the team did not matter.
The Blackhawks keep winning championships, and that is all that matters to them.
Chicago won the Stanley Cup for the third time in six seasons with a 2-0 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the Final.
"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."
Kane and Duncan Keith scored, and Corey Crawford made 25 saves for Chicago, who also won the NHL championship in 2010 and 2013.
It is the sixth Stanley Cup championship in Blackhawks history; they won three times in their first 82 seasons.
Chicago captain Jonathan Toews became the first player to lift the Stanley Cup at United Center, and he gave it to 40-year-old defenseman Kimmo Timonen, who missed most of this season because of a blood clot in his lung and joined the Blackhawks in late February in a trade from the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Blackhawks won the Cup at home for the first time since 1938, when they defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs.
"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."
Keith was a unanimous choice for the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, becoming the ninth defenseman to win it. He averaged more than 31 minutes of ice time in 23 playoff games, and his 21 points are tied for 10th-most by a defenseman in a postseason.
"It'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."
Keith scored with 2:47 remaining in the second period to give the Blackhawks the lead. Kane collected a pass along the right wall and crossed into the Lightning zone before stopping and waiting for help. He slipped a pass through two defenders to Keith in the middle of the ice. Tampa Bay goaltender Ben Bishop stopped Keith's first shot, but he went around Lightning center Cedric Paquette and put the rebound off Bishop into the net for his third goal of the playoffs.
"Right from the first [playoff] game against Nashville, I saw a different level of hockey [from Duncan] that I'm not sure I've ever seen on my team," Blackhawks forward Brad Richards said. "Just how he kept doing it and never showed any signs of fatigue. He's probably the best player I've ever seen live. It was unbelievable what he did out there."
Kane scored his first goal of the Final to make it 2-0 with 5:14 remaining in the third period. Brandon Saad carried the puck into the offensive zone and left a drop pass for Richards. Richards, who won the Conn Smythe in 2004 with the Lightning, fed Kane, who was playoff MVP in 2013, with a pass for a one-timer and the first two-goal lead in almost 355 minutes of play in the series.
Kane fractured his clavicle Feb. 24, and the initial diagnosis was 8-12 weeks of recovery, which would have left him out for the first two rounds of the playoffs. Instead, he returned after seven weeks and tied Lightning forward Tyler Johnson for the postseason scoring lead with 23 points.
"I felt so good and I knew I had to step up," Kane said. "So many guys on our team had already done that during the series, so I knew I had to do something. It was great to come in and produce. My line mates made great plays, [Keith] made a great play on his goal. We got great goaltending. Just a complete team effort."
Crawford, replaced in net for three games during the Western Conference First Round, allowed two goals in the final three games to the highest-scoring team in the NHL during the regular season.
Bishop made 30 saves for the Lightning. He missed the end of Game 2 and all of Game 4, and revealed after Game 6 he was playing with a torn right groin muscle.
"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."
Johnson, who led the playoffs with 13 goals, said after the game he played much of the Cup Final with a broken wrist, which explained why he took very few face-offs late in the series.
Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos did not score in the series despite several great chances. He had a sure goal go off the shaft of a defenseman's stick, put a shot off the crossbar in Game 6, and had a breakaway denied by Crawford.
"I obviously feel like I didn't produce here," Stamkos said. "I don't know what could have happened if I get a few in this series, so it is really tough to think of any positives right now.
"I don't think a lot of people thought we would get this far. We came together at the right time. Words can't even describe how hard it is to get to this stage. You need so many things, and that is why it is so impressive to see those guys over there and the things they have done in the last six years."
It is the first Stanley Cup for Timonen, NHL Trade Deadline additions Antoine Vermette and Andrew Desjardins, and rookies Teuvo Teravainen and Trevor van Riemsdyk.
Timonen hinted on multiple occasions during this run he would retire after this season.
"I was dreaming about this moment for a long time, and it's right here," Timonen said. "This game has given me so much, and I'm relieved, happy, ready to leave this game, and I'm leaving this game as a Stanley Cup champion."
