2010 Stanley Cup Final Game 7 vs Flyers

Lore & Background

The Blackhawks finished the regular season as the Central Division champions with 112 points. As the second seed in the Western Conference playoffs, they defeated the Nashville Predators and Vancouver Canucks in six games each, then swept the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference Final. The Flyers earned the seventh seed with 88 points, becoming the last team to qualify for the playoffs. They upset the New Jersey Devils in five games, rallied from a 3-0 series deficit to beat the Boston Bruins, and eliminated the Montreal Canadiens in five games to reach the Final.

In Their Own Story

The ice at the United Center felt heavier than usual under the weight of expectation. Corey Crawford stood in his crease, eyes fixed on the Flyers' netmen, knowing one mistake could erase eighteen years of hope. As the puck dropped for the final face-off, the silence was palpable before erupting into a cacophony of noise. When Duncan Keith's slap shot from the point found its way through traffic and into the net, time seemed to stop. The subsequent celebration was chaotic, a blur of jerseys and tears as the players realized they had finally brought the Cup home.

Reader's Guide

Game one: Blackhawks won 6–5, with Tomas Kopecky scoring the game-winner. Game two: Blackhawks won 2–1, with goals from Marian Hossa and Ben Eager. Game three: Flyers won 4–3 in overtime on a goal by Claude Giroux. Game four: Flyers won 5–3, with Jeff Carter scoring an empty-net goal. Game five: Blackhawks won 7–4. Game six: Blackhawks won 4–3 in overtime to clinch the series. Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the 2010 playoffs.

Did You Know?

• Chicago's Marian Hossa became the first player in NHL history to appear in three straight Stanley Cup Finals with three different teams (Pittsburgh in 2008, Detroit in 2009, Chicago in 2010).
• The Flyers were the first team to reach the Finals with less than 90 points in the regular season since the Vancouver Canucks in 1994.
• Jonathan Toews became the 24th player and the seventh Canadian to become a member of the Triple Gold Club, having won an Olympic gold medal, an IIHF World Championship Gold Medal, and the Stanley Cup.