Stanley Cup Stories: Hawks' Cup win fitting

What an epic finish! The Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in dramatic fashion by scoring two goals in a 17-second span with time ticking away late in the third period, defeating the Boston Bruins 3-2 and taking the title in six games. It was the first Original Six Cup final since 1979, and it was also the first time the two clubs met to decide the championship. This and much more in the NHL's top stories from Monday:

1. Dave Bolland of the Hawks will likely never again have to pay for a drink in Chicago after scoring the Cup-winning goal with 59 seconds left in regulation time. That happened only 17 seconds after teammate Bryan Bickell tied the game 2-2 with goaltender Corey Crawford on the bench for an extra attacker. It was an unbelievable comeback that had seemed entirely out of reach when Boston's Milan Lucic gave the Bruins a 2-1 lead with 7:49 left in the third period. But a seventh-and-deciding game on Wednesday in Chicago was not to be. Instead, a victory parade is being planned.

2. CBCSports.ca senior hockey writer Tim Wharnsby says ample credit for the championship must go to the Hawks' Captain Clutch, Jonathan Toews, who had been noticeably quiet throughout the playoffs and was injured in Game 5 on Saturday. Toews notched his team's first goal on Monday before setting up Bickell's marker, ending up with two goals and five points in the last three games of the final. For the second time in four years, he accepted the Stanley Cup from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. He told Scott Oake of Hockey Night in Canada why he chose to present it first to teammate Michal Handzus.

3. Chicago's Patrick Kane won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup playoffs. It's the latest accolade in a career that has already seen a Cup-winning goal, in 2010. The sniper tied for second in post-season scoring this year with 19 points and really turned it on when it mattered most, scoring a hat trick (including the double-OT winner) against Los Angeles to clinch the Western Conference championship, then adding three goals and five points in the Cup final.

4. It was a painful loss for the Bruins, and not just in an emotional sense. A number of players from both teams were playing through various injuries, notably Boston's Patrice Bergeron. He was taken by ambulance to a Chicago hospital during Game 5 on Saturday, and it was revealed after Monday's game that he had been playing with a broken rib and torn cartilage. He also suffered a separated shoulder during Monday's game and kept on playing. It was a gutsy performance and a fitting representation of Boston's fighting spirit, something the Bruins helped the city to show the world following the Boston Marathon bombings in April.

5. Twitter was on fire during Monday's game, according to Monika Platek, the social media lead for CBC Sports. Associate producer Jordan Shifman reports there were more than 100 tweets from NHL players alone in the moments immediately following Chicago's amazing comeback. The win was a vindication for Hawks general manager Stan Bowman, who was forced by salary cap constraints to significantly alter his roster immediately following the 2010 championship. Bowman was named after the Stanley Cup by his illustrious father, Hawks senior adviser of hockey operations Scotty Bowman, who will have his name engraved on the trophy for the 13^th time.

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Blackhawks win Stanley Cup in stunning fashion

An NHL season cut short by a labour dispute will be long remembered, thanks to a glorious finale between the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins.

The two teams will have vastly different memories of the championship series, but neutrals won't soon forget a Chicago's Game 6 comeback that saw two goals in 17.7 seconds — a wild sequence that started with less than 80 seconds remaining before a packed TD Garden on Monday night.

Bryan Bickell and Dave Bolland scored back-to-back as the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in dramatic fashion with an amazing 3-2 comeback victory over the Bruins.

"Nobody saw it coming," said Chicago coach Joel Quenneville.

Milan Lucic's third-period goal looked to have given the Bruins a 2-1 victory and a new lease of life in the final. A Game 7 on Wednesday in Chicago seemed next.

But with Chicago goalie Corey Crawford out for an extra attacker, Bickell tied it up at 18:44 after Jonathan Toews circled out of the corner when Boston was unable to clear the puck. With two teammates waiting for him in front of goal, Toews chose Bickell and the game was suddenly tied.

Bolland then won the Cup seconds after the puck drop, tucking in a rebound of a Johnny Oduya point shot that hit the goal-post. Bolland nipped between two defenders to redirect the puck in at 19:01 to stun the Bruins and previously raucous crowd.

"It's a tough way to lose, tough way to lose a game, tough way to lose a series," said Boston captain Zdeno Chara.

Even more so for a Bruins team that hoped to win a Cup for a city rocked by the Boston Marathon bombings in April, said coach Claude Julien.