It is the third championship for eight Blackhawks players, and for Quenneville.
Toews, Kane, Keith, Brent Seabrook, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Bryan Bickell were drafted by the Blackhawks, Patrick Sharp joined in a trade in 2003, and Marian Hossa signed as a free agent in 2009.
Each has been an integral member of the closest thing the NHL has seen to a modern dynasty.
"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."
Blackhawks win Stanley Cup, establish dynasty.
By Sean Gentille
Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane celebrate. (Photo/Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
The Blackhawks' dynasty lives. It may not last long, but for now, that couldn't matter less.
Chicago won its third Stanley Cup in six seasons — and first in front of its home fans — with a 2-0 win over the Lightning on Monday night in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith scored the first goal of the game with an absurd individual second-period effort, firing a contested shot past Lightning center Cedric Paquette, then beating Paquette and defenseman Andre Sustr to the rebound. Keith fired a shot over Ben Bishop's shoulder, and the game barely felt close after that.
There were more than 23 minutes of play remaining.
Along the way, Keith became the fourth player to record more than 700 minutes of ice time in the playoffs since the league started keeping the stat. He was an obvious choice for the Conn Smythe Trophy by the second round, and that came to pass.
The goal was Keith's third of the playoffs and 21st point, pulling him into a tie for the second on the team in points with Jonathan Toews. Scoring the second goal with less than five minutes remaining, his first of the Final was, naturally, Patrick Kane, who finishes with a team-leading 22 points.
Great as Chicago has been, and as well as GM Stan Bowman rebuilt them after their first Cup in 2010, climbing the mountain will be even harder moving forward. Top-pair defenseman Brent Seabrook is an unrestricted free agent, top-six winger Brandon Saad is eligible for an offer sheet, and huge contract extensions for Toews and Kane ($13.8 million cap hits for each) kick in next season.
That's a question for another day, though. Monday was about pulling off the exact thing the salary cap was instituted to prevent. It was a coronation, and it came in front of nearly 23,000 fans whipped, at times, into near-psychosis.
The Lightning's future, in plenty of ways, is brighter than Chicago's — their core is younger and, thus, cheaper — but that's irrelevant to them right now. The Eastern Conference champions held a 2-1 series lead and at times looked like the better team, but bad luck, an injury to Bishop that seemed to rob him of mobility and a lack of quality defensive depth did them in.
In Game 6, the Lightning had early chances; Steven Stamkos hit the post in the first period, then bungled a breakaway against Corey Crawford in the second, forcing him down, but failing to elevate the puck over his pads. Paquette missed an open net in the first period, too.
After all those missed opportunities, the result felt inevitable. Few things are, though — so maybe the Blackhawks can pull it off again.
Conn Smythe Trophy 2015: Duncan Keith Wins Coveted Award.
By Joseph Zucker
(Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press)
Was anybody but Duncan Keith even in contention to win the Conn Smythe Trophy after the Chicago Blackhawks took home the 2015 Stanley Cup?
The veteran defenseman played an ungodly amount of minutes and scored what proved to be the series-clinching goal Monday night. As a result, Keith earned the postseason most valuable player award, per the NHL.
According to TSN, he's the ninth different defenseman to capture the honor and the fifth since 1994.
Keith averaged nearly 30 minutes of ice time a night over the course of the series and registered three points (one goal, two assists). He was the Blackhawks' best player, and the only other possible contender for the Conn Smythe was Corey Crawford.
There really shouldn't be much debate as to whether Keith will be a Hall of Famer upon retirement, but this is the final affirmation necessary to truly cement that status for the 31-year-old. You won't see a playoff performance like this from a defenseman for some time.
According to TSN, he's the ninth different defenseman to capture the honor and the fifth since 1994.
Keith averaged nearly 30 minutes of ice time a night over the course of the series and registered three points (one goal, two assists). He was the Blackhawks' best player, and the only other possible contender for the Conn Smythe was Corey Crawford.
There really shouldn't be much debate as to whether Keith will be a Hall of Famer upon retirement, but this is the final affirmation necessary to truly cement that status for the 31-year-old. You won't see a playoff performance like this from a defenseman for some time.
