Lowe wins the 2013 Steinley Cup

The Lowe has claimed his seventh Steinley Cup title.

The Chicago Blackhawks have defeated the Boston Bruins in six games, giving them their second Stanley Cup Championship in three years.  They last won in 2010. That was the same year Lowe last won the Steinley.

Lowe's roster in 3013 had a healthy mix of both Blackhawks and Bruins, and in the end he won by a 39 point margin.  It was over early, but it wasn't quite was easy as the final tally might indicate.  Lowe's teams were taken to the brink of elimination several times, and with a bounce here or a different call by an official there, he would have been amongst the also-rans.

The Bruins needed come- from-behind victory against the Leafs in Round One.  They were down 4-1 with less than 10 minutes remaining in that game, but came back to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The Blackhwaks squeaked by a determined Red Wings team in Round Two, and many believe they deserved to lose that series. Yes, things could've been very different, indeed. But that's hockey, and that's the Steinley Cup.

Lowe will now accept the Steinley Cup in an official Ceremony on July 1st at Hartvich's poolside resort in Manotick, Ontario. Steinley elite and a host of others will be in attendance to congratulate the 2013 Champ and see him sip from the treasured Stein.

Congratulations, Lowe.

Blackhawks stun Bruins in Game 6 to win Stanley Cup

BOSTON -- Bryan Bickell and Dave Bolland scored goals 17 seconds apart Monday as the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in dramatic fashion with an amazing 3-2 last-minute comeback victory over the Boston Bruins in Game 6 of the final.

Milan Lucic's third-period goal had seemed to give the Bruins a 2-1 victory and a new lease of life in the final.

But with Chicago goalie Corey Crawford out for an extra attacker, Bickell tied it up at 18:44 after Jonathan Toews circled out of the corner when Boston was unable to clear the puck. With two teammates waiting for him in front of goal, Toews chose Bickell and the game was suddenly tied.

Bolland then won the Cup seconds after the puck drop, tucking in a rebound of a Johnny Oduya point shot that hit the goal-post. Bolland nipped between two defenders to redirect the puck in at 19:01 to stun the Bruins and previously raucous crowd at TD Garden.

Toews, reduced to a spectator the final minutes of Game 5, added a goal and an assist for Chicago as the Blackhawks clawed their way back into the game. The captain was the first to hoist the Cup as his teammates jumped up and down.

Crawford finished with 23 saves in the victory that marked Chicago's fifth championship and second in four years.

"That team in 2010, we didn't really know what we were doing," Toews said. "We played great hockey, and we were kind of oblivious to how good we were playing. This time around we know definitely how much work it takes and how much sacrifice it takes to get back here, and this is an unbelievable group.

"We've been through a lot together this year, and this is a sweet way to finish it off."

Added Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville: "It's always the greatest feeling in the world, so it can't be any better. So it's always a tie, and once you do it, you can't wait to do it again. The stories, the ups and downs and the process of trying to win a Cup, that's what makes it so special.

Chris Kelly had the other goal for Boston, while Tuukka Rask made 28 saves. The Bruins offence was limited by a power play that went 0-for-4 on the night.

Lucic had taken advantage of a Crawford handling error behind the goal to give the Bruins a 2-1 lead at 12:11. The bruising forward disrupted the Chicago goalie and when the puck came back in front from David Krejci in the corner, Lucic wristed it in.

The Bruins, who won the Stanley Cup in 2011, had their way with the Blackhawks in the first period, but only managed to turn that dominance into a 1-0 lead. Chicago rallied in the second to tie it up and make a contest out of it before completing the memorable comeback.

Tied 1-1 going into the third, the game was up for grabs. And the stakes were high, ratcheting up the pressure for the capacity crowd of 17,565 -- Boston's 165th straight sellout.

It made for a fast-placed third period, with both teams getting chances in what felt like overtime. A lot of hearts were in throats as pucks flew through the crease or just missed sticks.

Both goalies -- Rask for Boston and Crawford for Chicago -- were in the zone. They never really left it during a series where goals were hard to come by most nights.

Both teams endured a bumpy ride to get to Game 6. There were question marks over the health of Chicago's Toews and Boston star Patrice Bergeron. It was revealed that Toews had his bell rung in Game 5, while Bergeron had a broken rib and cartilage damage before separating his shoulder in Game 6.

Chicago's Marian Hossa, who was dealing with a back injury, and Boston's Nathan Horton were also playing hurt.

The players also had to contend with searing summer heat in the low 30s that did little for the ice. It was warmer in Beantown than Libya. A thin layer of fog was visible over the ice as the Bruins started their morning skate over some bumpy ice.

Monday matched the deepest the Stanley Cup playoffs have stretched into the summer. New Jersey capped its sweep of Detroit on June 24, 1995, in the last lockout-shortened season.

The last time the Cup was presented on Boston ice was in 1990 when John Muckler's Edmonton Oilers defeated Mike Milbury's Bruins four games to one. Craig Simpson, who was in CBC's commentary booth for the 2013 final, scored the winning goal. Milbury is a studio analyst for NBC.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was once again booed after the game. Chicago sniper Patrick Kane won the Conn Smythe award as playoff MVP.

The final, the first to feature Original Six teams since Montreal defeated the New York Rangers in 1979, did not disappoint.

There were three overtime games and plenty of drama as the speed and skill of Chicago was matched against the hard-hitting Bruins who balanced talent with truculence. But in truth, both teams had a bit of everything including clutch goaltending and a high pain threshold.

If Chicago is a sleek Porsche, Boston is a muscle car. Both have power, but one was built to give and take some more knocks.

Going into Game 6, Chicago led in shots (204-175) and goals (14-13). Boston had the edge in hits (237-176).

Chicago, with a full-season salary tab of US$79.8 million, ranked fourth in the league in payroll. Boston was eighth at $73.2.

The Blackhawks become the first team in the salary cap era to win the Cup twice.

Chicago also won the Cup in 2010, defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2. Given the Hawks' recent success, it is easy to forget that the 2010 championship was the first for Chicago since 1961 -- at the time the league's longest active Stanley Cup drought.

The franchise had to shed players in the wake of that Cup run because of salary cap issues. But once again it finds itself celebrating on enemy ice, thanks to GM Stan Bowman's refreshing of the roster.

Dustin Byfuglien, Troy Brouwer, Brian Campbell, Ben Eager, Tomas Kopecky, Andrew Ladd, John Madden, Antti Niemi and Kris Versteeg all moved on after the 2010 Cup win.

Boston, meanwhile, seemed to run out of weapons in the final.

Krejci had nine goals and 12 assists in the first three rounds of the playoffs but only managed two assists in the first five games of the final. That was two more points than Brad Marchand, who led the team in scoring this season.

Tyler Seguin, fourth on the team in scoring during the season, was 11th on the team going into Monday's game with one playoff goal and six assists.

It said something that going into Game 6 defencemen had scored 17 of Boston's 63 goals (27.0 per cent), the most among all playoff clubs.

And Chicago seemed to have solved Bruins beanpole Zdeno Chara. The Bruins captain was on the ice for eight of the nine Chicago goals in the Hawks' Game 4 and 5 wins.

The game had Prime Minister Stephen Harper's attention.

"Original 6/Game 6 - fans like us can't lose," he tweeted prior to the game.

After falling victim to several Chicago fast starts, Boston came out buzzing and soon had the Hawks on their heels.

Hard work paid off for the Bruins' third line as Kelly won a faceoff in Chicago's defensive end and the Bruins kept the puck in. Seguin batted the puck down out of the air and passed over to Kelly, who snapped a shot past Crawford before the goalie could slide across the crease. Kelly's second goal of the playoffs came at 7:19.

With 4:01 remaining in the period, Chicago's Andrew Shaw went down after taking a Shawn Thornton shot to the face. That required workers to clean blood off the ice, while Shaw needed repairs of his own.

The fast-paced game was taking its toll. Jaromir Jagr played just three minutes three seconds of the first period with Rich Peverley taking his place alongside Marchand and Bergeron. Jagr returned for the second period, took one shift then headed back to the dressing room, with Seguin filling in.