"You know, at the end of the day, I think that's what hurts the most is in the back of our minds, although we needed to focus on our team and doing what was going to be the best thing for our team to win a Stanley Cup ... It hit close to home, and the best way we felt we could try and cheer the area was to win a Stanley Cup," he said.

"I think that's what's hard right now for the players. We had more reasons than just ourselves to win a Cup."

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was once again booed after the game during the trophy presentations that saw Chicago sniper Patrick Kane win the Conn Smythe award as playoff MVP.

Toews, reduced to a spectator the final minutes of Game 5, added a goal and an assist as the Blackhawks clawed their way back into Monday's game. The captain was the first to hoist the Cup as his teammates jumped up and down on enemy ice.

Chicago's stars came through when it counted. And its depth showed against a Bruins side that was clearly hurting.

For Boston, it was a painful reminder of how it feels to be at the wrong end of a comeback. The Bruins had mounted a history-making three-goal charge in the third period of Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round before winning in overtime.

"Sometimes they go your way and sometimes they don't. We've lived through both of them, so we know how it feels on both sides of it, winning and being the losers," said Julien, who was gracious in defeat.

Crawford finished with 23 saves in the victory that marked Chicago's fifth championship and second title in four years.

"That team in 2010, we didn't really know what we were doing," Toews said. "We played great hockey, and we were kind of oblivious to how good we were playing. This time around we know definitely how much work it takes and how much sacrifice it takes to get back here, and this is an unbelievable group.

"We've been through a lot together this year, and this is a sweet way to finish it off."

Added Quenneville: "It's always the greatest feeling in the world, so it can't be any better. So it's always a tie, and once you do it, you can't wait to do it again. The stories, the ups and downs and the process of trying to win a Cup, that's what makes it so special."

Chris Kelly had the other goal for Boston, while Tuukka Rask made 28 saves. The Bruins offence was limited by a power play that went 0-for-4 on the night.

Lucic had taken advantage of a Crawford handling error behind the goal to give the Bruins a 2-1 lead at 12:11. The bruising forward disrupted the Chicago goalie and when the puck came back in front from David Krejci in the corner, Lucic wristed it in.

The Bruins, who won the Stanley Cup in 2011, had their way with the Blackhawks in the first period, but only managed to turn that dominance into a 1-0 lead. Chicago rallied in the second to tie it up and make a contest out of it before completing the memorable comeback.

Tied 1-1 going into the third, the game was up for grabs. And the stakes were high, ratcheting up the pressure for the capacity crowd of 17,565 — Boston's 165th straight sellout.

It made for a fast-paced third period, with both teams getting chances in what felt like overtime. A lot of hearts were in throats as pucks flew through the crease or just missed sticks.

Both teams endured a bumpy ride to get to Game 6. There were question marks over the health of Chicago's Toews and Boston star Patrice Bergeron. It was revealed that Toews had his bell rung in Game 5, while Bergeron had a broken rib and cartilage damage before separating his shoulder in Game 6.

"He had a monster game," Quenneville said of Toews' performance Monday.

Chicago's Marian Hossa, who was dealing with a back injury, and Boston's Nathan Horton were also playing hurt. Julien said Chara was also at less than 100 per cent.

The players also had to contend with searing summer heat in the low 30s that did little for the ice. It was warmer in Beantown than Libya. A thin layer of fog was visible over the ice as the Bruins started their morning skate over some bumpy ice.

Monday matched the deepest the Stanley Cup playoffs have stretched into the summer. New Jersey capped its sweep of Detroit on June 24, 1995, in the last lockout-shortened season.

The last time the Cup was presented on Boston ice was in 1990 when John Muckler's Edmonton Oilers defeated Mike Milbury's Bruins four games to one. Craig Simpson, who was in CBC's commentary booth for the 2013 final, scored the winning goal. Milbury is a studio analyst for NBC.

Classic matchup

The final, the first to feature Original Six teams since the Montreal Canadiens defeated the New York Rangers in 1979, did not disappoint.

There were three overtime games and plenty of drama as Chicago's speed and skill was matched against the hard-hitting Bruins, who balanced talent with truculence. But in truth, both teams had a bit of everything including clutch goaltending and a high pain threshold.

If Chicago is a sleek Porsche, Boston is a muscle car. Both have power, but one was built to give and take some more knocks.

Going into Game 6, Chicago led in shots (204-175) and goals (14-13), while Boston had the edge in hits (237-176).

After a painful lockout, a memorable final series was just what the doctor ordered.

"I think it's been a good bounce back half-season for the league personally," said Julien. "I think the fans got back into it, and you always appreciate their support because if I'm a guy on the other side, I know how I would have felt.

