The Blackhawks don't require extra inspiration to win their fourth Stanley Cup in eight years. But since the Cubs ended their 108-year World Series drought, Chicago's hockey team has been rolling.
On Thursday night, less than 24 hours after the Cubs capped off their remarkable come-from-behind championship against the Cleveland Indians, the Blackhawks blanked the Colorado Avalanche 4-0. Then, over the weekend, Chicago swept a home-and-home set against a solid Dallas Stars team.
Before the second outing against the Stars, on Sunday, Cubs players David Moss, Jason Heyward, Kyle Schwarber and Mike Montgomery were honoured in a pregame ceremony.
The packed United Center particularly enjoyed the scene when the Cubs hoisted the Commissioner's Trophy at centre ice and unfurled a blue W flag that became a rallying cry during their run.
Marian Hossa's overtime winner was the perfect way to end the party. It was the Blackhawks' sixth win in a row and they share top spot in the Western Conference with the Edmonton Oilers at 9-3-1 (19 points).
How does this start compare to the Blackhawks' record after 13 games in their recent championship years? Pretty well.
- 2009-10: 8-4-1, 17 points
- 2013: 10-0-3, 23 points (lockout-shortened season)
- 2014-15: 7-5-1, 13 points
Blackhawks know about droughts
Twenty of the 30 NHL teams have a Major League Baseball neighbour, if you allow the New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders to count the Yankees and Mets, and the Sharks to count the San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics.
But it has not been a common occurrence for a city to win the World Series in the fall and the Stanley Cup the following spring. In fact, you have to go all the way back to 1939-40 to find the last time that has happened, when the Yankees won the World Series in 1939 and the Rangers were victorious six months later.
The Blackhawks know all about ending championship droughts. When Jonathan Toews and company won their first Stanley Cup in 2010 they ended a 49-year dry spell for the team. OK, it wasn't 108 years, but to finally win felt oh so fine for the Blackhawks.
"It was special," Toews told the Chicago Daily Herald last week. "It was 49 years for the Blackhawks, but [the Cubs win] was just on another scale. There's almost no comparison."
Toews and many of the Blackhawks were in attendance at Wrigley Field for Game 4 of the World Series and watched on television the extra-inning, rain-delayed affair that sent the Windy City into a frenzy last Wednesday.
"It just brings back that feeling and that memory [of the Blackhawks' titles], and it's so exciting to just watch the city erupt," Toews said. "I've been here almost 10 years now, and you really start to grasp how much it means to people that have been waiting for this their entire lifetime."
Darling celebrates with dad
Backup goalie Scott Darling knows that feeling. He grew up in the Chicago suburb of Lemont, Ill., and his father is a lifelong Cubs fanatic.
"I could just hear it in his voice; he was so happy," said Darling, who phoned his dad after the Cubs clinched. "He felt blessed that he got to see it.
"I thought it was cool when he said, 'I never thought I'd see the Blackhawks win, let alone the Cubs win.' So it's been some good years."
Darling was asked what was more stressful, watching the Cubs in Game 7 last week or being on the bench for the Blackhawks' 2-0 victory at home to win the Stanley Cup against the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2015.
"I think [the Blackhawks' win] was a little bit more stressful for me, but it was close," Darling said. "The rain delay might have been the best thing that ever happened to us.
"It was a great game. I'm so happy for those guys. I'm just happy for the city."
Fittingly, Darling was in goal on Sunday night. He made 32 saves against the Stars to keep the party going after the Cubs celebration set the mood
Blackhawks can help Chicago snap another (less famous) sports drought
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