Blackhawks Kane Just Knew It
Written by Nolan Thomas, Thursday June 10 2010
In what must seem like the strangest celebration in Stanley Cup history, for a few tense moments, the Blackhawks Patrick Kane was the only one who seemed to be celebrating.
Not the other players, not the Blackhawks bench, not the coaches, even the announcers did not know for sure. No one knew where the puck was, the red light did not go on, the referee did not signal a score, but Kane knew it. It was over!
Just over four minutes into overtime, Kane fired the puck from a steep angle through Flyers goalie Michael Leighton’s pads, threw his hands in the air, threw away his stick and then his gloves, and skated the length of the ice before jumping into the arms of rookie goalie Antti Niemi.
But still, the referee could not find the puck and there was no signal for a goal. No one could find the puck that was hidden inside the far post of the net.
It will be hidden in
After an official review, it was official and the Blackhawks celebration officially began.
In this most unlikely end to the Stanley Cup, the Blackhawks, a bunch of kids who realized the impossible dream, held the cup over their heads in jubilation.
It was a team effort throughout the playoffs for this young team.
Young captain Jonathan Toews was presented the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs, then moments later, hoisted the Stanley Cup Trophy over his head. Only four months before, he was presented with the award as the most outstanding player in the Olympics and then bowed his head to receive a gold medal.
Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, and Toews became the first three teammates ever to win the gold medal-Stanley Cup daily double all in the same year.
There was Marian Hossa, who was playing in his third straight Stanley Cup finals after losing in the previous two. A loss this season and he would have been pegged a jinx for the rest of his life. Not this time!
Dustin Byfuglien, who always seemed to be in the right place at the right time, scored 11 goals during the playoffs, with five of those goals being game winners.
Kris Versteeg had two game-winners in the major battle against the Canucks, including the series-clincher.
Rookie Goalie Anitti Niemi, considered a weakness prior to the playoffs, came up with huge saves when they were needed the most, became only the fourth rookie goalie in NHL history to hoist the Cup.
And then there was Patrick Kane, the hero in Game 5 against the Nashville Predators with an impossible shorthanded goal that tied the game in the dying seconds, and the goal, that for what seemed like an eternity, only he knew was in the net to win the Cup.
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Too bad Kane did not know that stiffing a cab driver makes him look very cheap...