"Our fans are very forgiving and supportive, and that's what this game needs. In order for us to thank them or pay them back, you've got to give them the kind of hockey I think that they saw from all the teams here in the playoffs. It was an exciting last couple of months."

The Blackhawks become the first team in the salary cap era to win the Cup twice.

Chicago also won the Cup in 2010, defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2. Given the Blackhawks' recent success, it is easy to forget that the 2010 championship was Chicago's first since 1961 — at the time the league's longest active Stanley Cup drought.

The Blackhawks had to shed players in the wake of that Cup run because of salary cap issues. But once again it finds itself celebrating on enemy ice, thanks to GM Stan Bowman's refreshing of the roster.

Dustin Byfuglien, Troy Brouwer, Brian Campbell, Ben Eager, Tomas Kopecky, Andrew Ladd, John Madden, Antti Niemi and Kris Versteeg all moved on after the 2010 Cup win.

Chicago, with a full-season salary tab of $79.8 million US, ranked fourth in the league this season in payroll.

Boston was eighth at $73.2 million US and seemed to run out of weapons in the final.

'That team in 2010, we didn't really know what we were doing. We played great hockey, and we were kind of oblivious to how good we were playing. This time around we know definitely how much work it takes and how much sacrifice it takes to get back here, and this is an unbelievable group.'— Chicago captain Jonathan Toews

Krejci had nine goals and 12 assists in the first three rounds of the playoffs but only managed two assists in the first five games of the final. That was two more points than Brad Marchand, who led the team in scoring this season.

Tyler Seguin, fourth on the team in scoring during the season, was 11th on the team going into Monday's game with one playoff goal and six assists.

It said something that going into Game 6 defencemen had scored 17 of Boston's 63 goals (27.0 per cent), the most among all playoff clubs.

And Chicago seemed to have solved Chara. The hulking defenceman was on the ice for eight of the nine goals against in Chicago's Game 4 and 5 wins.

After falling victim to several fast starts by the Blackhawks, Boston came out buzzing Monday and soon had the Chicago on its heels.

Hard work paid off for the Bruins' third line as Kelly won a faceoff in Chicago's defensive end. Seguin batted the puck down out of the air and passed over to Kelly, who scored his second of the playoffs at 7:19 by snapping a shot past Crawford.

With 4:01 remaining in the period, Chicago's Andrew Shaw went down after taking a Shawn Thornton shot to the face. That required workers to clean blood off the ice, while Shaw needed repairs of his own.

The fast-paced game was taking its toll. Jaromir Jagr played just 3:03 of the first period, with Rich Peverley taking his place alongside Marchand and Bergeron. Jagr returned for the second period, took one shift then headed back to the dressing room, with Seguin filling in.

Bruins dominate early

The first period was all Boston, who led the shot attempts category 32-8.

The Bruins outshot Chicago 12-6, won 17 faceoffs to the Hawks' seven and also outhit Chicago 16-13. It could have been worse but the Blackhawks blocked 13 shots to the Bruins' one.

Still it was only 1-0 on the scoreboard. And that soon changed.

Toews tied it up at 4:24 of the second period with his third of the post-season, winning a faceoff and then — after Michael Rozsival chipped the puck ahead — beating Chara down the boards before swooping in to rifle a shot past Rask.

To make matters worse, the goal came at the end of a Boston power play — the exact second that a Shaw roughing penalty expired as the Blackhawks killed off their third penalty of the game.

It was Toews' second goal in his last three outings, equalling his total from his prior 22 playoff contests. For Chara, it meant he had been on the ice for nine of Chicago's last 10 goals.

But it was Chara to the rescue later in the period on a Chicago power play, clearing the puck away with Rask out of position after a pair of saves and Kane ready to stuff the rebound in.

Chicago outshot Boston 9-6 in the second period. And the Hawks were working hard to limit the Bruins chances, leading 20-4 in blocked shots after two periods.

Who would you have chosen as playoff MVP?

Bergeron, clearly not 100 per cent, won three of seven faceoffs in the first 40 minutes.

Jagr was back on the bench to start the third period and returned to the ice.

The Blackhawks — who also won the Cup in 1934, 1938 and 1961 — opened the lockout-shortened season with a statement, picking up at least a point in 24 straight outings.

Colorado beat the Chicago 6-2 on March 8 to end the streak. The Blackhawks had won 11 in a row and were unbeaten in regulation in 30 straight games (24-0-6) dating to last season.