Flyers great Kimmo Timonen hoists Stanley Cup for 1st time after winning with Blackhawks.
By Randy Miller
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Kimmo Timonen screamed in delight while proudly holding the Stanley Cup over his head for the first time at age 40 Tuesday night.
What a way to end a very good pro career.
"It's unbelievable," Timonen told NBC after his team wrapped up the Cup with a 2-0 Game 6 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Chicago. "I've been dreaming about this for the last 17 years. I'm leaving this game as a Stanley Cup champion."
The Flyers great risked his life attempting a comeback late this season after being finding out last August that he had career-threatening blood clots, his mission all along was to get one last shot at winning a Cup.
"I'm happy and relieved it's over," he said. "It's been a long journey, especially with what happened to me over the summer. Life wasn't in my hands anymore at that point. It was worth it."
Just when Timonen was ready to play again, the NHL's trade deadline was approaching and Flyers GM Ron Hextall did Timonen right dealing him to a great club on Feb. 27 for two draft picks.
Three and a half months later, Timonen gets to retire a champion.
"I'm living in a dream," Timonen told reporters this week. "Where I left in August and I'm standing here, it's crazy. It's crazy what I went through. There's a risk involved obviously, but I wanted to do it. It was totally up to me and I wanted to take that chance, to have one more chance."
A four-time All-Star, Timonen was just a bit player for on a Blackhawks club that made it three Cups in six seasons.
Rusty from not skating for six months and affected by his age, Timonen didn't score a single point playing 16 regular-season games and 18 playoff games. He even was made a healthy scratch for the final two games of the Western Conference finals and the first three in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Timonen returned for the final three games against Tampa Bay, but rarely was on the ice. In the clinching Game 6, he had just 3:39 of ice time, none in the final 38:56.
"I just want to make sure the water bottles are full of water," Timonen joked to reporters on Monday. "No ... I just try to be part of the team and be positive. If guys make a good play, say 'Good job' and that kind of stuff. It is a great team sport and I'm part of the team."
Timonen did add leadership and character to this great Blackhawks club that already was oozing with it, and clearly he was respected. Chicago captain Jonathan Toews proved it after being presented the Cup, as Timonen was the choice as the next player to get it.
""Great moment," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "I was very proud of him, especially coming here," Quenneville said. "Wanted to come here. Wanted to end his career with a chance to win the Cup. Very fitting.
"Not too many guys get to play their last game hoisting the Cup. Very happy for him. Ups and downs. Thought he would give us some real predictability in the last three games here, settle our own team down in our own end. Played smart, simple. Got a good stick, stayed strong in puck areas and gets to go out a champion, which is special for a great career."
Joel Quenneville adds to legacy with latest Cup win.
By Brian Hedger
Joel Quenneville isn't always the first name mentioned among the NHL's best coaches, but the coach of the Chicago Blackhawks bolstered his case after winning the Stanley Cup for the third time Monday.
After 18 seasons, Quenneville has an NHL coaching legacy few of his peers can match.
The 2-0 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final at United Center is the latest jewel, but his collection of coaching gems is gaudy to say the least.
Quenneville is third in NHL regular-season wins (754) and Stanley Cup Playoff wins (115), trailing Scotty Bowman and Al Arbour in each category.
Nearly a month ago, the Toronto Maple Leafs signed Mike Babcock to an eight-year contract reportedly worth $50 million, which made some wonder what Quenneville might be worth on the open market.
"I think he gets a lot of credit, but I don't think he gets enough credit, if that's the word," said Jeremy Roenick, an NBC studio analyst and former Blackhawks forward. "I think with Babcock signing the deal he did, Quenneville should be licking his chops waiting for his next contract. He deserves to be having the same kind of money that Mr. Babcock got."
Quenneville's contract runs through the 2016-17 season, which means he'll likely pass Arbour for second place in regular-season and playoff victories. He might even have a fourth championship to his credit, the way things are going for the Blackhawks.
