Stanley Cup Final 2013: Blackhawks capture 2nd title in 4 years

The Bruins announced that Bergeron wasn’t going to be available to the media for end-of-season interviews because he was hospitalized following the conclusion of Monday night’s Stanley Cup Final. Bergeron sustained a broken rib and tore cartilage in Game 5 before separating his shoulder in Game 6.

Despite those injuries, it remained unclear what would’ve required Bergeron to remain in the hospital overnight.

Bergeron was able to participate in Game 6 on Monday night, which ultimately proved to be the deciding game of the NHL’s championship. During the contest, he separated his shoulder, which compounded the complications of his other injuries. Despite this new development, Bergeron was on the ice as the final horn sounded on the 2013 season.

As of Wednesday morning, the extent of Bergeron’s hospitalization remains unclear. From a surface level perspective, he obviously is not in prime form at the moment. What type of care he is receiving is crucial in understanding his extended stay.

The only people sadder to see the 2013 Stanley Cup Final end than the Boston Bruins and their fans were likely NBC executives. If this series had gone to Game 7, records might have been shattered. As it stands, ratings for a classic Game 6 were very, very good.

NBC drew a 5.6 overnight rating for Game 6, up 40 percent from last year’s Los Angeles Kings clincher. From the numbers I have that go back through the years, Game 6 was the third-highest rated game of the current NBC era (2006-2013). Only Game 6 of the Blackhawks vs. Flyers series (5.8) and Game 7 of the Bruins vs. Canucks series (5.7) have had higher ratings in the last eight years.

Chicago was squarely against the salary cap, having gambled the one run at the Cup would pay off. But thanks to some shrewd move and good drafting, the team retooled quickly and was able to challenge again for the title in short order.

“I think there’s something about our core,” Patrick Kane said about 2010 and this year’s team. “Hopefully we can stay together a long time, because that’s two Cups in four years, and we seem to only be getting better and better as players as time goes on here.

With 76 seconds remaining in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, it appeared as though the Boston Bruins were going to force the Chicago Blackhawks to host the final game of the NHL year. 17 seconds later, the Blackhawks were one minute away from their second Stanley Cup championship in four seasons.

With Boston coming tragically close to extending the year to its final day, attention now turns from the end of this season to the start of next. The majority of Boston’s core players still have term remaining beyond the 2013 season, but that doesn’t mean Peter Chiarelli is without tough work and hard decisions this offseason.

BOSTON -- In this year where a Stanley Cup presentation almost didn’t happen, we would have been thankful for the typical routine. The typical, majestic routine.

Five skaters on the ice, suddenly, in one fluid turn pausing their season-long pursuit towards the opposing net, tossing their gear high into the air or far off to the side and, for the first time all year, turning in unison towards the opposite direction. Towards their goaltender, who’s jumping up and down in the crease like a child. Towards the rest of their teammates, who are streaming off the bench into what will shortly become one massive dog pile.

BOSTON -- Two weeks ago, at the start of the Stanley Cup Final, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman taunted us when asked if he’d be presenting the Cup to the winning captain as has become tradition during his reign as the league’s boss. A simple Bettman smirk and an affirmative answer was all it took to enrage just about everybody watching.

Everybody agrees that Bettman shouldn’t be presenting the Cup anymore -- not after he’s played his part in robbing hockey fans of roughly two full seasons of NHL hockey across three lockouts in 20 years -- but the nice part of it is that when he does do this, it’s the perfect opportunity to let both him and the league know how we feel.

CBC in Canada has made it a tradition to have a montage set to music at the end of every Stanley Cup Final -- a sort of a “One Shining Moment” without a defined song to set it to, essentially. The network chose to close the season with a classic this season, playing The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” as the highlights were rolled.

Enjoy. It’s just a shot away.

... and the celebrations began!

Well, not for Claude Julien. He was NOT celebrating.

Hey, the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup!

... orrrrrrrrr maybe it’s the apocalypse.

Kane also recorded a two-goal effort in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, propelling the Blackhawks to a 3-2 series lead.

Kane compiled 19 points and finished with the team lead in that category during the postseason over the course of the 2013 playoffs.

In the end, however, their strategy only ALMOST worked.

The Blackhawks scored twice, 17 seconds apart, in the final 1:16 of regulation to tie and then take the lead, going on to defeat the stunned Bruins 3-2 to win their second Stanley Cup in the past four years.

That would be the only goal of the period, and the teams will start the third tied, 1-1.

The Blackhawks pushed back in the second period after withstanding a storm of Bruins pressure in the first. Chicago led in shots, 9-6, in the middle frame and has successfully killed off all four of their penalties thus far.

That is what you would expect from a team with their backs against the wall in a must-win game, and the below video is what you’d expect from fans of that team watching the first-period performance.

From our perch on the ninth floor of TD Garden:

Boston would continue to dominate the remainder of the first period after taking the lead, and the Blackhawks were lucky to escape the first down by only one goal. The Bruins led in shots, 12-6, at the first intermission.

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Bruins fans, of course, responded with hearty booing:

Shaw, laying in a small pool of blood, was helped to his feet and left for the dressing room to get repaired. The injury appeared to be quite close to the eye and could be the kind of incident in which a visor would have helped, though it was tough to tell initially if that was case.

Jagr bolted to the dressing room, and after a few minutes, Bruins team doctors also left the bench and went back to the dressing room, apparently to attend to No. 68. There’s been no official update on Jagr’s condition, but as of the end of the first period, he’s yet to return to the ice.

Jagr plays a key second line role for the Bruins and they will undoubtedly feel his absence if he’s unable to return.

Jeremy Roenick came up as a star forward with the Chicago Blackhawks when he was just 18 years old. During his eight years with the Hawks, he likely no doubt spent time here and there with actor, comedian and funniest living Belushi, Jim Belushi.

Belushi -- a longtime, well-known Chicago sports fan -- traveled to Boston for Game 6 between the Bruins and Blackhawks, and did an interview with NBCSN’s studio crew during their pregame show. He chatted with host Russ Thaler, analyst Anson Carter, and J.R. himself. During the chat, he poked fun at the sweltering Boston heat (the city reportedly hit 100 degrees today), and his general excitement at his Blackhawks having a chance to take back the Stanley Cup for the second time in four years.

But the talk heading into Game 6 isn’t about the potential of the Blackhawks being crowned champions. The focus is on who is healthy because both the Bruins and Blackhawks are dealing with injuries to stars.

Chicago enters Game 6 with plenty of momentum after winning the last two games. They are just 4-5 on the road in the playoffs, but did win Game 4 in Boston and when they won the Stanley Cup in 2010, they clinched it in Game 6 on the road so they are no stranger to road Cup winners.

If the Blackhawks fly home with the Cup on Monday night, history indicates that they’ll probably have the Conn Smythe Trophy on board as well, but there’s a chance that for the first time in ten years, we could see a losing player named most valuable player.

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But what if your team is leading the series 3-2 and loses Game 6? Then what happens?

”What happens is that your team usually loses Game 7 as well, so you better not blow your chance to clinch in Game 6,” said Jack Randall of OddsShark.com.

Toews sustained an upper-body injury during Game 5 on Saturday night. While the injury remained unidentified, many have assumed that he sustained a concussion. However, head coach Joel Quenneville indicated on Sunday that he expected Toews to be available for Monday night.

Chicago leads the series, 3-2.

Head coach Joel Quenneville stated that team is hopeful that Toews will be available on Monday night. How effective he will be in such a circumstance remains to be seen.

Whatever the case might be, Bergeron’s availability on Monday night is in doubt.