For Quenneville, it was trial by fire as every team facing the his club wanted to take them down.

Prior to the defeat at the hands of the Avalanche, the last regulation loss for the Blackhawks was a 6-1 home defeat to the Nashville Predators almost a year before.

Only the 1979-80 Philadelphia Flyers (25-0-10) have enjoyed a longer unbeaten NHL run. They did it in an era before regular season overtime.

Chicago finished the regular season with 36-7-5 record to lead the league. Boston was 15 points behind, in fifth spot overall.

The Blackhawks become the first Presidents' Trophy winner to win the Cup since the Red Wings did it in 2008.

"We're almost charmed the way we started the season and the way we ended," said Quenneville.

The Bruins finished with a 28-14-6 record, winning just two of their last nine in an end-of-season schedule disrupted by the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings.

"They're deep," Julien said of the Hawks. "They got stronger as the series went on, and they're a great hockey club. They need to be congratulated on that.

"But at the same time, I'm going to stand here and tell you how proud I am of our team, how those guys battled right until the end. Without getting into all these injuries today because it's not the time, we battled through a lot."

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Blackhawks arrive back in Chicago, Stanley Cup in tow

The after-party roared on until well after dawn for the victorious Chicago Blackhawks and some die-hard fans.

Hours after returning from their 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins, the team gave awed fans a close-up look at the gleaming Stanley Cup on Tuesday, hauling their prize around to bars and restaurants around the city for the second time in four seasons.

Just like in 2010, their first stop was at Harry Caray's in suburban Rosemont, where more than a thousand fans were waiting before sunrise in hopes the team would again use the Italian steakhouse to kick off their party. Players took turns lifting the trophy above their heads as fans went wild, still barely able to fathom the two third-period goals just 17 seconds apart that gave the Hawks the win.

"I was in shock. ... I jumped up so high that I stubbed my toe," Frank Espinoza told WBBM radio at Harry Caray's, recalling the stunning pair of goals. "I didn't realize it until the game was over; I felt a pain in my toe afterwards."

The team and their families wound their way through Chicago in a convoy of limos and buses under police escort and trailed by TV news helicopters. At their second stop, The Scout bar in the South Loop area of downtown, team members greeted cheering fans outside with high-fives before filing into the bar. Mayor Rahm Emanuel even showed up to share in the fun, WBBM reported.

Emanuel released a statement congratulating the team on a "hard-fought victory" and offering best wishes to the people of Boston.

Earlier, the team was greeted on the tarmac at O'Hare International Airport with a water cannon salute from about a dozen fire trucks and even more police cars — all with their lights flashing.

Minutes before the chartered Boeing 737 from Boston touched down at 4:05 a.m., lightning danced across the sky as the edge of a windy storm front passed through.

Veteran forward Michal Handzus, who skated with significant injuries, was the first player to emerge from the aircraft, hoisting the Cup above his head with both hands and shaking it several times. Guests, police officers and firemen cheered at the bottom of the stairs.

Players, coaches and team officials mingled with the crowd for about 10 minutes before heading for the city to continue the party at locations that were kept secret until the team showed up.

"This is completely amazing," said Willis Morgan, a 24-year-old electrical engineer, soaking up the scene of celebration at Harry Caray's.

"I watched the game at work on my phone and then we came right over," he told the Daily Herald newspaper of Arlington Heights. "Having the Stanley Cup back in Chicago is unbelievable."

A parade for the team was planned for Friday morning.

The Blackhawks fifth Cup in their 87-year history capped an amazing run through a lockout-shortened season that didn't start until mid-January.

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Reed: Spain can't afford to get complacent

In tournament soccer one thing counts - results. How they are achieved is always secondary to the outcome, and if Spain hopes to repeat its Euro success, it can't afford to get complacent. 

Vicente del Bosque does not strike me as the diplomatic type. 

The Spanish head coach occasionally twitches his mature moustache but rarely cracks a smile on the sidelines. His poker face sometimes makes me wonder if he is not a little bored by the whole thing.

Maybe that's what winning does to a person. Perhaps del Bosque is so conditioned to observing his world champions chalking up another victory - 3-0 over Nigeria at the FIFA Confederations Cup on Sunday -- it has all become rather routine. No tension, no stress - just another 'W' to add to the ever expanding collection.

I am going to assume del Bosque has another side to his bland, external personality. If so, his players were left in no doubt as to what he really felt about Spain's latest success. When the cameras are on the other side of the dressing room door, the Spanish tactician can really go to work.

