Stanley Cup Final vs Bruins: Game 6

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What can we say about this game?  How do we come to grips with those 17 seconds, if not for the tectonic notion that space and time can fold like a sheet of paper and alter how quickly we get to places?  What shall we speak of, a generation from now, when we relive the waning minutes of the game?  

Some may say that sports is just sports.  I say there are moments that define who we are, fundamentally, and lift the trajectory of our best efforts.  Unlike anything else we know, sports can do that.

Game 6 (June 24th 2013)

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Games highlights and photos from the NHL.  Recap and analysis and photos from ESPN.

I won't say much in this article.  I'll let the videos speak for themselves.  Please look for my articles on the Stanley Cup post-game celebration, the ensuing days of joy, and the parade and rally in downtown Chicago.  

First period

The Bruins came out firing on all cylinders, as expected, and the Hawks, back on their heels, looked to weather the onslaught.  They did so, one Bruin goal as the only damage they suffered.  

Chris Kelly scores the lone goal in the opening frame.

From 'Inside the Glass,' Pierre McGuire analyzes Kelly's goal, after an awesome feed from Daniel Paille.

McGuire interviews Claude Julien briefly from the bench.

Corey Crawford takes a shot off his mask and it unsnaps a strap.

Paille hits Bryan Bickell in the neutral zone.

David Krejci misses an open net, and Hawks fans collectively sigh in relief.

Second period

The tide began to turn in the Hawks' favor, as the Bruins looked spent from that furious first period.  

Jonathan Toews goes five-hole on Tuukka Rask, and ties it up early in the period.

McGuire interviews Joel Quenneville briefly from the bench.

Third period

As the 1 - 1 score reflected, it was a tight contest in the period, nip-and-tuck, and then things looked bright for the Bruins.  At least until 1:16 left in regulation.  

Milan Lucic scores the go-ahead goal, and looks to have forced a Game 7.

McGuire calls Crawford's game performance "electrifying."

Bickell ties it up late in the period, after the puck worked its way out of a fleeting scrum in the near boards.

Hawks score twice in stunning fashion, as the Bruins and their crowd watch speechless.

So that was that.  

I was eyeballs glued to the TV the whole game.  I was eyeballs glued to the TV in the hours after the game.  Reveling in the on-ice celebrations and interviews.  Having no memories of what just happened, that is, nothing which I could string coherently in my mind.    

Thank you for reading, and let me know what you think!

Ron Villejo, PhD