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Blackhawks Mon May 24 2010
Blackhawks book trip to Cup Finals
San Jose's light was put out Sunday afternoon in a fashion that will have fans of the Sharks just as distressed as the rest of the country seems to be by the Lost finale. The Sharks staked a two goal lead before the Hawks came firing back, and it was the mighty Dustin Byfuglien yet again connecting for the game-winning goal that sent San Jose and gave the Hawks their first Stanley Cup Final trip in 18 years. Chicago will face the winner of the Philadelphia Flyers-Montreal Canadiens series (the Flyers are currently up 3 games to 1, with Game 5 tonight).
Few expected the Hawks road to be easy, and in fact, despite the sweep of the Sharks, this series was a battle whose victory was hard earned. Whether it was Antti Niemi's big saves, Dave Bolland's guts and mind games, Duncan Keith's willingness to put his body and smile on the line, Jonathon Toews' all-around MVP performance, or Byfuglien's constantly raising the bar of what a big goal means, the Hawks rose to the occassion and delivered. The Sharks were a strong team, and though the results may not show it, the effort and desire they put forth was evident on the ice up until the final horn, it's just that the Hawks and coach Joel Quenneville always were able to craft the perfect response.
After toughing out a serious upset threat in the first round against Nashville and exorcising the demons of the mental game within a game and cutthroat physical war with Vancouver, the Blackhawks are rolling at the right time.
Which puts the Hawks on the brink of capturing their first Stanley Cup since 1961. Even after last season's magical run to the conference finals, it's hard to imagine this team's meteoric rise in such a short amount of time. And yet, even with the success this season, the Blackhawks won't be satisfied until they're skating with Lord Stanley.
