Blackhawks Rout Ducks, Advance To Third Stanley Cup Final In Six Years

The Blackhawks continued their remarkable run of this decade by reaching a third Stanley Cup Final since 2010 with a 5-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday night.

We’ve seen similar runs stretches these in other sports—the Giants or Patriots may come to mind—but what sets Chicago apart is its remarkable core of talent that transformed the franchise from laughingstock to powerhouse.

Patrick Kane, Brent Seabrook, Jonathan Toews, and Duncan Keith are the backbone of the Blackhawks, and they came through not only in last night’s Game 7, but throughout the grueling series with the Ducks.

On Saturday, Toews scored two goals in the first period to set the tone for Chicago’s dominance, Kane picked up three assists and Keith spent over 27 minutes on the ice—finishing the series with more than 230 minutes of ice time.

The Ducks seemed poised to play for the Cup after an overtime win in a remarkable Game 5 gave them a 3-2 series lead. But for the third straight season, Anaheim blew such a lead and lost at home in a Game 7.

The Stanley Cup series is now set, as the Hawks will fly south for a Game 1 meeting with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday. Hopefully we see seven more games of awesome hockey.

Photo via Getty