Niemi's strong game critical to big win

PHILADELPHIA - Long will be remembered the goal by Patrick Kane that handed Chicago its first Stanley Cup in 49 years.

What shouldn't be forgotten any time soon is the play of Antti Niemi in the third period and overtime, when the Flyers were swarming the Blackhawks' net and pounding away at the Hawks' rookie goaltender.

As has been the case so many times in these playoffs, Niemi wasn't great for much of Game 6, but he was great in Game 6 precisely when the Hawks needed him most.

"He was incredible," said defenseman Brent Seabrook. "The ice was really tilted there for a long time and he just stood his ground and kept it from getting away.

"He saved us a few times late in the game and overtime."

The Flyers tied the score at 3-3 late in the third, and with a little over a minute left, Jeff Carter had a wide open net and hit Niemi right in the forehead.

"I got lucky on that one," Niemi said. "He had me out of the net and down and he just hit me in the mask."

But there were plenty of other big saves Niemi made that had nothing to do with luck.

"I was very confident at the end of the game and I felt very good that they weren't going to score,'' Niemi said. "I wasn't worried. I was just doing my job."

But a goal there and it would have meant a Game 7 in Chicago, when anything could happen.

"You can't think about that then. The focus has to be on that moment," Niemi said. "Joel (Quenneville) does a good job of keeping us in the moment."

Niemi is now in the history books, a rookie goaltender that barely made the team out of camp, and is now a Stanley Cup champ.

"It's hard to believe. All of it is hard to believe," Niemi said. "I can't believe that was so long ago that we started the season in Helsinki and now we're here and we won the Stanley Cup.

"It's going to take time to have it all sink in, but I'm going to enjoy it. I promise you that."