Stanley Cup 2015: Blackhawks vs. Lightning Results, Highlights and Top Comments

For the third time in six years, the Chicago Blackhawks are kings of the NHL. After dropping the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010 and the Boston Bruins in 2013, the Blackhawks solidified their status as a hockey dynasty with a 4-2 series win over the Tampa Bay Lightning to emerge as 2015 Stanley Cup champions.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, Chicago entered rare air after slaying a slew of high-caliber opponents throughout its title quest: 

Chicago's Game 6 victory came in wire-to-wire fashion, as goalie Corey Crawford posted the lone shutout of the series, making 25 saves over the course of the clinching 2-0 triumph. 

However, defenseman Duncan Keith continued his reign of terror, scoring the series' decisive goal with two minutes, 47 seconds remaining in the second period.

From there on out, it was merely a matter of the Blackhawks holding their ground, and they did so brilliantly before Patrick Kane closed things out with a textbook two-on-one finish for his lone goal of the series.

Keith, who was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the playoffs, became the first defenseman to capture the honors since Scott Niedermayer in 2007, according to ESPN Stats & Info. 

"It’s been really special," Keith said after the win, according to Bleacher Report's Dave Lozo. "You play with the same guys for a long time and you develop a bond, and then when you can win a championship, it just reinforces that. To be able to do it three times, we’re all proud of it. We all talked about what it would be like, and like I said, we’re just super proud to be part of a group like this."

However, the Blackhawks weren't always in control of things. 

After storming back and taking Game 1 with a 2-1 victory in enemy territory, Chicago surrendered Games 2 and 3 to Tampa Bay. And while Tampa remained resilient, it only received one goal from center Tyler Johnson over the course of six games. 

But according to the Tampa Bay Times' Joe Smith, there was good reason for that. 

Following his club's defeat, Johnson revealed that he played almost the entire Stanley Cup Final with a broken right wrist. 

"Without Tyler Johnson, the Lightning never would have gotten out of the first round," Bleacher Report's Adrian Dater wrote.  

Johnson's hidden ailment was just too much for Tampa Bay to overcome, though. Chicago's defense stifled the Lightning's previously lethal offense with a pair of 2-1 wins in Games 4 and 5 before closing things out in Game 6. 

Game	Winner	Score	Location
Game 1	Chicago	2-1	Tampa Bay, FL
Game 2	Tampa Bay	4-3	Tampa Bay, FL
Game 3	Tampa Bay	3-2	Chicago, IL
Game 4	Chicago	2-1	Chicago, IL
Game 5	Chicago	2-1	Tampa Bay, FL
Game 6	Chicago	2-0	Chicago, IL

Ultimately, the Lightning couldn't dodge the injury bug. Goalie Ben Bishop suffered a groin injury that would have caused him to miss two weeks had it been suffered during the regular season, according to Smith. 

"It was tough," Bishop said, per Smith. "Our trainers did a lot of work, did a great job of getting me back. Just one of those unfortunate things. I didn't feel good out there, but was able to get through it."

Bishop's effort was valiant, though, as evidenced by his 21 saves in Game 2 and another 36 in Game 3. 

On the bright side, the Lightning have a prosperous future to look toward to after racking up 108 points and finishing third in the Eastern Conference for a second straight season. 

As for the Blackhawks, they'll look to become the first team since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998 to capture back-to-back Stanley Cup titles. The odds may be stacked against them, but if the first half of the decade has proved anything, it's that Chicago is capable of conquering them.