In tournament soccer one thing counts - results. How they are achieved is always secondary to the outcome. Spain has won three straight games on its Brazilian exploratory expedition, scoring 15 goals and allowing just one while adjusting to local conditions a year before it returns to defend its world title.

When Jordi Alba danced through the Nigerian defence to put Spain ahead within three minutes in Fortaleza, the tone had apparently been set. The Spanish defender would score again at the death with Fernando Torres' bullet header sandwiched in between. Another regulation victory for Spain but the 3-0 score does not tell the whole story.  

Del Bosque and his coaching staff saw something they rarely see. Spain got careless and the Nigerians noticed. Despite the early goal, the floodgates failed to open. The African champions not only survived, but sensed their opportunity. Growing in confidence, Nigeria used its speed and strength to unsettle the best possession team on the planet. 

If only Nigeria had a closer. All Nigeria needed was something you cannot teach - composure. Its lightning quick counter-attacks had Spanish defenders run ragged, but the end product is all about poise and precision under pressure. 

Time and again the Africans were found wanting before Spain ultimately put them out of their misery and the tournament.

Del Bosque is paid to make decisions, not to massage egos. He suffers the same problem as any other coach. Of the 23 men on his roster he can only keep 11 happy at any one time. They are the ones on the field of play and their selection comes with a degree of expectation and responsibility.

First choice

Roberto Soldado might be Spain's first choice striker at next year's World Cup. Not on this evidence. The Valencia marksman had what we might kindly refer to as a bad day at the office. Twice in the first half alone, Soldado found himself with only the goalkeeper to beat but couldn't convert either chance. It was no surprise when del Bosque replaced him with Fernando Torres on the hour.

Soldado's day was about to get worse. Torres, champing at the bit following his four -goal salvo against Tahiti, scored with virtually his first touch. Del Bosque has never really trusted the Chelsea striker as a starter following his travails at the last World Cup, but surely Torres has now played his way into the semifinal starting lineup against Italy Thursday (CBCSports.ca, 2:45 p.m. ET). 

Suffice to say Spain cannot afford such profligacy against Italy. Del Bosque has arguably the finest national team ever assembled at his disposal but he cannot legislate for complacency.

There is no question of making major changes for Thursday's Euro 2012 rerun - but he will have reminded his players, in no uncertain terms, that there are standards to be upheld at all times. 

Only by setting the bar high can 'La Roja' expect to remain at the summit of the global game.

Its precise pass-and-move philosophy, perfected over many years, has brought Spain incredible success in recent times. If the passes start going astray however - as they did against Nigeria - the world champions' vulnerability is quickly exposed.

History is a great teacher and lessons must be learned. Del Bosque and his players may have their eyes on the main prize next year - but none will have forgotten how they were picked off by the plucky Americans in the Confederations Cup semifinal four years ago.

Somewhere in a luxury hotel room Mario Balotelli was watching, smiling and licking his lips. Del Bosque - not so much.

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Stanley Cup Stories: Questions cloud Game 6

The availability of two respective stars could determine the outcome of Game 6 between the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins. This and more in the top NHL stories from Sunday:

1. Blackhawks centre Jonathan Toews and Bruins counterpart Patrice Bergeron left Game 5 on Saturday with injuries, causing the two playmakers to miss the third period. But as senior hockey writer Tim Wharnsby writes, the Blackhawks seem more optimistic with Toews's availability than the Bruins are with Bergeron. No one knows if the latter was hurt in Game 4 or 5, although there has been plenty of speculation as to whether he suffered some sort of spleen, kidney or back ailment. It was obvious that Toews suffered his injury in Game 5 after taking a high hit from Bruins defenceman Johnny Boychuk.

2. Down 3-2 in the Stanley Cup final, few could blame the Bruins for feeling a little jittery prior to their Game 6 matchup against the Blackhawks at TD Garden. But Boston has been here before. The Bruins faced the same scenario against the Vancouver Canucks in 2011, yet still managed to win the next two games en route to a Stanley Cup title. Not surpisingly, many Bruins players expressed confidence they can repeat their Cup run of two years ago after facing reporters on Sunday.

3. Will the Blackhawks clinch the Stanley Cup on Monday or can the Bruins extend this series to a Game 7? No one can predict that outcome, but no matter what happens, the one guarantee is that all the action will covered live on CBC and CBCSports.ca beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. And don't forget join our live stream and chat throughout the game.

