Hawks Dynasty: The Chicago Blackhawks' Run to the 2015 Stanley Cup
128
Hawks Dynasty: The Chicago Blackhawks' Run to the 2015 Stanley Cup
128eBook
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Overview
With new heroes emerging throughout the postseason, the Blackhawks battled through a tough, six-game first round series against Nashville before sweeping the Minnesota Wild to reach the Western Conference Final. In an epic series that featured three overtime contests, the Blackhawks overcame a 3-2 deficit to defeat the Ducks in seven games to advance to the Stanley Cup Final.
Packed with one of a kind analysis and stunning photography from the Chicago Tribune, Hawks Dynasty takes fans through the Blackhawks’ journey, from the crushing loss to the Los Angeles Kings in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals in 2014 through the final seconds against Tampa Bay. This commemorative edition also includes profiles of Kane, Crawford, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, Brandon Saad and Scott Darling.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781633194328 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Triumph Books |
| Publication date: | 06/17/2015 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 128 |
| File size: | 32 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Hawks Dynasty
The Chicago Blackhawks' Run to the 2015 Stanley Cup
By Joe Funk
Triumph Books
Copyright © 2015 Chicago TribuneAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-63319-432-8
CHAPTER 1
Stanley Cup Final
Stanley Cup Final — Game 1
June 3, 2015 | Blackhawks 2, Lightning 1
Fantastic Finnish
Teravainen, Vermette strike 1:58 apart in 3rd as Hawks prevail
By Chris Kuc
Even before Tesla coils sent jolts of electricity high above the ice, Amalie Arena was super-charged in anticipation of Game 1 of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final.
The Blackhawks saved their burst of energy for the end and rallied to stun the Lightning 2-1 and take home-ice advantage in the series.
Teuvo Teravainen and Antoine Vermette scored 1 minute, 58 seconds apart late in the third period to make a winner of goaltender Corey Crawford. Alex Killorn had a highlight-reel goal early in the first period for the Lightning, but Ben Bishop couldn't make it hold up.
"Tampa was all over us in the first," Teravainen said. "Myself, I got better and our team got better all the time in the game. Huge two goals and a great win."
The first surprise of the series occurred during pregame warmups when Bryan Bickell wasn't on the ice and fellow winger Kris Versteeg was. After not playing the final two periods of Game 7 of the Western Conference finals against the Ducks, Bickell practiced Tuesday and participated in Wednesday's morning skate. Heading into Game 1 of the finals, it was uncertain as to whether Bickell had suffered an injury or if coach Joel Quenneville held him out against the Ducks because of poor play.
"We'll say it was my decision but we'll say a little bit of both," Quenneville said Monday when asked if Bickell was benched or injured.
After Wednesday's game he said Bickell had an upper-body injury.
The Lightning displayed their skill early on Killorn's goal at 4:31 of the first. The forward baffled Crawford by batting in a floating puck with a brilliant backhander to send another jolt of energy into the crowd.
The game reached deep into the third before the Hawks struck at 13:28 to stun the crowd of 19,204. First, Teravainen sent a shot from the left circle that sailed past a screened Bishop. Vermette then gave the Hawks a 2-1 advantage when he wristed a shot from the slot.
Playing in his first Cup final game, Teravainen said he sought advice of some Hawks teammates about what to expect but otherwise is taking the experience as it comes.
"I just have to think it's like normal and do all the same things," the rookie forward said. "I'm just trying to enjoy everything."
He certainly enjoyed his third-period goal that helped the Hawks to the huge victory in Game 1.
Stanley Cup Final — Game 2
June 6, 2015 | Lightning 4, Blackhawks 3
Split Second
Sharp has company in blame game
By Chris Kuc
It was a night at the races.
The Blackhawks and Lightning burst out of the gate and sprinted up and down the ice during Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena.
In a fast and furious affair, the Lightning reached the wire first for a scintillating 4-3 victory over the Hawks to even the best-of-seven series at 1-1.
The Lightning avoided heading to Chicago for Games 3 and 4 in a 2-0 series hole. Jason Garrison had a goal — the game-winner in the third period — and an assist, Nikita Kucherov scored and added a helper, and Tyler Johnson and Cedric Paquette also had goals.