The first period was all Boston, who led the shot attempts category 32-8.

The Bruins outshot Chicago 12-6 and won 17 faceoffs to the Hawks' seven. They also outhit Chicago 16-13. It could have been worse but the Blackhawks blocked 13 shots to the Bruins' one.

Still it was only 1-0 on the scoreboard. And that soon changed.

Toews tied it up at 4:24 of the second period with his third of the post-season, winning a faceoff and then -- after Michael Rozsival chipped the puck ahead -- beating Chara down the boards before swooping in to rifle a shot past Rask at 4:24.

To make matters worse, the goal came at the end of a Boston power play -- the exact second that a Shaw roughing penalty expired as the Blackhawks killed off their fourth penalty of the game.

It was Toews' second goal in his last three outings, equalling his total from his prior 22 playoff contests. For Chara, it meant he had been on the ice for nine of Chicago's last 10 goals.

But it was Chara to the rescue later in the period on a Chicago power play, clearing the puck away with Rask out of position after a pair of saves and Kane ready to stuff the rebound in.

Chicago outshot Boston 9-6 in the second period. And the Hawks were working hard to limit the Bruins chances, leading 20-4 in blocked shots after two periods.

Bergeron, clearly not 100 per cent, won three of seven faceoffs in the first 40 minutes.

Jagr was back on the bench to start the third period and returned to the ice.

The Hawks -- who also won the Cup in 1934, 1938 and 1961 -- opened the lockout-shortened season with a statement, picking up at least a point in 24 straight outings.

Colorado won 6-2 on March 8 to end the streak. Chicago had won 11 in a row and were unbeaten in regulation in 30 straight games (24-0-6) dating to last season.

Prior to the defeat at the hands of the Avalanche, the last regulation loss for the Blackhawks was a 6-1 home defeat to the Nashville Predators almost a year before.

Only the 1979-80 Philadelphia Flyers (25-0-10) have enjoyed a longer unbeaten NHL run. They did it in an era before regular season overtime.

Chicago finished the regular season with 36-7-5 record to lead the league. Boston was 15 points behind, in fifth spot overall in the league.

The Blackhawks become the first Presidents' Trophy winner to win the Cup since the Red Wings did it in 2008.

The Bruins finished with a 28-14-6 record, winning just two of their last nine in an end-of-season schedule disrupted by the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings.

In the playoffs, the Chicago dispatched Minnesota (4-1), Detroit (4-3, a series they trailed 3-1) and Los Angeles (4-1).

Boston survived the Toronto Maple Leafs, barely (4-3, mounting a historic three-goal comeback in the third period of Game 7 to win in OT), the New York Rangers (4-1) and Pittsburgh (4-0).

Lowe wont' accept victory until the final buzzer sounds

Lowe has won the 2013 Steinley Cup. Congratulations, Lowe.

However, the six-time Stienley Champ won't acknowledge his seventh until the Stanley Cup Playoffs are officially over.  With a 33 point lead heading into Game 6, it seems absurd that the big man won't give two head nods and a hand gesture to his 2013 success, but there's a method to his madness.

"We all know by now that you never trash talk and you never talk about winning,"  said Lowe over beers while watching Game 4. "You'll jinx yourself."

When pressed on that logic and the inevitability of the outcome this year, Lowe wasn't having any of it.

"I don't want to jinx myself for next year." Lowe added.

With his seventh Championship, Lowe will move into a tie with Hartvich for the most Steinley Cups in history.

Of course, if he ever slips up and says something stupid, there may never be an eighth.

Bergeron misses morning skate, Julien confident he'll play

BOSTON (CP) -- Bruins centre Patrice Bergeron did not take part in the morning skate ahead of Game 6 of the Stanley Cup on Monday night. After the skate however, Bruins coach Claude Julien said Bergeron will take warmups and he's confident he'll play.

Bergeron is listed day-to-day after leaving Game 5 on Saturday night with an undisclosed injury.

Carl Soderberg took Bergeron's place between Jaromir Jagr and Brad Marchand at the skate. He also filled in for Bergeron after the Bruin went to hospital during the last game.

Bergeron's morning absence does not mean he is out for the game. The Bruins could be resting him -- or trying to keep the Blackhawks guessing.

Chicago, whose morning skate followed Boston's, leads the final three games to two. Captain Jonathan Toews was on the ice for the Hawks' skate, a good indication he will play in Game 6. He did rushes with usual linemates Bryan Bickell and Patrick Kane.

Toews left Game 5 with what coach Joel Quenneville called an upper-body injury. Quenneville said Sunday he was "optimistic" Towes could play.

The heat will literally be on both teams. The forecast high for Boston on Monday is 33 C.

There was a thin layer of fog on the ice when the Bruins started their morning skate.

Blackhawks head to Boston aiming to clinch Stanley Cup

(Sports Network) - The Chicago Blackhawks will try to clinch their second Stanley Cup since 2010 when they visit the Boston Bruins in Monday's Game 6 battle at TD Garden.

You can listen to the game live on TSN Radio 1050 and TSN Radio 690 and follow along on TSN.ca's GameTracker at 8pm et/5pm pt.

It's familiar territory for the Blackhawks and Bruins. When the Blackhawks won the 2010 Stanley Cup, they were up 3-2 on the Philadelphia Flyers before winning Game 6 on the road, while the Bruins were down 3-2 against the Vancouver Canucks in the 2011 Stanley Cup before winning Game 6 and Game 7.

Chicago, which ended a 49-year championship drought when it lifted the Cup three years ago, was down 2-1 to Boston in this best-of-seven series before taking Games 4 and 5 to move within one win of another title.

After winning a wild 6-5 overtime decision in Game 4 last Wednesday in Boston, the Blackhawks notched a 3-1 decision in Saturday's matchup in the Windy City. Patrick Kane scored a pair of goals in Game 5 and Corey Crawford stopped 23- of-24 shots to earn the pivotal win.

Chicago, the top seed in the West, is trying to become the first Presidents' Trophy winner to claim the Stanley Cup since Detroit beat Pittsburgh in 2008. The last time a team other than the Red Wings won the Cup after posting the league's best record in the regular season was when Colorado won it all in 2001.

Kane scored a goal in the first and second period of Game 5 and Dave Bolland wrapped up the win with an empty-netter in the final moments. Crawford, meanwhile, bounced back from a rough outing in Game 4, when he surrendered five goals on 33 shots and had to answer questions about a perceived weak glove hand.

"I think it was a big effort by everyone to come back, play defensively, block shots, sacrifice our bodies to block those pucks and quickly get on to offense," said Crawford. "Another good game, I think, moving the puck, moving our feet, and getting into the zone."

Chicago is 4-5 on the road in this postseason, but has a chance to claim the Cup away from home just like it did when it took Game 6 in Philadelphia on June 9, 2010. The Blackhawks recorded a 4-3 overtime win over the Flyers, with Kane providing the game-winner in the extra session.

Outside of Chicago having a chance to clinch the Cup, the biggest storyline heading into Game 6 involves the status of key players from both teams. Chicago captain Jonathan Toews and Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron -- the last two winners of the Selke Trophy -- both were injured in Game 5 and are game- time decisions for tonight. Patrice Bergeron did not take part in the morning skate for the Bruins but head coach Claude Julien said afterwards that he will take part in warmup and is confident he'll play. Toews meanwhile, took part in the morning skate for the Blackhawks.

Toews, who won the Selke this season, took a hit high to the back by Johnny Boychuk in the second period. He skated several more shifts in the frame before sitting out the final 20 minutes. After the game, Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville said that Toews had an upper-body injury and was hopeful he'd be ready for Game 6.

"Well, it's been a war, it's been a battle," said Quenneville. "It's every game, every shift you're fighting for every kind of shift around the ice. It's a fast paced game. You look at every minute from Game 1 to where we're at today, it's been an amazing series, and relentless hockey, and commend the guys on both teams for leaving it out on the ice."

Zdeno Chara scored the lone goal for the Bruins, who played half of the second period and all of the third without Bergeron. The forward left the game with an undisclosed injury and was taken to a local hospital for observation. He was released from the hospital on Saturday and was able to fly home with the team.
The nature of Bergeron's injury has not been disclosed, but Bruins head coach Claude Julien said he is "day-to-day."