"I think you got to evolve a little bit with the way the game has changed, but [we've] pretty well kept the same approach, how we work with players, how we deal with individuals [and] communication lines," Quenneville said. "The important thing is, it's about the team, accountability. A lot of things go into it. To me, it's never about me. It's about the group around us. [You] try to maximize everybody's effectiveness. Team comes first; go from there."
Quenneville isn't afraid to make tough calls if he feels it's best for his team, and he's not against bruising a few egos.
"He's not there to be the players' friend," Roenick said. "He cares about the players. I think he cares about them personally, he cares about them professionally, but he's not there to worry about people's feelings or coddle people's feelings. That's a gift."
Look no further than the 2015 playoffs for examples.
After Kris Versteeg scored one goal in six games against the Nashville Predators in the Western Conference First Round, Quenneville scratched the veteran forward for the second round against the Minnesota Wild. Versteeg played once against the Anaheim Ducks in the conference final and then was back in the lineup in place of Bryan Bickell for the majority of the series against the Lightning.
Bickell, who was suffering from vertigo at the start of the Final, played Game 3 before again being replaced by Versteeg, who got the primary assist on center Antoine Vermette's Game 5-winning goal.
Vermette and rookie Teuvo Teravainen also were part of Quenneville's lineup tinkering this postseason. Each was a healthy scratch at different points during the first round and conference final, with each missing from Game 3 against the Ducks. The Blackhawks lost that game at home to fall behind 2-1 in the series, and Quenneville took a lot of heat for sitting them.
Neither Vermette nor Teravainen left the lineup again and each played a significant role in winning the last two rounds.
"Joel has done an incredible job, I think, of just gauging where we're at throughout some of these series, knowing what our team needs to do [and] what look we need to change as far as matchups or lineup combinations, things like that," Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews said. "I think he identifies things that will make us stronger going into the later games in the series."
Roenick said Quenneville's conviction while making those decisions sets him apart.
"He's got the perfect mentality for a coach, because he has the ability to press buttons when buttons need to be pressed, whether they're negative or whether they're positive," Roenick said. "You need to have a fire if you're a coach, and you can tell by watching Joel on the bench how much fire he has in his belly, the love and the passion he has for the game. When you have that ability, players can see it. Players feed off it, some players fear off it, and I think players respond to it."
Tampa Bay Lightning Coach Cooper: 'This is going to leave a scar, no doubt.'
By Mike Halford
(Photo/AP)
And then, there’s the losing side.
Not just any questions, but those questions. The ones nobody likes to ask and even fewer like to answer.
How does it feel? What do you say? How much does it hurt? Can you describe your emotions?
Jon Cooper, credit to him, tried his best to respond.
“We’ve got a group of young men in there, but they’re kids at heart, and they’re crushed,” he said. “It was really hard to look at them and see how crushed they truly are. I’m crushed for two other people. I’m crushed for [assistant coach] Rick Bowness. I envisioned handing him the Stanley Cup. And I’m crushed for [other assistant] Steve Thomas because I envisioned doing the same thing. Guys have been in this league for a long time and you just want to see other people succeed and be a part of the success.
“Maybe we’ll look back weeks from now and somewhat treasure what we accomplished. But we’ve got unfinished business to do. The Montreal series last year stung, but that pales in comparison to what this feels like.”
The Lightning were visibly gutted following tonight’s 2-0 loss — the first time they’d been shut out in 19 playoff games. That lack of offense was a recurring theme over the final three games of this series, all Chicago wins; the Bolts only put two pucks past Corey Crawford through Games 4-6, with captain and former 60-goal man Steve Stamkos failing to find the back of the net all series.
“Ultimately, we didn’t score enough,” Cooper admitted. “If you would have told me at the beginning of the playoffs that we were going to be the team that scored one goal in the last two games, that wasn’t our MO.
“We were only giving up two goals a game. When this team only gives up two, we win a majority of those games. The pucks just didn’t go in for us. It was a tough time for us to go cold, have the well go dry, especially since we carried this on the whole year.”
