Archive for the ‘Chicago Blackhawks’ Category
Blackhawks Win Stanley Cup!
Finally last night the Chicago Blackhawks broke their dry spell of 49 years by winning the Stanley Cup in Philadelphia. They took the series 4-2 by beating the Philadelphia Flyers in overtime 4-3. The final goal was scored by Patrick Kane. What a great night for the Blackhawks who had gone the longest time without winning the Stanley Cup. That record now goes to the Toronto Maple Leafs who haven’t won the Cup since 1967.
The Conn Smythe Trophy went to 22 year old team captain Jonathan Toews.
Of the entire Blackhawks team only three players have had the pleasure of winning the Stanley Cup in the past. John Madden has won two with the New Jersey Devils, Andrew Ladd won one with the Carolina Hurricanes and Tomas Kopecky won one with the Detroit Red Wings.
After arriving back in Chicago for an early morning breakfast, the team headed to the parade route to be met by thousands of appreciative fans.
Well done Blackhawks!!
Blackhawks’ Got Their Grove Back!
What a game! Chicago Blackhawks beat the Philadelphia Flyers last night 7-4 to take back the series lead. The Chicago Blackhawks now lead the series 3-2 and are only 1 game away from winning the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1961. Chicago has not been successful in winning a game in Philadelphia but hope to change that with a win in game 6 on Wednesday night to take the Stanley Cup.
It seems as though the Blackhawks change up of lines have had great results with a 3-0 lead in the first period. Sometimes a shake up of the good old things can work wonders. After a terrible first period for the Flyers, coach Peter Laviolette pulled goalie Michael Leighton and replaced him with Brian Boucher.
With just over 2 minutes left in regulation time, Philadelphia pull their goalie for an extra man advantage. This, unfortunately, gave the Blackhawks an extra chance for another goal. With an empty net, Dustin Byfuglien, scored the Blackhawks 7th goal at 17:55.
With game 6 coming this Wednesday in Philadelphia the Blackhawks will have to go some to pull themselves together knowing their record of losses in Philadelphia. However, the pressure will also be on for the Flyers knowing that only one more loss for them will be the end of their hopes for the prestegious Stanley Cup.
Stanley Cup Finals Tied Up!
Chicago Blackhawks have lost their 2 game lead and are now back to square one. The Blackhawks have now lost 10 consecutive games in Philadelphia, however, they return home to the windy city tonight for game 5.
Chicago cut a three-goal deficit to 4-3 in the third period, but Jeff Carter scored an empty-net goal at 19:35. “We wanted to win at least one on the road,” Toews said. ”We had a lot of success before coming in here. It’s frustrating when you’re that close, but tonight was kind of like Wednesday night where it was too little, too late.”
Besides the fact that the Blackhawks spent too much time in the penalty box, their top three scorers continued to struggle. Maybe they will have to switch their lines around to create more scoring opportunities. Patrick Kane was minus 4 for the night. Jonathan Toews and Dustin Byfuglien had three shots on goal each and failed to score.
“It wasn’t good enough,” said Chicago captain Jonathan Toews. ”I don’t know if it was their crowd that gets them going, but we’ve got to find a way in this building. We need to click better from the start when we come back for Game 6. We’ll be ready for that when we do. We’ll put this one behind us and get excited that we’re playing at home again.”
The Chicago Blackhawks remain confident even after their 2 losses away from home. With the backing of a crowd in excess of 22,000 screaming fans, Chicago should be able to pull off a win tonight in game 5.
The Blackhawks Rise Again
Since their establishment in 1926, the Chicago Blackhawks have only won three Stanley Cup championships. This is especially surprising given that the NHL was made up of only six teams for the 25-season stretch between 1942 and 1967. During that Original Six era, they were repeatedly defeated by the Canadian powerhouses in Toronto and Montreal. Still, the Hawks remain a proud franchise, and they have seen increased success in recent years.
In 2008, the team made the Western Conference finals where they were defeated by Detroit. Perhaps most impressive is the fact that Chicago led the league in home attendance, raking in money during a particularly harsh economic period. The team also played an outdoor game inside Wrigley Field that drew national attention from hockey fans and others who were curious to see such a spectacle. Chicago Blackhawks jerseys are flying off the racks in conjunction with the team’s resurgence.