Blackhawks stun Bruins for NHL title

Bryan Bickell and Dave Bolland scored just 17 seconds apart in the waning moments of the third period as the Chicago Blackhawks stunned Boston 3-2 to capture their fifth Stanley Cup title in franchise history. Bickell scored his ninth goal of the post-season with 76 seconds left in regulation to tie it 3-3 after Chicago had pulled goaltender Corey Crawford for an extra attacker. Bolland then capped the epic comeback by hammering home the winner at 19:01 of the final period for the Hawks, who took the first ever Stanley Cup final series between the two Original Six teams four games to two. "This is a sweet way to finish it off," Chicago captain Jonathan Toews said. Chicago forward Patrick Kane was named MVP of the playoffs as he led the Blackhawks with nine goals and 19 points in 23 games.When the final buzzer sounded the Blackhawks celebrated their second Stanley Cup title since 2010 by mobbing goaltender Crawford in front of his net. As is the tradition, the Chicago players took turns hoisting the Stanley Cup trophy and parading it around the Bruins' TD Garden arena. "So much hard work to get to this point. It feels so good right now," said Crawford who finished with 25 saves. Even a bloodied Andrew Shaw took his turn carrying the cup despite bleeding heavily from a cut on his right cheek after he took a puck to the face earlier in the game. The Blackhawks can add this trophy to championships they won in 1934, 1938, 1961 and 2010. They celebrated in their dressing room Monday by pouring Champagne into the Cup and drinking out of it. Boston had one last chance to tie the game and send it to overtime as they pulled their goaltender Tuukka Rask, but Chicago captain Jonathan Toews made a diving stab at a loose puck in neutral ice to push it back into the Bruins' zone and away from danger."You never know what can happen so you don't stop fighting until the end. This is a nice finish and not having to go back to Chicago (for game seven)," Toews said. Said Kane, "You are down 2-1 in the last minute and you come through with a 3-2 win it is unbelievable. "We just wanted to get the puck in their end, try and get a shot on net and crash the net and see what happens. It is a great feeling." Boston led 2-1 with just over a minute left in the third and appeared to be heading to a victory and a deciding game seven on Wednesday when the wheels fell off. Rask couldn't believe his misfortune as he angrily threw his goal stick into the Boston bench during the final moments of the contest."Toughest for sure," said Boston coach Claude Julien. "When it's a little over a minute left and you have a chance for a game seven." It was a bitter pill for the Bruins, who had an amazing comeback of their own earlier in the 2013 playoffs by rallying to overcome a three-goal deficit in the third period to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-4 in overtime in game seven of their first-round series. Top seeded Chicago becomes the first team to win Presidents' Trophy -- as the team with the best record in the regular season -- and the Stanley Cup in the same season since Detroit beat Pittsburgh in 2008. The Blackhawks were down 2-1 to Boston in this best-of-seven series before winning games four and five to move to the brink of another championship. After taking a thrilling 6-5 overtime decision in game four last Wednesday in Boston, Chicago posted a 3-1 victory in Saturday's matchup at home. Kane scored a pair of goals in game five and Crawford stopped 23-of-24 shots for the crucial win. Kane was also the hero for Chicago in 2010, scoring the overtime winner on the road as the 'Hawks beat Philadelphia in six games to snap a 49-year Stanley Cup drought. "This is the best year of my life playing with these guys," Kane said. From: AFP