Ultimately, this will serve as a learning experience for the Bolts. The team is young, talented and thanks to GM Steve Yzerman’s managerial savvy, well-positioned to remain a title contender in a salary cap world.
But that’s of little condolence on a night when their Stanley Cup dreams were dashed away.
“This is going to leave a scar,” Cooper said. “No doubt.”
Blackhawks built through draft, smart signings.
By Corey Masisak
The Chicago Blackhawks long ago built the foundation for a roster capable of winning the Stanley Cup three times in six seasons.
Eight players won the Cup for a third time with the Blackhawks when they defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-0 in Game 6 of the Final at United Center on Monday. Five of those players were drafted by Chicago and six have been with the Blackhawks for at least seven seasons.
Through the roster upheavals the Blackhawks have endured, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Niklas Hjalmarsson have remained, considered the core of the closest thing the NHL has seen to a modern dynasty.
The NHL Draft has been critical to Chicago's success. Twelve of the 25 players who appeared in at least one 2015 Stanley Cup Playoff game were drafted and developed by the Blackhawks.
It has been a consistent source of talent for the Blackhawks, not just when they performed poorly and received high picks. Every draft from 2002 to 2012, save for 2008, was represented on Chicago's playoff roster with at least one player selected by the Blackhawks.
There was a contribution from the 2008 draft class: Forward Ben Smith was traded to the San Jose Sharks for center Andrew Desjardins, who was a key member of Chicago's fourth line this postseason.
Eight of the 12 picks were not among the top 40 selections in their draft, and the Blackhawks have found great value in the later rounds with Hjalmarsson, Marcus Kruger and Andrew Shaw.
Excelling at the draft has allowed the Blackhawks to avoid the need to spend in free agency. Hossa was a marquee addition with a 12-year, $62.8 million contract, but Chicago's other free agents have signed short-term, low-risk deals.
Here is a timeline of when and how each of the 25 players who saw postseason action for the Blackhawks were acquired:
June 23, 2002 -- Duncan Keith, drafted in the second round (No. 54)
June 21, 2003 -- Brent Seabrook, drafted in the first round (No. 14)
June 22, 2003 -- Corey Crawford, drafted in the second round (No. 52)
June 27, 2004 -- Bryan Bickell, drafted in the second round (No. 41)
July 30, 2005 -- Niklas Hjalmarsson, drafted in the fourth round (No. 108)
Dec. 5, 2005 -- Patrick Sharp, acquired in a trade from the Philadelphia Flyers
June 24, 2006 -- Jonathan Toews, drafted in the first round (No. 3)
June 22, 2007 -- Patrick Kane, drafted in the first round (No. 1)
June 27, 2009 -- Marcus Kruger, drafted in the fifth round (No. 149)
July 1, 2009 -- Marian Hossa, signed as an unrestricted free agent
June 26, 2010 -- Joakim Nordstrom, drafted in the third round (No. 90)
June 25, 2011 -- Brandon Saad, drafted in the second round (No. 43)
June 25, 2011 -- Andrew Shaw, drafted in the fifth round (No. 139)
Feb. 27, 2012 -- Johnny Oduya, acquired in a trade from the Winnipeg Jets
June 22, 2012 -- Teuvo Teravainen, drafted in the first round (No. 19)
Sept. 11, 2012 -- Michal Rozsival, signed as an unrestricted free agent
Nov. 15, 2013 -- Kris Versteeg, acquired in a trade from the Florida Panthers
March 4, 2014 -- David Rundblad, acquired in a trade from the Arizona Coyotes
March 24, 2014 -- Trevor van Riemsdyk, signed as an undrafted college free agent
July 1, 2014 -- Brad Richards, signed as an unrestricted free agent
July 1, 2014 -- Scott Darling, signed as an unrestricted free agent
July 2, 2014 -- Kyle Cumiskey, signed as an unrestricted free agent
Feb. 27, 2015 -- Kimmo Timonen, acquired in a trade from the Philadelphia Flyers
Feb. 28, 2015 -- Antoine Vermette, acquired in a trade from the Arizona Coyotes
March 2, 2015 -- Andrew Desjardins, acquired in a trade from the San Jose Sharks
Blackhawks fans celebrate Stanley Cup win.
