Blackhawks Win Stanley Cup

Showing off their grit and determination, the Chicago Blackhawks finally put away the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final for a Windy City party 77 years in the making. Duncan Keith scored in the second period and directed a dominant defense that shut down Tampa Bay's high-scoring attack, and the Blackhawks beat the Lightning 2-0 in Game 6 for their third NHL title in the past six seasons. Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist, helping the Blackhawks clinch the Cup on home ice for the first time since 1938. Corey Crawford, who was pulled from Chicago's first-round series against Nashville, had 25 saves in his fifth career playoff shutout.

It was an appropriate conclusion to a series full of near misses and close calls that had fans in Chicago and Tampa Bay on the edge of their seats for almost two weeks. It was only the second final to begin with five one-goal games, and no team enjoyed a two-goal advantage until an open Kane buried a perfect pass from Brad Richards at 14:46 in the third. It was Kane's first goal of the final, and it touched off a wild celebration by the frenzied crowd of 22,424, who broke out more chants of "We want the Cup! We want the Cup!" (More Chicago stories.)