Toews has two goals and 10 assists in these playoffs, while Bergeron has nine goals and six helpers.
Tuukka Rask turned away 29-of-31 shots in Saturday's defeat for Boston, which also won the Stanley Cup in 2011. Boston can look to its recent past for inspiration, though, as the team lost Game 5 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals in Vancouver to fall into a 3-2 hole, only to rally with wins in Game 6 and 7 to take home the championship.

"Well, it's pretty obvious. It's do or die," said Julien. "We've been there before, and we've done well in that situation. So we've got to, again, win the next game."

The Bruins are 8-3 on home ice in the 2013 playoffs. If they pick up a ninth win at TD Garden on Monday, then the teams will meet on Wednesday for a decisive Game 7 in Chicago.

This series marks the first time Original Six franchises have met in the Stanley Cup Finals since 1979, when Montreal defeated the New York Rangers in five games.

Boston has won five of the six postseason meetings with Chicago.

Bergeron taken to hospital as Bruins fall in Game 5

CHICAGO (CP) -- Patrice Bergeron left the arena in an ambulance. The Bruins headed home on the brink of elimination.

Game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals didn't go according to plan for Boston, with Patrick Kane scoring two goals to lift the Chicago Blackhawks to a 3-1 victory and 3-2 series lead on Saturday night.

The Bruins must win at home on Monday night to force a seventh game and keep their hopes alive for a second championship in three years.

"We're going to fight," David Krejci said. "We're going to fight with everything we have and force Game 7."
It would help if they had Bergeron. But their top forward's status is in question after he was taken to a hospital in an ambulance with an undisclosed injury.

That happened after he skated gingerly off the ice after playing just two shifts in the second period, and coach Claude Julien didn't say much about it afterward.

He would not reveal how it happened or any other details. He did say Bergeron "may be in the next game," but brushed aside further questions.

"Guys, I'm not going there, so anything else but injury here," Julien said. "I'll update you when I have an update. There's nothing more. We can ask a million questions. I don't have any more information than probably you guys do right now."

The Bruins don't have much more time, either.

What they do have is a history of fighting back when they're close to being knocked out.

"We've been down this road before," Krejci said. "In past years, we've been missing some key players and other players that (were) at the top. This is the time of the year when other guys are going to step up and you know it's do-or-die for us."

They were in several tough spots in 2011, only to keep rallying on the way to the championship.

They opened the playoffs that year with back-to-back losses to Montreal but won that series in seven games. In the Stanley Cup finals, they trailed 2-0 and 3-2 before rallying to beat Vancouver for their sixth title.

This year, they nearly got knocked off in the first round after jumping out to a 3-1 series lead against Toronto. They dropped the next two games and were down three in the third period in Game 7 before rallying to win that series, and their resolve is being tested again by the Blackhawks.

"We've been there before and done well in that situation," Julien said. "Right now, our goal is to create a Game 7. And to create a Game 7, we've got to win a Game 6. We've been good at home, and we need to be good at home the next game. It's as simple as that. There's no panic. You're not going to push us away that easy."

The problem is the Bruins are facing a team that dominated like no other this season, getting off to a record start on the way to finishing with the most points in the NHL.

The Bruins got a solid performance in goal from Tuukka Rask, who had 29 saves coming off a 6-5 overtime loss, but Chicago dictated the tempo, particularly in the second period.

That changed down the stretch, even without Bergeron on the ice.

"It's kind of sad that you had to lose a guy like that to wake the team up and start battling out there," Rask said. "You're in the finals, you play 20 minutes and that's not going to be good enough to get you a hockey game. We have to realize that. Now we're going to have some new bodies, some new lines and everybody needs to put 110 per cent in and leave their hearts on the ice."

The Bruins looked like they might be building some momentum when Zdeno Chara fired a bullet from the left circle past Corey Crawford's glove to cut the deficit to one early in the third.

They nearly tied it with 2:20 left, only to have Crawford stop Jaromir Jagr after the puck careened around in front of the net, and the Blackhawks hung on from there.

Now, the Bruins are simply trying to hang on, period.

"We've been through it before, but it doesn't help to think about what happened in the past," Rask said. "We have to live in the moment. We have to be ready on Monday, get the first win. And Game 7, if that happens, it's going to be up for grabs."

Seabrook's OT winner ties series 2-2

BOSTON (CP) -- The Boston Bruins' comeback fell short this time. And suddenly the Stanley Cup final is a lot more interesting.

Brent Seabrook scored at 9:51 of overtime to give the Chicago Blackhawks a 6-5 win over the never-say-die Bruins in a wild game Wednesday night. The defenceman's shot through traffic that beat Boston goalie Tuukka Rask gives the Blackhawks, who never trailed in the game, a new lease of life.

The teams are now tied at 2-2 heading into Saturday's Game 5 in Chicago. And Boston's momentum, from two straight wins built on prickly defence, has been arrested.

"(We were) thinking we pretty much have to win one game (in Boston), so mission accomplished," said Chicago defenceman Niklas Hjalmarsson. "And we've got two days here to regroup and go back to Chicago and play in front of a big crowd back home. Hopefully we can feed off the energy in the United Center."

Added forward Patrick Sharp: "Best of three with two home games but it doesn't really mean much. Boston's been tough in their building and tough in Chicago. I don't think it matters where we play, it's going to be an even series."

The Bruins threw everything they had at the visitors in mounting a furious comeback but came up short in the third game of the series to go to overtime. Seabrook's winner was his third of the playoffs and second in overtime.

Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said he felt confident going into extra time, despite Boston's fightback.
"I still thought in the third period we didn't give up a ton even though it was a 5-5 game," he said. "We still had some composure going into the overtime. I thought the bench was where it needed to be and (we) continued to move forward.

"But certainly they got the crowd (going) and we lost the momentum a couple of times. We had a nice lead, but they pressed. Their power play helped them tonight as well. But we did a lot of good things.

"We'll look at the positives and move forward."

It was a crazy contest, crammed full of offence and momentum swings bristled with more than a little bad blood. At times, it was like a violent all-star game.

Quenneville's decision to reunite Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Bryan Bickell paid dividends. Toews and Kane each scored for the Blackhawks, with Michal Handzus, Marcus Kruger and Sharp getting the Blackhawks' other goals.

But the Bruins refused to keel over in trying to defending a seven-game playoff winning streak at home.
Patrice Bergeron scored twice and Rich Peverley, Milan Lucic and Johnny Boychuk added singles for Boston, which found itself behind the eight-ball all night. It was a roller-coaster ride for the crowd of 17,565 -- the 164th straight full house at TD Garden -- as the Bruins trailed 3-1 and 4-2.

Chicago outshot Boston 41-28 after regulation time and 47-33 overall.

"We opened up and scored goals. But we gave them some goals," said Bruins coach Claude Julien. "Our whole team was average tonight ... They were better than we were."

Julien cited poor decision-making and sloppy puck movement in what he termed "a tough outing."
What kind of night was it for Boston? Hulking captain Zdeno Chara had two assists but was minus-3.

The Toews-Kane-Bickell line combined for two goals and three assists and was plus-7. Bickell and Kane both had assists on the winning goal.

"We knew it was going to be a tough series and an even series," said Bergeron, who finished at minus-2 despite his two goals. "That's where we're at. We never said it was going to be easy. They're a great team out there and so are we."

Tied 1-1 after 20 minutes, Chicago pulled ahead by outscoring the Bruins 3-2 in a frenetic second period that saw five goals in 10:49 and three in 2:39.

The five second-period goals matched the combined total of Games 2 and 3. And Chicago's three-goal production for the period was one more than the Pittsburgh Penguins managed to put past Rask in four games.

Trailing 4-3 to open the third period, Bergeron pulled the Bruins even at 2:05 with a wrist shot on the glove side that Corey Crawford might want back. Jaromir Jagr, in his 200th NHL playoff game, drew the assist on Bergeron's ninth goal of the post-season after some dogged possession in the Chicago end.