4. The Toronto Maple Leafs hope they took another step in becoming a perennial playoff team. On Sunday, general manager Dave Nonis announced the team traded for Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Bernier. In exchange, the Kings receive goalie Ben Scrivens, forward Matt Frattin and a second-round draft pick — a selection that will be used in either 2014 or 2015. While Nonis said the competition will be open to Bernier and James Reimer, many believe the 24-year-old from Laval, Que., is a future No. 1 goaltender. Who do you think won the trade?

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Blackhawks in position to win Stanley Cup at Boston

BOSTON (AP) Jonathan Toews watched the end of the fifth game of the Stanley Cup Final from the Blackhawks bench, unable to play after a hit to his head.

Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron was in a Chicago hospital after leaving the United Center by ambulance.

As the Stanley Cup Final approaches a sixth and potential clinching game on Monday night, the attention shifted from the players on the ice to the ones who might not make it there, including two of the top forwards and biggest stars in the series.

``It's not the best situation for either team,'' Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask said Sunday after both teams flew back to Boston. ``But it's a tough sport, and injuries happen. When you leave it all out there to help your team win, that's all part of the game.''

Bergeron was injured in the second period of Game 5 on Saturday night, which the Blackhawks won 3-1 to take a 3-2 lead in the series. He made two brief appearances on the ice in the third period but something was obviously wrong and he was unable to complete either shift.

Toews, who won the Selke Award as the NHL's top defensive forward - Bergeron was a finalist - missed the entire third period after a shot to the head from Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk.

``They're both great players,'' Chicago winger Patrick Sharp said. ``I think any coach in the league, any player in the league would like to have those guys on their team. They take pride in taking faceoffs, playing well away from the puck, making their linemates better, (they're) both big parts of the locker room.

``I can't speak for what Boston is dealing with, with Bergeron. I know I don't need to say much about Jonathan. I think everyone knows what we think of him in our locker room. Hopefully we can have him back for (Monday).''

Bergeron, who was taken to the hospital for observation, was released later Saturday night and rejoined his teammates for a team meal.

``He was crushing some food,'' Bruins forward Brad Marchand said Sunday.

Bergeron was on the team flight back from Chicago. After the Bruins' bus arrived at the TD Garden in the afternoon, he walked without crutches or assistance to a car and was driven away.

``He's good. He came back with us and everything so hopefully he can play,'' Marchand said. ``He looked really good today. He had a nice suit on, very dashing. Obviously, he's a big part of the team and hopefully he can play.''

The Blackhawks lost Toews after Boychuk knocked him down in the slot, making contact with his head. Boychuk wasn't penalized, and NHL spokesman John Dellapina said on Sunday that the league reviewed the hit and there will be no supplemental discipline.

``I think they said it was clean, wasn't it? Then I agree with them,'' Bruins coach Claude Julien said. ``I'm not going to hide from that. If it wasn't a clean hit - I've been a guy that supported those kind of things that we need to get out of the game. But it was a clean hit.''

Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville alluded to the contact with the head but then said, ``I'm not going to go there.''

Toews was tied with Patrick Kane for the Blackhawks' team lead with 23 goals during the regular season. Since being reunited with Kane on Chicago's top line in Game 4, Chicago has rallied to take the lead in the best-of-seven series. Before he was knocked out of the Game 5, Toews assisted on both of Kane's goals.

``He's our leader,'' Chicago defenseman Johnny Oduya said. ``You know, he's one of those guys, and when he's full-speed he gives everything he's got every game. That's something that is tough to replace.''

Quenneville said Toews was doing much better and the team is optimistic he will be able to play in Game 6.

``We'll see how he is. I think the progress today, he's doing real good,'' Quenneville said. ``We'll visit in the morning, and he seemed fine. So nothing has changed. Nothing is different. We'll keep an eye on him, and we'll go from there.''

With or without Toews and Bergeron, the Blackhawks have a chance to clinch their second Stanley Cup title in four seasons on Monday night in Boston. If they lose, the series returns to Chicago for a decisive seventh game on Wednesday.

And that, Julien said, is why he wasn't worried about whether Toews will play or not.

``I think I should be looking in my backyard and make sure I've got my guys playing tomorrow before I start worrying about the game plan with them,'' he said. ``Right now we know it's up to us to ... bring our `A' game if we want a chance to win. That part of it should be more important than who they have and don't have in their lineup.''

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Wharnsby: Bergeron iffy, Toews improving for Game 6

The Chicago Blackhawks remain hopeful Jonathan Toews will play in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final on Monday. The Boston Bruins are less certain about Patrice Bergeron and his mystery ailment. Meanwhile, Chicago's Patrick Kane is getting it done once again for the Blackhawks.