ABC7.com
Fans packed Clark Street in Wrigleyville after the Chicago Blackhawks won their third Stanley Cup in six years on Monday, June 15, 2015. (
Chicago Blackhawks fans celebrate. (Photo/ UPI/Brian Kersey)
Stanley Cup Champions
ESPN.com
2015 -- Chicago Blackhawks
2014 -- Los Angeles Kings
2013 -- Chicago Blackhawks 2012 -- Los Angeles Kings
2011 -- Boston Bruins
2010 -- Chicago Blackhawks 2009 -- Pittsburgh Penguins
2008 -- Detroit Red Wings
2007 -- Anaheim Ducks
2006 -- Carolina Hurricanes
2005 -- Lockout
2004 -- Tampa Bay Lightning
2003 -- New Jersey Devils
2002 -- Detroit Red Wings
2001 -- Colorado Avalanche
2000 -- New Jersey Devils
1999 -- Dallas Stars
1998 -- Detroit Red Wings
1997 -- Detroit Red Wings
1996 -- Colorado Avalanche
1995 -- New Jersey Devils
1994 -- New York Rangers
1993 -- Montreal Canadiens
1992 -- Pittsburgh Penguins
1991 -- Pittsburgh Penguins
1990 -- Edmonton Oilers
1989 -- Calgary Flames
1988 -- Edmonton Oilers
1987 -- Edmonton Oilers
1986 -- Montreal Canadiens
1985 -- Edmonton Oilers
1984 -- Edmonton Oilers
1983 -- New York Islanders
1982 -- New York Islanders
1981 -- New York Islanders
1980 -- New York Islanders
1979 -- Montreal Canadiens
1978 -- Montreal Canadiens
1977 -- Montreal Canadiens
1976 -- Montreal Canadiens
1975 -- Philadelphia Flyers
1974 -- Philadelphia Flyers
1973 -- Montreal Canadiens
1972 -- Boston Bruins
1971 -- Montreal Canadiens
1970 -- Boston Bruins
1969 -- Montreal Canadiens
1968 -- Montreal Canadiens
1967 -- Toronto Maple Leafs
1966 -- Montreal Canadiens
1965 -- Montreal Canadiens
1964 -- Toronto Maple Leafs
1963 -- Toronto Maple Leafs
1962 -- Toronto Maple Leafs
1961 -- Chicago Blackhawks 1960 -- Montreal Canadiens
1959 -- Montreal Canadiens
1958 -- Montreal Canadiens
1957 -- Montreal Canadiens
1956 -- Montreal Canadiens
1955 -- Detroit Red Wings
1954 -- Detroit Red Wings
1953 -- Montreal Canadiens
1952 -- Detroit Red Wings
1951 -- Toronto Maple Leafs
1950 -- Detroit Red Wings
1949 -- Toronto Maple Leafs
1948 -- Toronto Maple Leafs
1947 -- Toronto Maple Leafs
1946 -- Montreal Canadiens
1945 -- Toronto Maple Leafs
1944 -- Montreal Canadiens
1943 -- Detroit Red Wings
1942 -- Toronto Maple Leafs
1941 -- Boston Bruins
1940 -- New York Rangers
1939 -- Boston Bruins
1938 -- Chicago Blackhawks 1937 -- Detroit Red Wings
1936 -- Detroit Red Wings
1935 -- Montreal Maroons
1934 -- Chicago Blackhawks 1933 -- New York Rangers
1932 -- Toronto Maple Leafs
1931 -- Montreal Canadiens
1930 -- Montreal Canadiens
1929 -- Boston Bruins
1928 -- New York Rangers
1927 -- Ottawa Senators
1926 -- Montreal Maroons
1925 -- Victoria Cougars
1924 -- Montreal Canadiens
1923 -- Ottawa Senators
1922 -- Toronto St. Patricks
1921 -- Ottawa Senators
1920 -- Ottawa Senators
1919 -- No decision. The series between Montreal and Seattle was called off because of an influenza epidemic.