The Bruins are no strangers to comebacks. Boston trailed 4-1 with 11 minutes to go in Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round, only to make history by winning 5-4 in OT to become the first NHL team to win a Game 7 after trailing by three goals in the third period.

Sharp put Chicago ahead 5-4 on the power play at 11:19 just six seconds after Boston survived a brief two-man disadvantage. Sharp stuffed the puck in from close range with Jagr trying to race back in the play from the penalty box, which still had David Krejci in it.

Boston remarkably answered back with Boychuk's slapshot just 55 seconds later knotting the score at 5-5 before Seabrook ended it in overtime to give Chicago a win it desperately needed.

Teams have trailed 3-1 in a best-of-seven a total of 229 times and have come back to win the series on 20 occasions or 8.7 per cent of the time. But the only team to do it in a Stanley Cup final was the 1942 Maple Leafs, who famously rallied to beat the Detroit Red Wings.

Chicago came out with purpose in the first period and Rask had to stop Marian Hossa, back in the lineup after missing Game 3 due to an upper-body injury, from point-blank range early on. By the five-minute mark, Chicago had outshot Boston 5-0. A penalty to the Blackhawks' Johnny Oduya seemed like a reprieve but a short-handed 2-on-1 rush with Handzus and Brandon Saad put Chicago ahead at 6:48.

Tyler Seguin lost the puck to Saad near the blue-line, allowing the penalty killing duo to take off.
The goal, the first short-handed effort of Handzus' 95-game playoff career, ended Rask's shutout streak at 129:14 and the Bruins' home shutout string at 193:16.

But Boston began to show signs that it was digging itself out of the hole. A Krejci chance at the side of the net just missed when the puck bounced over his stick and several other passes also just missed their targets in front of the Chicago net.

Peverley then tied it up in the dying seconds of a power play. It was a typical sequence by the Bruins, the product of hard work. Andrew Ference made a nice play at the blue-line to keep the puck in and when Saad couldn't clear the puck, Peverley swooped in and rifled a wrist shot past a surprised Crawford on the glove side at 14:43.

It was Peverley's first goal since Game 3 of the first-round series against the Maple Leafs.

As the first period wound down, the Bruins were moving their feet and creating chances. Outshot 7-1 earlier in the period, Boston finished with nine shots to Chicago's 12 and had a shot ring post after one.

It was a tight second period until Toews, with his first point of the series, tipped in a Michal Rozsival point shot at 6:33 to make it 2-1 past a screened Rask. It was just Toews' second of the playoffs and his first goal since May 25.
Less than two minutes later, Kane scooped a backhand for his seventh of the playoffs into a near empty net at 8:41.
Julien called a timeout in a bid to staunch the flow of goals and it seemed to work as Lucic pulled one back with his sixth at 14:43, stuffing in a backhand of a Chara rebound after some fierce Boston forechecking.

But Kruger ended the celebrations 49 seconds later, tucking a shot home after a nice setup by Michael Frolik. Kruger appeared to have outdeked himself, but pulled the puck back as it went past the post and stuffed it in.

Boston got the crowd going again at 17:22 on the power play, cutting the deficit to 4-3 with an opportunistic Bergeron goal. A booming Chara shot came off the glass behind Crawford's goal and bounced right in front of the crease where Bergeron banged it on.

An action-packed second period ended with Chris Kelly hitting the post and Crawford stopping Jagr from close range. Chicago outshot Boston 13-11 in the period.

Badly beaten in the faceoff circle last time out, Chicago held a 25-20 edge in faceoffs after two periods in Game 4. The Bruins led 35-33 after three periods.

Coming into Wednesday's game, the Bruins had won seven straight at home, outscoring their opponents 21-10.

Prior to Game 4, the Bruins were 11-2 in their last 13 games, with both losses coming in overtime. They had outscored opponents 40-21 in that span.

Why is Patrice Bergeron so good at faceoffs?

(from Puck Daddy) - BOSTON – Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron won 24 of the 28 faceoffs he took against the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. NBC Sports analyst Eddie Olczyk, who took his share of draws in a 16-year NHL career, likened it to watching a pitching machine in batting practice – that’s how automatic Bergeron was all night.

He’s considered the best faceoff man in the NHL, leading the League in playoff faceoff percentage at 62.7 percent, an improvement on the 62.1 percent mark he had in leading all faceoff men in the regular season.
So why is Patrice Bergeron so damn good at faceoffs?

“You should ask him. I’m not going to give anything away,” said center David Krejci.

But why is Patrice Bergeron so damn good at faceoffs?

“He wins’em,” quipped Chris Kelly of the Bruins.

No, seriously: Why is Patrice Bergeron so damn good at faceoffs?

“He does everything. It’s not just one thing,” said Kelly, who faces Bergeron in practice with the other Bruins centers.

“A lot of guys have a go-to move and he can read it your tendencies. Bergy switches it up. Very creative in the circle. He finds ways to win draws. It’s not just one thing.”

Like Pavel Datsyuk stickhandling, Bergeron has a bag of tricks in the faceoff circle and can beat you in several different ways.

“He’s not very predictable,” said Olczyk. “Sometimes he’ll knife in there and get it, sometimes he’ll hit and pull, sometimes he’ll just go for a tie-up and get some help. It keeps the guy on the other side on his toes. He can really win it any way – forehand, backhand, with his feet. There aren’t many guys that can do that.”

Bergeron’s not all technique. It takes physical assertion and exertion to win 24 faceoffs against Jonathan Toews, Dave Bolland and Michal Handzus. One of Bergeron’s strengths is his strength.

“He’s really strong. Even when I go against him in draws. Not only on the backhand like a normal guy, but on his forehand,” said center Tyler Seguin.

“Some guys like to use their own power and go off them. Other guys, especially when they’re home, like to use their angles.”

Bergeron dominated the Blackhawks at TD Garden, and that’s to be expected. Home players had the advantage in the dot as the “last stick down,” although Bergeron is known for foregoing that honor to keep his opponents off-guard.

Getty Images“He said a lot of times he likes to get his stick in there first,” said Olczyk.

“You watch really good faceoff guys, their sticks aren’t on the ice. They’re up in the air.”

The good faceoff guys watch the linesman’s hand, not the puck. They know it has to go up before it goes down. They also know that it has to go down rather quickly after a stoppage, because the NHL’s hockey operations demand a quickly paced game.

Bergeron is one of the best in the game at that anticipation, like a “Jeopardy!” contestant whose hand hits the buzzer slightly faster than the other two contestants.

But he doesn’t always do it alone. Bergeron is in constant communication with his wingers on draws, directing them on how to help win possession after the puck’s dropped.

“It’s not just about centermen,” said Bergeron.

The 27-year-old Bruins center expects the Blackhawks won’t allow another night of domination in the dot for Game 4.

“They’re great centermen. They’re going to try and bounce back, be strong on draws,” he said. “We have to known their tendencies. Not show them one look, but show them multiple looks.”

Bergeron’s faceoff prowess has made him an annual candidate for the Selke Trophy. He’s mentioned among the reasons why the Bruins are a dominant defensive team. He’s celebrated by the hockey world – but he’s not a star on the level of, say, a Jonathan Toews.

Bergeron was asked if he’s ever wanted to score more, be more offensive, be a player that’s in the mix for the Hart rather than the Selke.

But that’s not who he is. He’s simply the most dominant faceoff man in the League, and a dominant defensive force at center.

“It’s my game. It’s something I take a lot of pride in. The defensive part is a big part of it. I do whatever I can to help us win.”

The Bruins usually do, partly because Patrice Bergeron is so damn good on faceoffs.

Bruins, Blackhawks set for pivotal Game 4

(from TSN.ca) - The Boston Bruins will try to take a commanding lead in the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday, as they host the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 4 from TD Garden.

You can listen to the game live on TSN Radio 1050 and TSN Radio 690 and follow along on TSN.ca's GameTracker, tonight at 8pm et/5pm pt.

After losing Game 1 in a triple overtime, the Bruins have taken two in a row to grab a 2-1 edge in this best-of-seven set. Boston notched a 2-1 OT victory in Saturday's Game 2 battle in Chicago and then recorded a 2-0 triumph in Monday's clash at TD Garden.