BOSTON -- The Chicago Blackhawks are optimistic captain Jonathan Toews will recover from his undisclosed upper-body injury in time to play in Game 6 on Monday (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 7:30 p.m. ET). The Boston Bruins, however, continue to be tight-lipped on the prognosis of their star Patrice Bergeron.

After a visit to a Chicago hospital on Saturday evening, Bergeron was released in time to fly home with his teammates after the Bruins dropped a 3-1 decision to fall behind in the Stanley Cup final 3-2.

Bruins coach Claude Julien listed his dependable veteran as day-to-day, but would not provide any information as to the nature of Bergeron's mystery ailment.

"I don't know if he'll skate tomorrow. He may. And that's what day-to-day is. Again, I'm trying to be as clear as I can here," said Julien, who replaced Bergeron when he departed in the second period with 27-year-old rookie Carl Soderberg, a Swede who made his Stanley Cup playoff debut in Game 5.

"Now, whether that happens or not, again, will depend on Bergy. The other thing is if it's not Bergy, I'm going to look at [if Soderberg] is the right fit or do I look for something else, and I may have to juggle some players around. But that will happen tomorrow when we find out more about Bergy."

Speculation to Bergeron injury

With the Bruins not even revealing whether Bergeron's injury happened in Game 4 or Game 5, there was plenty of speculation as to whether he suffered some sort of spleen, kidney or back ailment.

With Toews, it was obvious that his injury was the result of a hit from Bruins defenceman Johnny Boychuk as the Chicago captain cut across into the high slot midway through the second period.

Boychuk caught Toews high, but the Blackhawks centre had bent down to try to avoid the hit. The NHL player safety department reviewed the incident and decided no suspension was warranted for Boychuk, who was not penalized on the play.

Toews spent the entire third period on the bench, but did not hop over the boards for a shift.

"Johnny is doing much better," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "He's progressing. We're optimistic he'll play."

It will be interesting to watch the developments from the morning skates for both teams on Monday and the warmup prior to the game.

Teams face similar situations

Meanwhile, the Bruins and Blackhawks arrived back in Boston to face similar situations as they did in their recent Stanley Cup championships.

When the Bruins won in 2011, they dropped a hard-fought 1-0 decision in Vancouver only to return home to beat the Canucks and force a Game 7 back in Vancouver, which, of course, Boston also managed to win.

When the Blackhawks captured their Stanley Cup in 2010, they beat the Philadelphia Flyers 7-4 at home in Game 5. Then, the Blackhawks went to Philadelphia to deliver the knockout blow on Patrick Kane's overtime winner.

Do the Blackhawks have a feel for clinching the Stanley Cup on the road again, and maybe even see Kane score the championship winner?

"We were just kind of talking about that," Kane said. "I don't know, I think the stars would have to be aligned right for it to happen like that again.

"We have a great opportunity. I'll do whatever I can to help the team win, and it would be a great feeling."

Kane hitting his stride

It just so happens that Kane has been the Blackhawks most productive offensive player lately. He scored two more goals on Saturday to give him seven, including two game winners, in his past seven games.

He made a remarkable comeback from his drunken episode from a Cinco de Mayo party at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in which photos of a soused Kane went viral on the Internet 13-plus months ago.

During the lockout, he went over to Europe to play with Biel in Switzerland and took his mother, Donna. He played well abroad and for the Blackhawks in his return, leading the league's best regular-season team with 23 goals and 55 points in 48 games.

He now has scored nine goals in 22 games to become the first in Blackhawks history to check in with nine or more goals in three post-seasons. He also turned the trick in 2009 (nine) and 2010 (10). The only other NHLer to score nine or more goals in a playoffs in the last 20 years was Colorado Avalanche captain Joe Sakic (1996, 2001, 2002).

Blackhawks stud defenceman Duncan Keith was asked before the series whether he felt Kane had matured.

"I think he's always been a little bit misunderstood in some ways," he said. "Every guy likes to go out and have fun, especially when you're a young guy. He's no different. Sometimes it just kind of got caught on camera, pictures, things like that. Maybe one incident sticks out in people's heads.

"To me, he's always been a good guy, a good teammate. I think now he's got a girlfriend. You can tell, he's 24, turning 25, he's not 18 or 19 anymore. It's kind of fun seeing him and Toews get a little bit older, have girlfriends. They're starting to stay in on a Friday night, watch a movie instead."

