Hawks End It

It was, perhaps, the most anti-climactic end possible for such a phenomenal Cup Final, but the Chicago Blackhawks managed to fend off a late rally by the Flyers to capture their first Cup since 1961 (49 years, and the longest drought in the sport). This series had it all. It had talent, it had grit, it had hatred, and it had passion. This series showed what the sport is all about. Anyone who followed the Finals came away satisfied, as both the Hawks and Flyers brought their A-game throughout.

What is so [disappointing?] about it, is the sudden way it was ended, although it speaks to the abruptness of the sport. Instead of a Jonathan Toews highlight-reel goal or a Jeff Carter crowd-igniter, it was a weak wrist-shot from the goal-line that netted Patrick Kane the most important goal of his young career. Nobody in the building, aside from Kane and Michael Leighton, even knew the puck had crossed the line! Anti Niemi was even hesitant to celebrate the victory! The refs even went to video replay! It doesn't get any less-exciting than that!

What an incredible series, though. It goes down as the best in recent memory. The two teams matched up perfectly and the storyline was there. Chris Pronger had brought this team of destiny, with makeshift goaltending, all the way to the Finals. Toews and Kane had done what was asked of them, make it to the Finals and give Chicago what it has thirsted for throughout nearly five decades. It was all there, and the teams did not disappoint. To a hockey purist, this series was almost as good as it gets.

I have to give a portion of this post to applaud Flyers fans. I fully expected them to boo their team off the ice if they had come out on the losing end. They proved me wrong. They handled the ending with Armando Galarraga type grace. Second after Kane's goal squeaked through Leighton, they paid tribute to their team with a deafening "LETS GO FLYERS" chant. Philly fans, for once, showed some true class. They, like Detroit and Pittsburgh fans of years past, even stayed to watch the celebration of the Blackhawks.

As a Bruins fan, I fully expected to dig a hole and live in it for the next four months. I seemingly couldn't bear to watch hockey (pun intended). But playoff hockey, as proven time and time again, is simply too good to miss. This series, and the playoffs as a whole, was a perfect illustration of the competition and parity that exists within the sport (thank you, salary cap). But for Hawks fans out there, congratulations, you're the envy of the sporting world right now. Hopefully, this time next year...or two year from now, it will be a celebration much closer to home. For now...lets focus on June 25th. Bruins Draft Preview coming soon.