Chicago had its worst outing of the series in Game 3, but this year's Presidents' Trophy winners have a chance to tie the series on Wednesday. If the Blackhawks lose Game 4, however, they'll be faced with an elimination game when the teams meet again in Chicago on Saturday.

Boston is 8-2 at home in the playoffs this year while Chicago is just 3-5 on the road.

The visiting Blackhawks couldn't solve Tuukka Rask in Game 3, as Boston's goaltender stopped 28 shots for his third shutout of the playoffs. Rask has turned aside 120-of-125 shots so far in this series and is sporting a 1.64 goals against average in 19 playoff games this spring.

"I mean, they had shots, but most of them came from the outside," said Rask. "We eliminated a lot of those rebound opportunities. I think that's something that every team likes to do, and we succeeded today."

Boston received second-period goals from Daniel Paille and Patrice Bergeron on Monday, then turned to its goaltender in the third period to preserve the lead. Paille scored for the second straight game, while Bergeron dominated the faceoff circle, winning 24 of his 28 draws in Game 3.

Jaromir Jagr registered an assist on Bergeron's goal, giving him 197 playoff points in his career and moving the Czech star into sole possession of fifth place on the NHL's all-time list, one ahead of Paul Coffey.

Jagr, who has no goals and eight assists in this postseason, is the only player never to have worn an Edmonton uniform in the top-five in playoff points. Wayne Gretzky (382), Mark Messier (295), Jari Kurri (233) and Glenn Anderson (214) are in spots 1-4.

Chicago received a 33-save effort from Corey Crawford on Monday, but the club couldn't overcome the absence of star winger Marian Hossa, who was a late scratch for Game 3. The good news is the unspecified upper-body injury won't hold him out of tonight's game, even though he did not skate this morning.

Jamal Mayers skated on the second line, possibly holding a spot, while Ben Smith skated with the extra line.

The likely return of Hossa, who was replaced by Smith in the lineup on Monday, could spark the struggling Chicago power play, which went 0-for-5 with the man advantage on Monday. The Blackhawks have failed to score on 11 power- play chances in this series and the club is just 7-for-62 on the man advantage in this postseason.

"They box you out. They got big bodies. They blocked shots," said Quenneville about Boston's success on the penalty kill. "I think we had some chances to get some pucks through the net, we didn't. Our entries weren't great. That's something you want to look at."

From a historical sense, Chicago needs to take Game 4 to have a realistic shot at winning this series.

Although the Blackhawks came back from down 3-1 to defeat Detroit in the second round of this year's playoffs, only one team in NHL history -- the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs -- has ever come back to win a Stanley Cup Finals series after trailing three games to one. The Leafs erased a 3-0 deficit in that series to against the Red Wings.

This series marks the first time Original Six franchises have met in the Stanley Cup Finals since 1979, when Montreal defeated the New York Rangers in five games.

Boston has won five of the six postseason meetings with Chicago.

Paille, Bergeron lift Bruins to Game 3 win over Blackhawks

BOSTON (CP) - They are still two wins away from their destination, but the Boston Bruins are gathering steam.

Daniel Paille and Patrice Bergeron scored second-period goals and Tuukka Rask made 28 saves Monday as the hard-charging Bruins blanked the Chicago Blackhawks 2-0 to take a 2-1 lead in the Stanley Cup final.

The Bruins were full value for their second straight win, coming out hard and crashing Chicago to erase memories of a sluggish first period in Game 2. Boston seemed bigger, faster and meaner on this night.

Even anthem singer Rene Rancourt seemed up for it, adding a few more degrees of difficulties to his litany of pre-game fist pumps and facial contortions. The TD Garden crowd of 17,565, Boston's 163rd straight sellout, ate it up.

History has Boston at the front of the NHL championship bus now. Teams winning Game 3 after splitting first two games of the final have gone on to win 21 of 25 times since the best-of-seven format began in 1939.

The Bruins improved to 4-0 in Game 3s this post-season while the Blackhawks fell to 0-4.

Boston isn't celebrating quite yet, however.

"It's nice to get a win," said captain Zdeno Chara, who mixed it up with Bryan Bickell as the clock wound down. "We're up 2-1. We've got to get ready for the next one."

"We've still got a few more games to go," added Tyler Seguin.

Paille, the overtime hero of Game 2, opened the scoring for Boston as the Bruins' reshaped third line of Paille, Chris Kelly and Seguin paid dividends again. The trio accounted for both Boston goals in the Bruins' overtime victory in Game 2.

Bergeron then scored on the power play, with Paille and Kelly drawing the penalties that led to the goal. The Bruins forward was a one-man machine, with six shots in the first two periods alone. He also dominated faceoffs, winning 19 of 22 in the first 40 minutes.

The other Bruins did the little things too. Blocking shots. Winning faceoffs. Shrugging off Blackhawks like annoying little brothers. When the situation called for it, they just dumped the puck somewhere safe and regrouped.

The Bruins outshot Chicago 35-28 as Rask earned his third shutout of the playoffs. It marked just the second time in 2013 that the Blackhawks had been shut out.

"Tonight I thought we made it rather easy on (Rask) as far as traffic and finding and seeing pucks," said Chicago coach Joel Quenneville. "I think we got to be better at going to the net in non-puck areas."

The Blackhawks will get a chance to do just that in Game 4, which goes Wednesday in Boston.

There was drama before the game as Chicago co-scoring leader Marian Hossa was a late scratch, replaced by Ben Smith after being injured in the warmup. That meant shelving a marquee player on a $7.9-million contract for a $550,000 forward who had played once this season.

"Marian Hossa out of the lineup after something apparently happened in warm-ups," tweeted the Hawks.
Quenneville later clarified that the injury had nothing to do with the warmup. Hossa has an upper-body injury, was a game-time decision and is listed day to day.

"We're hopeful he'll be ready for the next game," he said.

Still, it was a take-no-prisoners warmup. Boston coach Claude Julien said Chara suffered a small cut during warmup after losing an edge.

Bruins defenceman Dennis Seidenberg said later the ice was poor as hot, humid weather and a visit by the Rolling Stones last week probably didn't help matters.

Quenneville pointed to faceoffs and the power as the difference-makers. Boston won 40 of 56 faceoffs and Chicago went 0 for 5 with the man-advantage.

The Hawks have not scored a power-play goal in their last 20 chances dating to Game 2 of the Western Conference final. The Bruins, meanwhile, have killed off 27 straight penalties.

Quenneville, who had earlier decided to replace Brandon Bollig with Viktor Stalberg, shook up his lines like a frustrated Scrabble player. Captain Jonathan Toews surprisingly started with Marcus Kruger and Michael Frolik, while Smith opened with Dave Bolland and Patrick Sharp.

But it was the Bruins, outshot 19-4 in the first period of Game 2, who came out in high gear. They had seven shots on Corey Crawford within the first five minutes.

And whenever Toews came over the boards, he found the giant shadow of Chara waiting.

Crawford, who would finish with 33 saves on the night, stopped Bergeron from in close. At the other end, the imperious Rask handled a blast from Duncan Keith.

Boston's Brad Marchand had a glorious chance on a breakaway on the penalty kill late in the period after somehow coralling a long Chara clearance. But he lost control of the puck just in front of Crawford and, showing his frustration, smashed his stick to pieces as he returned to the bench.

Boston killed off a pair of penalties in the first period. It was hard to say whether it was because the Bruins' penalty killing was so good or the Hawks' power play so bad.

Chicago clawed its way back as the first period wore on and managed 10 shots to Boston's 11 by the time it was over.

The Bruins controlled the faceoff circle, however, wining 17 of 22 in the first period.

Boston opened the second with another offensive burst and grabbed the lead. Paille was rewarded for some hard work at 2:13 in the Chicago end, lifting Bolland's stick to steal the puck and rifling a wrist shot past Crawford, who seconds earlier had stopped Seguin. It was Paille's fourth goal of the playoffs.

