Blackhawks stars, coach step up for dominant Game 7 win over Ducks
Hmm. Maybe the Blackhawks wore down the Ducks.
Throughout the Western Conference finals, Anaheim kept insisting that by pounding Chicago's thin blue line, the Ducks would eventually wear the Blackhawks down and the payoff would come late in the series.
Pity the Ducks. They know not of whom they speak. Chicago scored early, Chicago scored often and Chicago became the first team to reach the Stanley Cup Final three times since the salary cap was instituted in 2005 with a dominant, 5-3 win over the Ducks in Game 7 on Saturday at Honda Center.
If they beat Tampa Bay, the 'Hawks would become the first team to win three titles in the cap era. There was little the Ducks could do to stop Chicago in the final two games of this series once the 'Hawks found their legs.
When the chip were down, Chicago's stars rose to the fore — led by Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith — while Anaheim's stars, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, were held scoreless in five of six periods in Anaheim's losses in Games 6 and 7.
Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau fell to 1-6 in Game 7s with the Washington Capitals and Anaheim Ducks, and it's fair to wonder whether his counterpart, Joel Quenneville, outmaneuvered him late in the series with adjustments that held Anaheim's top players in check.
"Joel did a great job analyzing the series, trying to take their best players out of their game," Chicago captain Toews said.
Play of the day: Toews' second goal. It wasn't enough for the Blackhawks captain to give Chicago an early lead. He had to pad it. With space to roam near the right circle, Toews unleashed a wicked wrist shot that beat goalie Frederik Andersen's glove hand for a 2-0 lead.
Turning point: Toews' early first-period goal. The Blackhawks set the pace from the opening faceoff. Toews scored off a rebound just 2:23 into the game and the 'Hawks never looked back in their second straight multiple-goal win.
Three stars
1. Jonathan Toews, C, Chicago. The captain took the reins early in this game by scoring two fist-period goals as Chicago built an insurmountable 4-0 lead. "He just seems to excel in big moments, big stages, shows as good as leaders in any sport," Quenneville said.
2. Patrick Kane, RW, Chicago. Kane had three assists. On the first, he held the puck a long time on the boards, allowing Niklas Hjalmarsson to enter the zone and set up Toews with a rebound chance. On the second, he froze Anaheim goalie Frederik Andersen before feeding Brandon Saad for a goal into a wide-open net. On the third, he fed Brent Seabrook for the, ahem, dagger goal that ended any thoughts of an Anaheim rally.
3. Corey Crawford, G, Chicago. Crawford (35 saves) allowed two third-period goals, but he was rock solid until Chicago had built a confortable lead.
Series: Chicago won, 4-3
Key stat: The Blackhawks are 32-0-0 this season when leading after two periods.
Best visual: Steering clear. As Western Conference champions, the Blackhawks captured the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl for the third time in the last six years, not that anybody was about to touch it per longstanding superstitions.
Best at being worst: Frederik Andersen, G, Anaheim. Andersen was the toast of Anaheim through the first two rounds of the playoffs and even early in this series. Once Anaheim built a 3-2 series lead, Andersen allowed nine goals on 48 shots over the last two games.
Best quote: Ducks center Ryan Kesler on when he will get over this loss: "I can't put a timetable on it. Probably never."
What we learned: It is absolute folly to count out the Blackhawks. Chicago has been down in series before. Chicago has looked overmatched in the playoffs before. But as series wear on, Quenneville makes adjustments, Chicago's stars ramp it up a notch and the Blackhawks turn the tables. Since 2010, the Blackhawks are 13-3 in playoff series, and only one of those losses (Phoenix) came in fewer than seven games. More than halfway through this decade, there is no questioning who holds the title of the NHL's marquee franchise.
Next game: Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, Chicago vs. Tampa Bay on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET at Amalie Arena in Tampa.
Best matchup: Stanley Cup Final vs. Garth Brooks. With Tampa's Amalie Arena booked for both Game 2 and a Brooks concert next Saturday night, something's gotta give.
Final thought: Maybe the NHL didn't get the Chicago-New York Stanley Cup Final that could have produced record ratings, but it sure got a great matchup. The Blackhawks need no introduction, but the casual fans who watch this series are about to fall in love with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Bolts' combination of skill and speed is breathtaking to watch. It's surprising how many analysts are ready to hand the Cup to Chicago. Tampa is a terrific team that is maturing before our eyes. This should be a terrific series.
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