Ranking each Chicago sports franchise’s best team of the past decade
By Ryan Fedrau
2. 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks (36-7-5)
The 2012-13 NHL season almost didn’t happen. The league was shut down until late December because of a lockout. There was a lot of doubt of there ever being a season. Once all the parties involved with the lockout agreed, the season officially started.
The Chicago Blackhawks were coming off of two straight seasons of playoff disappointment. They lost to the Canucks in 2011 and lost to the Coyotes in 2012, both in the first round. Young goalie Corey Crawford hadn’t won a playoff series yet, which concerned many.
The team started off an NHL’s best 21-0-3 to start the season. The Blackhawks went 24-games without losing in regulation. Looking back at that streak, it’s incredible to know that the record belongs to Chicago.
The Blackhawks would win the President’s Trophy and be the first seed in the playoffs. They’d go through the Minnesota Wild in five games to start the playoffs. After starting the playoffs 4-1, the Blackhawks would drop three of the next four games to the Red Wings. The series was 3-1 Detroit after Game 4.
The Blackhawks had to do a lot of soul-searching. They’d come back and win Game 5 in Chicago. They traveled back to Detroit to win Game 6. After tying up the series, they would have home ice for Game 7. Knowing this would probably be the last time both teams played in the playoffs due to the division realignment, both teams put on a show.
The Blackhawks scored in the last two minutes to make the game 2-1, but the referee took away the goal. The goal was taken away because of interference that happened on the other end of the ice. Instead of freaking out, the team battled back. Is overtime, Brent Seabrook got one past Jimmy Howard and sealed the series.
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In the Western Conference Finals, the Blackhawks played the defending Stanley Cup Champion L.A. Kings. They would win the series in five games, with Game 5 being the Patrick Kane show. In the Stanley Cup, the Blackhawks would face the red-hot Boston Bruins. Neither team knew what the others were capable of since they didn’t play yet, due to the shortened season.
The Blackhawks would win games 1, 4, 5, and 6. In Game 6, the Blackhawks were down 2-1 with less than two minutes to go. After pulling Crawford, the team had six skaters on the ice. Jonathan Toews made an amazing pass to Bryan Bickell in the slot to tie the game. 17 seconds late, Dave Bolland scored the Stanley Cup game-winning goal off of a Johnny Oduya shot.
Those 17 seconds were the craziest 17 seconds throughout the last decade for Chicago Sports. It gave the Blackhawks their second Stanley Cup in four seasons. They would go on to win a third in 2015.