Prior to Game 3, the Blackhawks had only surrendered four power-play goals in 63 short-handed situations.
The Paille-Kelly-Seguin line now has seven points in the past two games with three goals and four assists.

When Chicago did get an opportunity, Rask was there. The big Finn stopped Patrick Kane cold after a Hawks defenceman found him cruising in alone.

Chicago had to kill off a brief 5-on-3 opportunity late in the second and Bergeron ripped a low shot in from the doorstep at 14:05 just seconds after Bolland, the first Hawk to escape the penalty box, tried to get back into the play. Bergeron's seventh of the post-season capped a nifty passing play.

Jaromir Jagr's sweet assist on the play moved the 41-year-old in sole possession of fifth place in all-time post-season scoring with 197 points (78 goals, 119 assists).

Bolland, for cross-checking, and Niklas Hjalmarsson, tripping, went off for hauling down Kelly and Paille, respectively, as they drove at the goal.

Like a hockey homage, Seguin almost recreated the Bergeron goal on another power play later in the period only to be stopped by Crawford. A frustrated Seguin put his stick between his teeth when the play ended as he pondered what might have been.

The Bruins held a 26-18 edge in shots after 40 minutes.

Boston, blunting the Chicago attack with whatever was needed, killed off two more penalties in the third to further frustrate the Hawks. The Bruins, meanwhile, almost made it 3-0 late in the game during another Bolland penalty.

Chicago's Bickell hit post in dying seconds as the Blackhawks pressed to get on the board but couldn't find a way past Rask.

Notes: It was Chicago's first visit to TD Garden since March 29, 2010, when the Bruins won 3-0. ... The first two games of the series lasted some 186 minutes, leaving both teams with one win and five goals ... Chicago started Viktor Stalberg in place of Brandon Bollig ... Tickets for Game 3 ranged from $325 to a corner balcony seat to $7,500 for a 12th-row centre-ice loge seat on StubHub earlier Monday ... The Bruins won all three of their home games in the 2010-11 final, outscoring the Canucks 17-3.

Play Doc Emrick bingo, thanks to the NBC announcer’s amazing list of synonyms for ‘pass’

The game of hockey features a lot of passing.

Like, a lot of passing. So if it's your job to describe the game as it's happening, it would be wise to build up a storehouse of synonyms for the word "pass".

Hall of Fame broadcaster Doc Emrick has tons of them, and during Wednesday night's Game 1 on NBC, one fan armed himself with a pen and a pad and decided to catch 'em all. It couldn't have been a better night for it. Game 1 lasted forever, so Emrick was forced to reach deep into his bag. The final result, via Reddit, is great:

 It reads like a Boggle sheet!

The verbs Emrick used in place of "pass": spirit, slide, fiddle, rattle, fork, shovel, chip, poke, jam, ricochet, knife, tap, skip, bank, throw, punch, push, flip, drag, soccer, paddle, fire, blast, spear, steer, scale, lead, rifle, careen, direct, hoist, pitch, pop, swat, finesse, wand, bang, hand, force, swipe, plunge, lob, nudge, jab, drub, brush, wedge, squib, stash, brush, muscle, and filter.

I'm not sure what's more impressive: that there are so many, or that "give" is nowhere to be found. Doc Emrick is synonymizing at an elite level, although "soccered" gives me some pause. Was it a kick?

Anyway. This is more than enough words for Doc Emrick pass bingo, so I made that. Print it out and play at home on Monday night, otherwise I wasted my whole morning.

SCN Editorial Comment:  Sadly, Bob Cole can barely remember the players' names (other than Maple Leafs and anyone not named Sidney Crosby), let alone different ways to say "he passed the puck." And Jim Hughson is too busy talking about "compete level" and "chasing the game".  The best hockey broadcaster is an American.  Doc Emrick does play-by-play better than anyone.  Sad, but after 60 years of broadcasting it, Canadians are no longer the best at broadcasting our beloved game.

In honour of his Vezina win, watch Jay Onrait's "Best of Bobrovsky"

(from Puck Daddy) - Jettisoned by the Philadelphia Flyers just under a year ago, Sergei Bobrovsky completed his campaign to make them instantly regret it on Saturday night when he finalized his transformation from "expendable goaltender" to "Russian Henrik Lundqvist", edging the New York Rangers' netminder for the 2013 Vezina trophy and the unofficial award for hockey's best-dressed goaltender.

Look at that stud and his bowtie. Sharp.

Bobrovsky's first-career Vezina is now his most notable achievement, topping his previous claim to fame: the way Sportscentre's Jay Onrait shouts his name like a police chief taking his loose-cannon detective to task for reckless crime-busting. "Bobrovsky! You're off the case!" It's one of Onrait's best running bits, and if you've not had the chance to experience it (or even if you have), there's never been a more appropriate time for this "best of" compilation:

 

Teams will battle for series lead in Game 3 of Stanley Cup Final

(Sports Network) - The Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks both will try to gain the lead in the Stanley Cup Final on Monday, as the clubs battle in Game 3 at TD Garden.

Listen to the game live on TSN 1050 and TSN 690, tonight at 8pm et/5pm pt.
The Bruins and Blackhawks are tied at 1-1 in this best-of-seven series after splitting a pair of overtime games in Chicago. The Blackhawks won Wednesday's opener 4-3 in triple overtime, but Boston bounced back with a 2-1 OT win in Saturday's Game 2 at United Center.

Boston, the East's fourth seed, is 7-2 as the host team in these playoffs and has won six straight at TD Garden since dropping Game 5 of the first round against Toronto on May 10. The Bruins also get to host Game 4 on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Chicago, this year's Presidents Trophy winners, has posted a 3-4 record as the guest during this postseason.

Boston earned a split in Chicago after Daniel Paille scored at 13:48 of overtime to give the Bruins a 2-1 win on Saturday. A wraparound from behind the Chicago net along the right boards wasn't handled by the Blackhawks' Brandon Bollig, and Boston's Adam McQuaid was able to push the puck down to Tyler Seguin. From the mid-boards, Seguin fired the puck over to the slot, where Paille ripped it home into the right corner for the win.

Paille also had the assist on Chris Kelly's goal that tied the contest in the second period and Tuukka Rask was strong in a sloppy first period for Boston and finished the game with 33 saves.

"If you look at our game I thought we weren't there at first," said Boston head coach Claude Julien. "We started to get better as the game went on, but Tuukka bailed us out. I told our guys that we have to show up for these games from the start or we're going to get into trouble."

Rask kept the score at 1-0 in the first period despite his team getting outshot 19-4 in the opening 20 minutes. He has turned aside 92-of-97 shots in the first two games of this series and is boasting a stout .944 save percentage in this year's playoffs.

"Well, we definitely were in survival mode there for a bit," said Rask. "It looked like they had more guys out there than we did. They were bouncing on every single puck in front of net, had a lot of chances. We definitely played pretty bad."

Patrick Sharp scored the only goal on Saturday for the Blackhawks in the first period, and Corey Crawford made 26 stops in the loss.

Chicago had won Game 1 by a score of 4-3 in triple-overtime after rallying from a two-goal deficit in the third period, but failed to repeat the magic as the team lost for just the second time at home in 12 playoff games.

It was the second straight season that Games 1 and 2 were decided in an extra session, as the Kings took two at New Jersey en route to last year's Cup title.

"It's like the second period, I thought we lost the pace of the game on that end of the rink," said Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville. "We had the perfect start to the game, then we stopped doing what made us successful. We stood around, they countered."

Boston was 0-for-2 on the power play while Chicago went 0-for-3.

This series marks the first time Original Six franchises have met in the Stanley Cup Finals since 1979, when Montreal defeated the New York Rangers in five games.

This year's Cup Finals also is a battle between recent champions. Boston beat Vancouver in 2011 to win the Cup, while Chicago took down Philadelphia the year before to win it all.

Boston has won five of its six postseason meetings against Chicago.

Bruins, Blackhawks put in long hours to get to Game 3

(from Canadian Press) - Zdeno Chara saw Daniel Paille's quick shot hit the net. He didn't see Tyler Seguin's nearly-perfect pass that set up the Boston Bruins' overtime winner in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final.