1918 -- Toronto Arenas
ESPN.com
2015 -- Chicago Blackhawks
2014 -- Los Angeles Kings
2013 -- Chicago Blackhawks 2012 -- Los Angeles Kings
2011 -- Boston Bruins
2010 -- Chicago Blackhawks 2009 -- Pittsburgh Penguins
2008 -- Detroit Red Wings
2007 -- Anaheim Ducks
2006 -- Carolina Hurricanes
2005 -- Lockout
2004 -- Tampa Bay Lightning
2003 -- New Jersey Devils
2002 -- Detroit Red Wings
2001 -- Colorado Avalanche
2000 -- New Jersey Devils
1999 -- Dallas Stars
1998 -- Detroit Red Wings
1997 -- Detroit Red Wings
1996 -- Colorado Avalanche
1995 -- New Jersey Devils
1994 -- New York Rangers
1993 -- Montreal Canadiens
1992 -- Pittsburgh Penguins
1991 -- Pittsburgh Penguins
1990 -- Edmonton Oilers
1989 -- Calgary Flames
1988 -- Edmonton Oilers
1987 -- Edmonton Oilers
1986 -- Montreal Canadiens
1985 -- Edmonton Oilers
1984 -- Edmonton Oilers
1983 -- New York Islanders
1982 -- New York Islanders
1981 -- New York Islanders
1980 -- New York Islanders
1979 -- Montreal Canadiens
1978 -- Montreal Canadiens
1977 -- Montreal Canadiens
1976 -- Montreal Canadiens
1975 -- Philadelphia Flyers
1974 -- Philadelphia Flyers
1973 -- Montreal Canadiens
1972 -- Boston Bruins
1971 -- Montreal Canadiens
1970 -- Boston Bruins
1969 -- Montreal Canadiens
1968 -- Montreal Canadiens
1967 -- Toronto Maple Leafs
1966 -- Montreal Canadiens
1965 -- Montreal Canadiens
1964 -- Toronto Maple Leafs
1963 -- Toronto Maple Leafs
1962 -- Toronto Maple Leafs
1961 -- Chicago Blackhawks 1960 -- Montreal Canadiens
1959 -- Montreal Canadiens
1958 -- Montreal Canadiens
1957 -- Montreal Canadiens
1956 -- Montreal Canadiens
1955 -- Detroit Red Wings
1954 -- Detroit Red Wings
1953 -- Montreal Canadiens
1952 -- Detroit Red Wings
1951 -- Toronto Maple Leafs
1950 -- Detroit Red Wings
1949 -- Toronto Maple Leafs
1948 -- Toronto Maple Leafs
1947 -- Toronto Maple Leafs
1946 -- Montreal Canadiens
1945 -- Toronto Maple Leafs
1944 -- Montreal Canadiens
1943 -- Detroit Red Wings
1942 -- Toronto Maple Leafs
1941 -- Boston Bruins
1940 -- New York Rangers
1939 -- Boston Bruins
1938 -- Chicago Blackhawks 1937 -- Detroit Red Wings
1936 -- Detroit Red Wings
1935 -- Montreal Maroons
1934 -- Chicago Blackhawks 1933 -- New York Rangers
1932 -- Toronto Maple Leafs
1931 -- Montreal Canadiens
1930 -- Montreal Canadiens
1929 -- Boston Bruins
1928 -- New York Rangers
1927 -- Ottawa Senators
1926 -- Montreal Maroons
1925 -- Victoria Cougars
1924 -- Montreal Canadiens
1923 -- Ottawa Senators
1922 -- Toronto St. Patricks
1921 -- Ottawa Senators
1920 -- Ottawa Senators
1919 -- No decision. The series between Montreal and Seattle was called off because of an influenza epidemic.
1918 -- Toronto Arenas
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Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica thanks and salutes the "Chicago Blackhawks", the NHL's best team in the 2014-2015 season. It can't and doesn't get any better than that!!!!!
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