The Chicago Blackhawks ended 49 years of Stanley Cup frustration with a 4-3 overtime victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday that clinched the National Hockey League’s best-of-seven championship series.
Patrick Kane’s goal early in the first sudden-death overtime period gave the Blackhawks a 4-2 series win for their first title since 1961, a drought that was the longest of any franchise in the 30-team league.
Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, who scored seven goals in the playoffs and 22 assists including one on Chicago’s first goal on Wednesday, was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player for his team in the NHL playoffs.
Not since the days of Hall of Famers Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita and goalie Glenn Hall had the Blackhawks hoisted the Cup, and Chicago unleashed nearly 50 years of frustration with a euphoric celebration.
“The spell, the number of years that this team has been close and never won a Stanley Cup, you want to do it for every guy in your locker room and your fans but especially for guys like Bobby and Stan and the guys that came before you who made this team and this crest so special,” Toews told reporters.
Gloves and sticks were scattered over the ice as Chicago players mobbed one another, while Flyers fans sat in stunned silence after Kane snuck a puck past Philadelphia goalie Michael Leighton about four minutes into overtime.
The red light to signal a goal did not go off right away but that did not stop Chicago players from celebrating. After a brief review the goal was ruled good.
“I just tried to hold onto the puck and shot at the net. I don’t think anyone knew it was in but me,” Kane said in an on-ice interview after the game. “This is just surreal, we just won the Cup.”
Once reality sunk in for the shocked fans at the Wachovia Center, they serenaded their team’s unlikely run to the finals with a rousing chant of “Let’s Go Flyers,” and then booed the winning Blackhawks.
The Flyers, who qualified for the playoffs on the last day of the regular season, also had to come back from a 3-0 deficit to the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference semi-finals en route to booking a spot in the finals.
“The story book ended the wrong way for us,” said Scott Hartnell, who scored a pair of goals for the losers. “It hurts, it stings. Every bad adjective in the book. Obviously it’s sad, you get mad. But we played well enough to be here, we deserved to be here.”
The never-say-die Flyers erased a 3-2 deficit with four minutes left in regulation, Hartnell stuffing the puck past goalie Antti Niemi off a pass from Ville Leino and forced overtime.
But the fast-skating, skilled young Blackhawks denied a Flyers fairytale finish when 21-year-old Kane blasted in the game-winner.
The first five games of the championship series had gone to the home team, but the Blackhawks steered clear of a decisive seventh game and showed their superiority as second seeds over the seventh-seeded Flyers.
Chicago’s victory also passed the dubious distinction of the longest title drought to the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have not won the Stanley Cup since 1967.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan on Saturday won the men’s doubles bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, after they were bested by the hosts in their semi-final. The Taiwanese shuttlers lost to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who advanced to yesterday’s final against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin. The Chinese pair outplayed Lee and Yang in straight games. Although the Taiwanese got off to a slow start in the first game, they eventually tied it 14-14, before Liang and Wang went on to blow past them to win 21-17. In the second game, Lee and