The Chicago Blackhawks have joined the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup finals, featuring Original Six NHL franchises for the first time since 1979. Chicago eliminated the defending champion Los Angeles Kings with a 4-3, double-overtime victory last night in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals, bouncing back to win after giving up the lead in the final seconds of regulation. "We know there's going to be more tough moments that we'll have to battle through," Chicago captain Jonathan Toews said.
The league hasn't had two of its oldest franchises playing for the championship since Montreal beat the New York Rangers in five games 34 years ago, winning its fourth straight title. The Blackhawks will have home-ice advantage. Game 1 is Wednesday night in Chicago. The Blackhawks and Bruins didn't meet during this lockout-shortened season because there weren't any interconference games in the 48-game schedule; their last meeting was Oct. 15, 2011. Boston hoisted the Cup in 2011 for the first time since 1972. The Blackhawks won it in 2010 for the first time 1961. Both teams have many of the same skaters they had on their recent championship teams, and both were on the brink of being bounced earlier in the postseason. (More Stanley Cup stories.)
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