Still, Chara figured, it was "probably a good pass." It was.

It was also arguably the biggest play Seguin has made in these playoffs. By recording just his sixth point in 18 games, the 21-year-old showed that even amid a goal-scoring slump he can still find a way to be relevant.

"You've seen him grow huge as a player," Paille said. "It's a bit frustrating for him right now that he hasn't scored like he has, but we're not too worried about him. We know that he's a special player and we know that he can and it's just a matter of time."

Seguin has gotten his opportunities. In place of the injured Nathan Horton late in Game 1, Seguin was noticeable in finding scoring chances but also in not finishing them.

He has just one goal in the playoffs and has been shuffled down the lineup. Saturday night, coach Claude Julien put Seguin with Paille and centre Chris Kelly, and it paid off with two Boston goals in the 2-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.

"We were moving pretty well, we were competing," Seguin said. "Playing with more confidence out there."
It's hard to blame Seguin if he lacked a bit of confidence given his struggles. But after a poor start by everyone except goaltender Tuukka Rask in Game 2, Julien singled out Seguin as "one of the guys that picked up his game."

Seguin's game, from a production standpoint, has nowhere to go but up. But there are other aspects of the game, including play-making, creating for linemates and back-checking, that can make him stand out.

"I think it's even more important to play the other parts of the game when you're not contributing offensively," Kelly said. "I think you need to pick up other aspects of your game to make them better in order to be a better all-around player."

It's an ongoing process for Seguin, who is two years removed from the Bruins' Cup run that including him being a healthy scratch at times. It also included some breakout games.

Seguin most likely won't get healthy-scratched this time around. He's part of Boston's core, even if he's not scoring at the pace of David Krejci (23 points), Nathan Horton (18 points) or Milan Lucic (16 points).

But Game 2 was a good start.

Paille, Bruins top Blackhawks to even Stanley Cup Final at 1-1

CHICAGO (CP) -- The Chicago Blackhawks were firing from the start of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final. It was almost like the Boston Bruins forgot to set their alarm.

"I just don't think we were ready," Bruins forward Tyler Seguin said. "We were just making mental mistakes and maybe thought the game was at a different time."

By the time the Bruins decided to show up, it wasn't too late to salvage something out of Saturday night. Taking advantage of their breaks, they overcame a horrendous start and beat the Blackhawks 2-1 in overtime on Daniel Paille's goal that tied the series at a game apiece.

"If somebody would watch the first period, they would've said, 'Oh, give them the Cup right now,"' Bruins right-winger Jaromir Jagr said. "If somebody watched the overtime, they'd say, 'Oh, it's gonna be a long series."'

It very well could be a long series, in games and minutes. These two teams went into overtime for the second straight game to start the final, and while this one was not a triple-overtime marathon, the extra time made it another classic.

Based on Boston's start, it could have been a dud dominated by Chicago. The Blackhawks carried the play in the first period, requiring Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask to add another chapter to his case for the Conn Smythe Trophy.

When Patrick Sharp scored 11:22 in, it was evidence of the Blackhawks thoroughly out-classing the Bruins. Were it not for the officials disallowing a goal by Marian Hossa 90 seconds later, Chicago would have been rolling and United Center would have been deafening.

"We just weren't there. We were on our heels," coach Claude Julien said. "Like I told our guys, we've got to show up on time for these kind of games. It could have cost us."

Outshot 19-4 in the first period, the Bruins shifted into what Rask called "survival mode."
"It looked like they had more guys out there than we did," he said. "They were pouncing on every single puck in front of net."

Rask was the "difference-maker," captain Zdeno Chara said, as the Bruins were lucky to go into the first intermission only down by one. Centre Chris Kelly acknowledged that it was a pretty quiet locker-room after the first because "not much needed to be said."

The opposite was true for the Blackhawks, who had plenty of opportunities in the first period to build on their lead. When they couldn't, it came back to haunt them.

"When you score a goal and are playing the way we were playing in the first period, you need to find a way to sustain that and we didn't quite do that," Chicago captain Jonathan Toews said.

All it took was one mistake by the Blackhawks to tie the score. Sharp lost the puck behind the net to Paille, who dodged Blackhawks defenceman Nick Leddy and put it in front. It pinballed to Kelly, who buried it to silence the crowd of 22,154.

"It was a great five-guy effort," Kelly said. "Andrew (Ference) made a pinch, Tyler was in on the play and got it to Daniel, and Daniel took it to the net. I just happened to be there, tapped it in."

The momentum clearly shifted, and Jagr and his teammates could sense it. But the clock still ticked away to overtime, where the Bruins had plenty of chances.

None were better than when Jagr hit the post and looked to the ceiling with his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

"That would be kind of sad if we lose the hockey game, but, hey, it always next game because we won," Jagr said.

This veteran Bruins team was careful not to "overreact," according to Chara. Then, 13:48 into overtime, Seguin made a perfect pass to Paille, who tied the series.

"I just tried to shoot it off as quick as I can with the D coming at me," he said. "I was glad to see it go in."

In a series of inches, Chara said the only difference in Game 2 was that the Bruins scored one more goal. Now it's all even going to Boston for Monday's Game 3.

The Blackhawks knew it wasn't going to be easy.

"I think both sides felt it was going to be a tight series and that every shift was going to matter," Sharp said. "You saw in this game it is pretty evenly matched, so I expect more of the same heading forward."

Andrew Shaw’s mother, hometown mayor absolve him for NBC F-bomb

(from Puck Daddy) - After scoring the game-winning goal in triple overtime in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, Andrew Shaw of the Chicago Blackhawks was interviewed on NBC and became the latest player to drop an F-bomb with Pierre McGuire, who apparently inspires such things.

Shaw said it was a “slip of the tongue” and “I was never good at English.”

If you were wondering what his mother thought about her baby boy getting colorful on national television … well, Justin Breen of DNAinfo Chicago reached out to Darlene Shaw to find out:

"I thought, you know what, they played three overtimes of hockey, physically and mentally, he was exhausted," said Darlene Shaw, who was born and raised in Belleville and whose husband Doug played junior hockey in the city.

Darlene Shaw, who attended Game 1 but didn't know her son had scored until a Hawks fan told her, said she was used to swearing.

"I have a husband who played hockey and sons who play hockey," she said. "I don't like it, but the soap went out the door years ago."

Breen also asked His Worship Mayor Neil R. Ellis of Belleville, Ont., about Shaw’s F-bomb; Ellis absolved him, saying that "playing at that caliber and that long, you're exhausted. It wasn't anything disrespectful."

SCN Editorial Comment - Anyone who knows someone from Belleville, or has spent any time in the city, wouldn't have been surprised by Shaw's language. Or the fact that he doesn't have all of his teeth.

Blackhawks win Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final in triple OT classic vs. Bruins

CHICAGO (CP) - By midnight, half the game was a distant memory. The fifth-longest in Stanley Cup final history featured 112 minutes of hockey between the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins.

"Just basically played two hockey games in one night," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said.

Game 1 only counted for one victory, but the Blackhawks will gladly take it after Andrew Shaw ended the thriller in triple overtime to beat the Bruins 4-3 Wednesday night at United Center. It was a game that felt like an instant classic before it ended.

"It's fun being in the finals, the last two teams playing, all the hockey world is watching," Blackhawks right-winger Patrick Sharp said, "and to put an effort like that from both sides, it was fun to be a part of. And thank God it's over."

How it got to overtime felt like such a footnote by the time Michal Rozsival's shot deflected off Dave Bolland, then Shaw and into the net past brilliant Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask. Boston took a two-goal lead in the third period and blew it, only to regret it hours later after two unsuccessful power plays and countless chances to wrest home-ice advantage from the Presidents' Trophy winners.

"It's never easy to lose a game when you're in the third overtime period," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "Eventually somebody is going to score a goal as fatigue sets in."

Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews didn't play as long as defenceman Duncan Keith (48:40) or Dennis Seidenberg of the Bruins (a game-high 48:36), but he felt the fatigue as the overtimes dragged on. He tried not to focus on it.

