Every game was a game of inches but the Chicago Blackhawks finished the 2013 NHL season much like they started it... unbeatable! The Hawks are now the Stanley Cup Champions again only 3 years after their last championship. Chicago took down the mighty Boston Bruins in 6 games to bring home their 5th Stanley Cup since 1934.
Chicago started this season with the longest point streak to open a season ever, so it isn't that surprising that they ended up winning the Stanley Cup. It's too bad the season was so short because of the lockout, but the Hawks only had 7 losses throughout the whole season... it could have been one of the greatest seasons ever for an NHL team but because the season was so short, it kinda feels like a rip-off.
Last-Minute Miracle
Jonathon and Patrick DuoCourtesy of the NHL
Milan Lucic of the Bruins scored a 2-1 go-ahead goal for Boston late in the game which made it look like we were going to see a game 7 back in Chicago. However with only a minute left to go, the Blackhawks shocked the Boston fans with 2 quick goals in 17 seconds to steal game six and take home the Stanley Cup.
Bruin Beat-Down
Blackhawks GoalieCourtesy of the NHL
The Boston Bruins were also looking for their 2nd Stanley Cup in the last few years as they won the Cup in 2010, however they kept coming up short against the clutch one-goal victories by the Hawks. 3 of the 4 wins were late one-goal winners and two of them were overtime nail-biters.
MVP Man
Conn for KaneCourtesy of the NHL
Patrick Kane led all scorers with 9 goals and 10 assists in 23 playoff games to win the Conn Smythe Trophy, the MVP of the Playoffs. Patrick is really starting to show signs that he might be the best player in the NHL. During the regular season, he put out some amazing highlight-reel goals, while in the Playoffs, he definitely helped lead his team with some big goals when they needed them.
Ratings Through the Roof
Stanley Cup WinnersCourtesy of the NHL
Even after angry fans waited 3 months for the greedy owners to let the players play hockey after this year's lockout, the TV ratings sky-rocketed to the largest television audience ever for a NHL Playoffs season. That's bad news for future disagreements between players and owners because now the owners know that the fans will keep waiting for hockey no matter how ridiculous the strikes and lockouts are.
Have Your Say...
Who did you cheer for in the Stanley Cup Finals? Let us know in the comments below.