Backup goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy earned the victory in relief of starter Ben Bishop, who twice left the ice during the third period for an unexplained reason.
"We expected a fast pace," Hawks captain Jonathan Toews said. "We know we can play at that pace. We let them get a little too comfortable with their rush game in the second (period) and gave up a few too many of those odd-man rushes and some high quality scoring chances."
Andrew Shaw, Teuvo Teravainen and Brent Seabrook scored for the Hawks, but they weren't able to complete a second consecutive comeback as Corey Crawford suffered the loss.
"Sometimes those ones slip away from you," Toews said. "We just kept giving up goals every time we got ourselves back into it. We just ran out of time."
Garrison scored the winner on the power play after Sharp was whistled for two consecutive penalties early in the third, the latter of which proved costly.
"I don't think I've ever done that before," Sharp said. "It happened. You move on from it. I take responsibility and apologize to our penalty killers for putting them under such stress."
Despite the loss, the Hawks accomplished what they set out to do when they arrived in Tampa: Win at least one to seize home-ice advantage.
"It's definitely a good position," said Crawford, who made 20 saves. "We'll go home for Game 3 and we have a lot of confidence.
"It's going to be tough, but we're going to be ready to battle."
Added Toews: "To go home tied 1-all, I don't think is something we're satisfied with considering the position we were in going into (Game 2), but we're excited to go back to our building."
Stanley Cup Final — Game 3
June 8, 2015 | Lightning 3, Blackhawks 2
Missing Target
Bishop looks like easy mark, but Hawks can't take advantage
By Chris Kuc
With the opposing goaltender clearly hampered by an injury, the Blackhawks did exactly what they should by swarming the offensive zone and throwing everything at the net during the first period of Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Then the Hawks stopped throwing much of anything at Lightning goalie Ben Bishop, and they left the ice having dropped a 3-2 heartbreaker at the United Center. They now trail the best-of-seven series 2-1.
"We fired lots of shots right at the beginning and after they played a little bit in our zone, and we stopped shooting pucks at him," Hawks winger Marian Hossa said. "If he's not OK, we should take advantage of it and just keep peppering the puck at the net like we did in the first period."
They didn't and it cost them. Bishop left in the third period of Game 2 with an unspecified injury that has cost him movement in the crease. After bombarding him with 19 shots in the first, the Hawks managed only 19 more during the final two periods combined.
"(Bishop) looks like he's got some issues," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "We still didn't put enough pucks at the net and traffic, obviously. Certainly later in the game there we made it easier on him."
Little came easy for the Hawks. Even after Brandon Saad scored early in the third to give them a 2-1 lead, the Lightning struck right back with a goal by Ondrej Palat 13 seconds later.
Cedric Paquette scored the winner with 3 minutes, 11 seconds remaining when he stuffed a loose puck past Corey Crawford, and the home-ice advantage the Hawks had seized with a Game 1 victory was lost.
"(When) you grab momentum after a goal, you want to build on that," Crawford said. "Giving up a goal after that is not what we want."
In addition to the goals by Palat and Paquette, the Lightning got a score from Ryan Callahan to give Bishop just enough offense to prevail. Brad Richards also scored for the Hawks, but Crawford (29 saves) failed to hold the lead.
The loss put the Hawks on their heels, though they can draw on the experience of falling behind the Bruins 2-1 in the finals in 2013 before storming back to win in six games.
"We've been down a few times, even in the last series against Anaheim," Hossa said. "We've been in this situation. I thought we played a pretty solid game, but we have to give (the Lightning) credit. They're a great team and they're battling. We did pretty well tonight, but a few mistakes cost us."
Stanley Cup Final — Game 4
June 10, 2015 | Blackhawks 2, Lightning 1
Thrill-Squeaker
Saad breaks tie in 3rd, Crawford weathers storm to even series
By Chris Kuc
Two hit posts and one off the crossbar into Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, it appeared the Blackhawks were destined to fall perilously close to the end of their season.
