'17 Seconds' that brought Stanley Cup back to Chicago
One of the most memorable images from Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final in Boston was seeing Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw's cheek bleeding profusely after taking a puck to the face.
But, as one would expect, the rookie didn't let a little gash keep him from returning to the ice in pursuit of hockey's holy grail.
No, sir.
And thanks to a miraculous finish, one that is documented briefly — very briefly, in fact — in the newly released film “17 Seconds,” it was a successful mission, as the Hawks captured their second Cup in four years.
Following footage of a raucous, champagne-spraying, cigar-smoking, hugfest in the locker room, the most poignant 5 seconds or so of “17 seconds” occurs on a toned-down charter flight to Chicago.
That's where we see Shaw sitting stoically in his seat while Hawks captain Jonathan Toews stands above him in the aisle, aiming his smartphone directly at the rookie's stitched-up cheek.
“That's what it takes to win a Stanley Cup right there, my friend,” Toews says quietly as he records the moment for posterity.
A goose bump-inducing moment for any Blackhawks fan.
And it's just one of many in the nearly hourlong film directed by the uber-talented Patrick Dahl and produced by Blackhawks TV and Banner Collective.
The DVD of “17 Seconds” is included in the new book “One Goal II,” which chronicles every moment of the Blackhawks' 2012-13 championship season, from their record-breaking, season-opening point streak to the Game 6 victory in Boston, the championship parade, the rally, and ending with the emotional banner-raising ceremony.
A separate DVD and special Blu-ray edition of “17 Seconds” will be available at all Blackhawks Store locations Friday and can be preordered now at blackhawksstore.com.
“17 seconds,” is named for the amount of time it took the Hawks to turn a 2-1 third period deficit into a 3-2 lead and an eventual victory, but be warned: if you're looking for a recap of Game 6 or the series as a whole, this film isn't it.
Instead, it's a quick look at how the Hawks went from possibly facing a deciding Game 7 back in Chicago to becoming Stanley Cup champs once again, courtesy of those miraculous 17 seconds, capped off by Dave Bolland's game-winner, and a long look at the frivolity that ensued.
It includes memorable summer sojourns of the Stanley Cup, expertly interwoven with interviews from now clean-shaven and tanned players, coaches and staff.
Among the highlights:
ŸA quick peek into the coaching staff's office after the clincher sees coach Joel Quenneville and his assistants munching on pizza, smoking cigars and reminiscing … and then Duncan Keith pops in and temporarily stuns them with his now-famous lamb or lion speech.
ŸBryan Bickell's day with the Cup, which sports a life vest of its own as it prepares for a ride in a fishing boat.
ŸA pilot's-eye view as the Hawks' charter plane is greeted by water cannons upon arrival at O'Hare.
ŸGoalie Corey Crawford's now-famous speech at the Grant Park rally, appropriately bleeped out by the goal horn, receiving a one-word review from a laughing Quenneville: “Beautiful.”
But as much as “17 Seconds” is about the players and coaches and their accomplishments, and the parade, the rally, and the banner ceremony, it's mainly about the Stanley Cup, the most sacred trophy in all of sports.
It's about its journeys with the players — from Patrick Kane in Buffalo to Brent Seabrook in British Columbia and seemingly all points in between — and it's about what the Cup means to all who get a chance to see it, feel it, and, in some cases, even sit in it.
It's the instant smiles and pure joy it brings to those in its presence, whether at a children's hospital or a military base, and, as you'll see up close in this movie, it's a joy that lasts a heck of a lot longer than 17 seconds.