Yesterday the Hawks do something special, they swept the Sharks to get to the Stanley Cup Finals. Yes there are people who don't see the big deal in this. That's fine. But as a hockey fan, the Blackhawks, an original six team, making it to the Finals is huge. But now can they win??
They don't know who they are facing yet, the Flyers/Canadeins still have to finish their series in the East. But that being said, the one thing that can be brought up in the fact that the team with the longest active Stanley Cup drought has a chance to win.
I have different ways to look at that.
#1, streaks are meant to end. (Unless you're the Cubs, but I'm not going to go there) In my lifetime of being a sports fan, I've seen the Rangers' 54 year Cup drought end in 94, the Reds Wings' 42 year drought in 97 (going on to win 4 championships in a 12 year span) and of course saw the Red Sox win the World Series in 2004. (after the greatest comeback ever over the Yankees, sorry Flyers fans but that one was even more improbable and impressive) So now why can't the Hawks' streak finally come to an end? This is the best Hawks team I've ever seen and they have gotten him the hard way. They have won games that they had no right to win, and have shown that they will never give up no matter what. This heart is what all the teams above have in common with the Hawks.
#2, the fans. As a Devils fan, I don't know what a long streak feels like. (even as a Giants fan, 17 years isn't that big a deal in hindsight) In my lifetime I've experienced three Cups and two Super Bowl wins. (I don't count 86 as I was too young to really enjoy it or understand it) I have friends who have experienced a championship in their lifetime at all. My best friend here only has one championship in the same span, we're the same age, and that was a White Sox World Series win. Now he has a chance to experience a Stanley Cup Championship. No doubt in my mind, as much as he's been annoying me with the goal song, I want him to enjoy that feeling, it's something special.
#3, history is on the Hawks side this year. This has been a VERY historic playoffs. The Habs started a trend in the first round of showing how crazy this year was going to be. And then the Flyers had their amazing comeback over the Bruins. Now here comes the Hawks, a team who not many teams figured had a real chance of winning, had a chance to make more history. I think it can happen, why can't it??
1961 doesn't have the same ring as 1940 for a chant. There's no "curses" involved with this franchise. This is just a team with alot of history to it, that now has a major chance to make some of their own.