Then a bounce finally went their way — in Brandon Saad's direction, to be exact — and the Hawks eventually were able to celebrate a 2-1 victory over the Lightning at the United Center.
Saad scored 6 minutes, 22 seconds into the third period and goaltender Corey Crawford withstood a furious Lightning flurry in the waning seconds to help the Hawks even the best-of-seven series 2-2 with Game 5 in Tampa.
"It was really pretty lucky," said Saad, who corralled a loose puck in the slot, kicked it to his stick and got just enough of a backhander to send it into the net. "I just saw space going to the net, tried to drive and create some chaos. The goalie made a good play with poking the puck; it bounced around my feet and finally found my stick. I just tried to get some wood on it and get it to the net and it found a way through his legs."
Jonathan Toews also scored and Crawford turned aside 24 shots to lift his often-sluggish teammates to the victory before a nerve-wracked crowd of 22,354. Crawford outdueled an unlikely foe at the other end of the ice as 20-year-old Andrei Vasilevskiy was a surprise starter for the Lightning with No. 1 goalie Ben Bishop sidelined with an undisclosed injury.
Alex Killorn had the goal for the Lightning, but the Hawks clamped down defensively in the third period and withstood an onslaught of shots in the final moments, including one from Steven Stamkos from the slot on which Crawford stoned the Lightning captain.
Saad's goal never would have happened if not for a quick and subtle play by teammate Brad Richards. The veteran center used his stick to tie up Lightning defenseman Anton Stralman and pave the way for Saad to get to the front of the net where he finished the deal and sent the crowd into a frenzy.
"I had to pick the stick so Saader could get to the net," Richards said. "I don't think I invented that play but it worked."
It was one of the few things that worked for the Hawks, who were sluggish through much of the game but displayed enough mettle finally to solve Vasilevskiy and even the series.
"That was probably our worst game in a while, for whatever reason," Richards said. "We really wanted it but we just kept getting in each other's way. (The Lightning) are way better than anybody imagined at checking and trying to frustrate you.
"You have those nights. The good thing is we're experienced enough and good enough that we got through it. We got big plays by different people and big saves and then we got going."
Stanley Cup Final — Game 5
June 13, 2015 | Blackhawks 2, Lightning 1
Chicago Hope
Hawks 1 victory from winning Cup in front of home crowd
By Chris Kuc
They didn't get the opportunity in 2010. Or in 2013.
But thanks to their 2-1 victory over the Lightning in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena, the Blackhawks have a chance to do something they haven't done since 1938: win the Stanley Cup in Chicago.
Antoine Vermette scored the winner early in the third period and Corey Crawford continued to amaze in goal to lift the Hawks to a 3-2 advantage in the series and put the franchise on the brink of its sixth Cup overall and third in the last six seasons.
The Cup will be in the United Center for Game 6 when the Hawks will try to clinch in front of the fan base that has sold out 327 consecutive games, including 57 in the postseason.
Patrick Sharp also had a goal and Crawford bested counterpart Ben Bishop as the Hawks clawed out another one-goal victory. Each game of the series has been decided by a single score. Valtteri Filppula had the Lightning goal, but a continued strong defensive effort and a poised and locked-in Crawford (31 saves) pushed the Hawks to the crucial victory.
History is on the Hawks' side. The team that has won Game 5 after a split of the first four games of the final has gone on to capture the Cup 16 of 23 times since the series went to a best-of-seven format in 1939.
That and the way they have overcome much of what the Lightning have thrown at them has the Hawks cautiously optimistic and pondering circling the ice with the Cup held aloft while fans at the United Center celebrate with them.
"It's easy to daydream sometimes, and all of a sudden, you're thinking of winning the Cup and hoisting (it) and all the things that come with it," captain Jonathan Toews said. "We have to try to get those thoughts out of our heads and just focus on the task."
A pair of goalie miscues in the early going — one at each end of the ice — proved calamitous for the Lightning in Game 5. First, Crawford misfired on a clearing attempt and sent it right to Nikita Kucherov. The winger pounced, but a diving Crawford got his body on the shot, and in the process Kucherov was sent flying into the left post. He appeared to injure his shoulder and did not return for the remainder of the game.
