I don t honestly know what happened there it was just unbelievable defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson said.
Forward Marian Hossa said It s like a fairy tale.
In contrast to other sports in which leads can change rapidly in the waning moments of a game hockey results more commonly stand up as the seconds tick away. Occasionally a team can overcome a late deficit to win five teams had rallied with less than 90 seconds to win in these Stanley Cup playoffs.
Until Monday no team had ever clinched a Stanley Cup so late in regulation.
Bolland s goal with 59 seconds left broke the mark set in 1929 when Boston s Bill Carson scored to win the Stanley Cup with 1 minute 58 seconds left in Game 2 of a best of three series against the Rangers. But those Bruins did not rally from a two goal deficit as Chicago did.
Two other stirring rallies in N.H.L. annals clinched the Cup. In 1944 the Montreal Canadiens scored twice in the final five minutes of regulation to force overtime then beat Chicago on Toe Blake s overtime goal to complete a four game sweep. In 1951 the Toronto Maple Leafs scored with 32 seconds left to tie Montreal in Game 5 before Bill Barilko s overtime goal won the Stanley Cup for Toronto.
While those thrillers required overtime the Blackhawks became the first club to clinch the Stanley Cup in regulation by overcoming a deficit in the final two minutes.
To find some comparable reversals of fortune on ice without the Stanley Cup at stake one can look to international hockey.
1972 SUMMIT SERIES GAME 8 MOSCOW Paul Henderson s goal with 34 seconds left capped a three goal third period rally giving Team Canada a 6 5 victory over the Soviet Union to win the most bitter international hockey series ever played. Canada had to win the final three games in Moscow to take the series.
1996 WORLD CUP OF HOCKEY GAME 3 MONTREAL The United States trailed Canada in the decisive game 2 1 with less than four minutes left. Brett Hull tied the score with 3 18 left and Tony Amonte put the Americans ahead with 2 35 to go. They added two goals to finish a 5 2 upset the United States only world professional title.
2010 OLYMPICS Zach Parise of the United States tied the gold medal game with 25 seconds left but Sidney Crosby won it for Canada in overtime.
1987 CANADA CUP Mario Lemieux won the deciding Game 3 6 5 burying a feed from Wayne Gretzky with 1 26 left after Canada rallied from early 3 0 and 4 2 deficits. But that rally was completed in the second period.
1980 MIRACLE ON ICE The United States overcame a 3 2 deficit against the Soviet Union on goals by Mark Johnson with 11 21 left and Mike Eruzione with 10 minutes left. The Americans still had to beat Finland to win gold and did so by overcoming a one goal deficit with three unanswered third period goals. Rob McClanahan s go ahead tally came with 13 55 left not nearly as late as Bolland s.
For the closest comparison to what the Blackhawks did Monday you would have to turn to soccer where goals and lead changes are relatively rare and the 1999 Champions League final between Manchester United and Bayern Munich.
United trailed by 1 0 after 90 minutes with three minutes of injury time added. Teddy Sheringham tied the match at 90 36 and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored at 92 17 leaving Bayern players collapsed on the pitch in despair as their team ribbons had already been tied to the trophy for presentation.
It s a fairy tale really Sir Alex Ferguson Manchester United s manager said after the improbable comeback.
Hossa and his Blackhawks teammates now know the feeling. And so does the hockey world.
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