Hawks fans help team celebrate

PHILADELPHIA - The Blackhawks weren't alone in celebrating their first Stanley Cup in 49 years Wednesday night.

Hundreds of Hawks fans made their way to the bench area and roared as the Stanley Cup was passed from player to player and finally was carried to the dressing room by captain Jonathan Toews after more than an hour.

"This is magical," Hawks president John McDonough said. "You can't explain this. A few thousand people chanting an hour after the game."

Adam Burish sprayed the fans with champagne and nobody was complaining.

McDonough was like nearly everyone in the Wachovia Center who didn't realize Patrick Kane had scored 4:06 into overtime to give the Hawks their first Stanley Cup since 1961.

"The craziest moment I've ever seen is the game-winning goal and the goal light doesn't go on," McDonough said. "I still want to see that goal light go on. They owe it to us."

Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said Kane's goal sounded as if it went in.

"It made a funny, strange sound," Quenneville said. "Like the back of the leather in the back of the net. It was just the sound."

Same routine: As much as the Hawks tried to make Game 6 feel like any other road game, it simply was not.

How could it have been when the Hawks came here with the opportunity to win their first Stanley Cup since 1961?

"No, it's a different feel," Patrick Kane said following Wednesday's morning skate. "I think it's definitely the most important game of the year, for sure."

The Hawks tried to do the same things they always do on the road starting Tuesday night.

"The routine is usually the routine, and it's when guys get out of their routine that there's trouble," Troy Brouwer said. "Last night we played some Mario Kart like we always do and we had the final rankings of the year and (Niklas) Hjalmarsson won.

"We had a load of fun with it last night, joking around and having a good time."

Patrick Sharp said he slept well, got up Wednesday morning and treated it just as any other game day.

"It was actually a pretty normal night," Sharp said. "I was more worked up for Games 1 and 2, to tell you the truth."

Joel Quenneville credited the team's big-game experience with helping prepare them for Game 6.

"They've played in some big settings and some big stages," Quenneville said. "Back in the Winter Classic last year, playing in the conference finals - a lot of Olympians this year, playing some big games throughout the season.

"As we've gone through in these playoff rounds, I think the guys just welcome the next challenge and their focus and concentration always seems to be in the right place."

Family ties: Many Hawks had family at Wednesday's game just in case.

Troy Brouwer's father remained back in British Columbus recovering from a blood clot on his brain, but the Hawks' winger was thinking about his dad.

"Obviously I want to do it for him and do it for myself and my teammates as well," Brouwer said. "He's given me some words of encouragement like gout, enjoy the moment, have fun with it, play your game and work hard and things will work out. I'm sure he wants to touch this thing as much as I do."

Mental toughness: It was almost two months ago that the Hawks began their playoff odyssey against Nashville in the first round.

It's a grind unlike anything in pro sports, games pretty much every other day and only a few days between series.

"It's a lot of work," Brian Campbell said. "We work at it because it's not an easy thing to do. A lot of us work pretty hard at it, the focus and mental depth that help in the playoffs. It's a hockey game, that's what it comes down to, but there are a lot of battles along the way."