A short time later, Bishop made things worse for the Lightning. The goalie wandered far out of the crease to play the puck and collided with teammate Victor Hedman. The puck popped right to Sharp, who cruised in and tucked it into the open net.
Midway through the second, the Lightning tied it 1-1 when Filppula corralled a terrific cross-ice pass from Jason Garrison and ripped it past Crawford.
Vermette scored the winner when he crashed the net and fired in a rebound of a Kris Versteeg shot two minutes into the third.
Hawks coach Joel Quenneville anticipates happy days ahead for Chicago.
"(We've) never been in this spot," he said. "I'm sure it will be crazy over the next two days in town. The buzz will be off the charts. (I) look forward to it."
Stanley Cup Final — Game 6
June 15, 2015 | Blackhawks 2, Lightning 0
Puck Dynasty
With third Cup in six years, Blackhawks leave no room for doubt
By Chris Kuc
They did it under the five Stanley Cup banners hanging from the rafters.
They did it under the banners honoring legends Glenn Hall, Pierre Pilote, Keith Magnuson, Bobby Hull, Denis Savard, Stan Mikita and Tony Esposito.
The Blackhawks did it at home.
For the first time in 77 years, the Hawks celebrated winning a Stanley Cup in Chicago after they topped the Lightning 2-0 in Game 6 in front of 22,424 delirious fans at the United Center.
Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist, Duncan Keith also scored and goaltender Corey Crawford made 25 saves to help lift the Hawks to their third Cup in the last six seasons.
"This one is special because we did it in front of our fans," said Keith, who was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the postseason. "Third time winning the Cup in six years, that's unreal."
It's a feeling that never gets old, even for those who will be adding a third ring to their collections.
"It's the greatest feeling in the world," coach Joel Quenneville said. "Once you do it once, you can't wait to do it again. It was special doing it in front of our own fans. The building was electric. The town had a buzz to it."
The Hawks reeled off three consecutive victories to capture the best-of-seven series 4-2 and finished the season a perfect 33-0 when leading in games after two periods.
While 2010 and '13 were amazing moments, to win it at home in front of fans who seemed intent on losing their voices from the opening notes to the national anthem until each Hawks player hoisted the Cup over their heads on the United Center, made this one all the more cherished.
"We love this city, we love the crowd, they're spoiling us every year with sellouts," winger Marian Hossa said. "We're just so happy to be able to give this back to the city and the people who love the Blackhawks."
Added captain Jonathan Toews: "We wanted it for each other (and) for the city. Winning a championship like this in your own city in some ways transcends the sport. Everyone wants to be a part of it. It's amazing. You can feel the energy."
The celebration continued throughout Chicagoland as new and long-time fans alike joined the party.
"After we won our second one, we said ultimately if you could ever win one here in Chicago that would be the ultimate Stanley Cup," team president John McDonough said. "I think they're going to be celebrating in Chicago the entire summer."
The Lightning did not go easily in Game 6 as the Hawks had to work for every inch of ice. After a scoreless — and nervous — opening period, Keith sent the crowd into a frenzy when he scored in the waning moments of the second. The two-time Norris Trophy winner fired a long shot that Lightning goalie Ben Bishop stopped but yielded a rebound. Like a point guard following his shot, Keith swooped in and batted the rebound past Bishop's glove.
That set off the first chants of "We Want the Cup! We Want the Cup!" from the Hawks faithful.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Hawks Dynasty by Joe Funk. Copyright © 2015 Chicago Tribune. Excerpted by permission of Triumph Books.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Table of Contents
Contents
Introduction,Stanley Cup Final,
Red Reign,
The 2014-2015 Season,
Patrick Kane,
Jonathan Toews,
Duncan Keith,
Brandon Saad,
Corey Crawford,
So Close They Still Taste It,
Gossip Gone Wild Crosses the Line,
Star Struck,
Deadline Deals Show It's All About Now,
Kane Makes Hawks Whole,
2014-15 Blackhawks Game-by-Game Results,
Western Conference Quarterfinals,
Scott Darling,
Western Conference Semifinals,
Western Conference Finals,
Chicago Blackhawks Make Headlines,