"Both teams are just kicking, trying to survive," Toews said. "Every time you go back on the ice, you just try and get that feeling that it's just going to be that one chance that makes the difference."

Just as it hit Thursday morning in the Central Time Zone, the Blackhawks got that chance. Shaw called it simply "luck," as a double deflection finally beat Rask, who stopped 59 of the 63 shots he faced.

It was hard to fault Rask and easy to credit Corey Crawford, the Blackhawks goalie whose 51 stops, including many quality ones after regulation, kept the game rising in the record books.

"Any time he makes those saves and gives you that sort of jump, when you make a mistake as a D-man and he's there to stop it, it feels good," said defenceman Johnny Oduya, who scored the tying goal in the third period. "Sometimes it's mental and you get that little bit of extra energy and you can keep going."

The Blackhawks and Bruins had no other choice but to keep going.

"It's just part of the playoffs," Keith said. "You have to battle through things like that. There's no saying you're tired. It's just finding a way."

Time and again the Bruins had their chances to find a way to end it. Toews couldn't recall when it happened, but the Blackhawks took two penalties for too many men on the ice in overtime and twice killed them off.

Midway through the third overtime, Kaspars Daugavins had Game 1 heroics on his stick and Crawford beat. By the time the Bruins forward tried to deke, Oduya was there to intercept it for the defensive play of the night.

"I just tried to put my stick in and kind of force him to do something," Oduya said. "I got lucky on that play."
Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. The Bruins would have left happy had captain Zdeno Chara's shot late in the second overtime bounced of Jaromir Jagr's skate and in, instead of ringing off the post and out.

But the teams played on until Shaw's goal 12:08 into the sixth period of the game. The 21-year-old was "too exhausted" afterward to describe the feeling of scoring the game-winner in a marathon, though cursing on live television probably did the trick.

"Stanley Cup Playoffs, something you dream of as a kid," Shaw said. "The opportunity's there. You have to seize it when it's there."

And so the Blackhawks seized opportunity, sending a sellout crowd of 22,110 home happy long after they had to claw back from a two-goal deficit with 13:51 left in the third period. As their goal song, "Chelsea Dagger," played above the echo of the goal horn, fatigue was replaced by relief and much more.

"Just the feeling overall is just tremendous," Oduya said. "You go out there, you got nothing to lose. You feel alive. This is what it's all about."

Stanley Cup Final picks and predictions from SI

The Stanley Cup Final will pit the No. 1 West seed Chicago Blackhawks against the No. 4 East seed Boston Bruins. Which team will hoist the Cup? How many games will it take? Who will claim Conn Smythe honors? SI.com’s NHL experts Allan Muir, Brian Cazeneuve, Sarah Kwak and Adrian Dater make their picks. For more Hawks-Bruins preview content, check out our staff predictions, Michael Farber’s take, Allan Muir’s tactical breakdown, Stu Hackel’s series storylines, Richard Deitsch’s TV media guide, iconic Blackhawks photos, iconic Bruins photos and a look at how the two teams were built.


ALLAN MUIR

Stanley Cup winner: Bruins in 7. I’ve picked against the Bruins twice during these playoffs. I can’t do it again. They’ve answered every question, from my concerns about an ice-cold first line (where was this Milan Lucic all year?), to Tuukka Rask’s ability to get past his playoff ghosts of 2010, to the team’s desire to pay the incredibly high price required to get this far just two years after winning the Cup. That doesn’t mean my pick comes with a high degree of confidence, though. Every edge I give to Boston over Chicago comes with the very slightest of margins. This series is as tough to suss out as any this spring, but I think the Bruins will slowly wear down the Hawks with their forward depth, relentless physical play and some brilliant netminding from Rask.

Conn Smythe winner: Rask. It’s Tuukka’s time. He built a nice base for his case during series wins over Toronto and the New York Rangers, but his Ken Dryden-esque performance in the sweep of Pittsburgh, when he stopped 134 of 136 shots, established Rask as a legitimate Conn man. His boxcar numbers in that series (0.44 GAA and .985 save percentage) may go down as the most penurious in modern history and his overall playoff stats (1.75 GAA and a league-leading .943 save pct.) are better than the ones Tim Thomas rang up after three rounds of Boston’s 2011 Cup run. Rask does more than give the Bruins a chance to win; he dictates the result of a game by making the sort of stops that get into the heads of the opposition. He’s not unbeatable, but he plays with enough authority to make the other team believe he is. If he keeps that up against the Hawks, he’ll take home the hardware.


BRIAN  CAZANEUVE

Stanley Cup winner: Bruins in 7. Since these two teams haven’t faced each other during the lockout-shortened season, it is certainly hard to call this series. The longer the games are — I’m talking about passes out of the zone, not overtimes — and the more up-tempo the pace, the more I like Chicago’s chances. If the games get cluttered in the neutral zone and Chicago can’t create its fair share of odd-man rushes with its preferred stretch passes, then I like Boston’s chances. It will be up to Boston’s penalty killers to shut down Chicago’s power play, because Boston’s power play can’t be expected to do much against the Hawks’ PK. The bottom line, though, is that I’ll take the extremely hot goalie (Rask) over the goalie who is playing very well (Corey Crawford).

Conn Smythe winner: Rask. I’m guessing the Smythe Trophy this year will go to a goalie because scoring in the playoffs continues to be low and skaters who impact the games with great defense rarely get Smythe consideration. Crawford has played very well for Chicago, but Rask’s numbers are simply absurd. Against Pittsburgh, the team with the most explosive offense in the league, he allowed all of two goals in nearly 14 periods and held Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin off the board entirely. Yes, Zdeno Chara’s defense has been extraordinary. Sure, David Krejci’s offensive exploits have been a revelation. But if the Bruins win, and I think they will, give the Smythe to Rask.

SARAH KWAK

Stanley Cup winner: Blackhawks in 5. The Bruins might be the talk of the NHL right now after steamrolling Pittsburgh in most convincing fashion, but this is where they’ll face the music — namely that “Chelsea Dagger” tune they love so much in Chicago. The Blackhawks have been the NHL’s best team all season — though not without bumps along the way, including the Detroit scare in the Western semifinals — and that will carry through to the bitter end. Both teams have enviable depth throughout their lineups, but Chicago has gotten this far with limited production from its stars, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Kane scored a hat trick in the Game 5 Western Conference Finals clincher against Los Angeles, his second consecutive game with a goal, and if this is the start of his reawakening, Boston will have trouble containing him.

Conn Smythe winner: Kane. On a team that runs so deep with talent, it’s tough to pick one hero. And with the way Chicago’s postseason has gone, no one has really stood out. So, I think this comes down to which player has an excellent Final. And if Kane’s last two games against Los Angeles were any indication of his renewed confidence, he could be the difference against Boston and prove to be the team’s MVP. I picked him before the playoffs started, and I’m sticking with him.


ADRIAN DATER

Stanley Cup winner: Blackhawks in 7. All my New England relatives will cut me off from receiving Dunkin’ Donuts and Papa Gino’s gift cards at Christmas, but I’ve got to stick with the Blackhawks. (Actually, the folks will be thrilled, since the dreaded #DaterJinx is now in play.) Chicago has been the league’s best team all year, so why should it stop now? The Blackhawks and Bruins both showed their character by coming back from the dead in previous series and appear to be playing their best hockey at just the right time. But with that extra home game on United Center ice, and with all the passion that brings, I like the Hawks in the final game. The Bruins aren’t going to be shutting out Kane, Toews and Hossa like they did Crosby, Malkin and Iginla. If that happens, I’ll eat nothing but Dunkin’ Donuts Boston Cremes for a year. At least I’d die happy.

Conn Smythe winner: Bryan Bickell. Why not? He’s become Chicago’s Claude Lemieux/Esa Tikkanen-type playoff specialist. Can anyone else name a guy who has done more for his team lately than Bickell has for the Hawks? OK, maybe Patrice Bergeron qualifies. But I say the Hawks will win the Cup, and I say Bickell has been their most important player of late. He grinds, he agitates and he puts up big points. He comes into the series with a five-game point streak and goals in three of the last four contests. His 13 playoff points are four more than Toews has put up and one fewer than Kane.