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22.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Vote: Who will meet in the Confed Cup final?

And then there were four.

No surprises as the group stage of the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup came to an end on Sunday in Brazil. Host nation Brazil and Italy finished first and second in Group A respectively, while World Cup champion Spain was the leader of Group B, followed by Uruguay.

Semifinal action begins on Wednesday in the city of Belo Horizonte, where Brazil meets South American rival Uruguay for a ticket into the final against the winner of the game on Thursday between Spain and Italy.

Who will make it into the tournament's main event?

Which teams will meet in the Confederations Cup final?

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Reed: Brazilian rhythm too strong for Italy

Brazil, inspired by fanatical home support and the Confederations Cup's outstanding individual, defeated Italy 4-2 on Saturday.

The result sticks out like a sore Italian thumb.

It is nearly seven years since Italy became world champion for a fourth time. Since lifting the World Cup in 2006, the Azzurri has only twice conceded four goals in a competitive international. The Tifosi would rather not be reminded about the Final of Euro2012 in which their heroes were humbled 4-0 by Spain.

Now Brazil, inspired by fanatical home support and the Confederations Cup's outstanding individual, has also torn the lock off the back door with a 4-2 victory Saturday. Italy advances, nonetheless, but after leaking seven goals in the last two games, the alarm bells should be ringing loud and clear.

You could argue there were mitigating circumstances and, to an extent, you'd be right. Without the influence and authority of Andrea Pirlo and Daniele De Rossi, Italy was overrun in midfield. Both will probably be back to face their semfinal opponent - likely Spain - next week, but both were also on the field when Japan threatened a major upset in Recife, Brazil.

Any questions marks over Luiz Felipe Scolari's selection policy have been answered. The Brazilian coach's decision to omit Kaka and Ronaldinho, among other veterans, raised more than a few eyebrows. His new breed of 20-somethings have proven themselves technically and mentally up to the task. The old guard are almost certainly surplus to requirements.

Neymar justifies hype

We've been hearing about Neymar for a couple of years. In the space of a week, the 21-year-old has shown us the hype is justified. After scoring from open plays against Japan and Mexico, he began his bag of tricks a little wider against Italy. Pirlo, himself, would have been proud of the brilliant free kick which turned the game decisively in Brazil's favour.

The Brazilian swagger we know and love appears to be back. The flair and spontaneity I wrote about before the tournament has returned to delight the home fans. Brazil wrote the book on the 'beautiful game' and its approach is admired by soccer fans around the world -- including this one.

Brazil does what is expected. The philosophy is simple. Score plenty at one end, and try to keep the flimsy latch on the back gate. It is never going to win any awards for the standard of its defending -- that's just not the Brazilian way. But with five World Cup and three Confederations Cup titles under its belt, who's to argue Brazil must tighten up at the back?

In a world of "false number 9s" where the world's best team doesn't employ an out-and-out striker, Brazil has more than it knows what to do with. Neymar is the undoubted star of the show but with Fred and Hulk offering different offensive qualities, Brazil is beginning to look irresistible, particularly on home soil.

Many expect Spain-Brazil final

It will take a mighty good team to stop them -- like Spain, for example. If Brazil doesn't meet the World Cup holders in the Confederations Cup Final next weekend it will be a major surprise. The Spaniards have hardly been tested so far and should match Brazil with a clean slate of victories against Nigeria to wrap up Group B.

The African champions know they are on a slippery slope. Nigeria led the standings following their opening win over Tahiti, then dropped to second after the loss to Uruguay. When the round-robin matches concludes, the Super Eagles will likely finish third in the group allowing the South Americans to join Spain in the final four.

If so Uruguay will face the unenviable task of taking on Brazil. Forlan, Suarez and Cavani could certainly hurt the hosts in what may well turn out to be an uncompromising battle. Uruguay is fiercely proud of upstaging its giant neighbour both at the 2010 World Cup and 2011 Copa America, but knocking the hosts out of their own tournament, albeit a World Cup warmup, might just top the lot.

Spain against Italy would be a rerun of the 2012 European Championship massacre. It wasn't close in Kiev last summer, and it might not be much closer in Fortaleza.

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Show your colours for the Confederations Cup

The 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup is underway and we want to know which of the eight countries you are rooting for to win the trophy in Brazil.

Use the relevant hashtag to show support and loyalty to your favourite team during the "Festival of Champions."

Vote below and have your say on Twitter, don't forget to also use the hashtag #CBCSoccer.

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