Chicago Feeling Buff, As Byfuglien Has His Team Heading To Stanley Cup Finals

Tons of people in the hockey world thought they could do it.

Vince Vaughn believed in them.

Hell, even the EA Sports game NHL 10 predicted it.

The Chicago Blackhawks are headed to the Stanley Cup Finals, and boy, did they earn it.

With Sunday's stunning four-game sweep the San Jose Sharks, the Hawks move one step closer to bringing the Cup back to Chicago. It's been a long time, and the fans deserve it.

Heading into the Western Conference best-of-seven series final, many believed that this was the year of the Shark. Chicago was great so far, sure, but the Sharks would just be too tough for them. The Hawks definitely quieted their critics on Sunday.

Determination.

That was what fueled the come-from-behind 4-2 victory in Chicago, as the Hawks were down 2-0 in Game Four, and fought back to win. They fought off penalties, they blocked shots, and protected their man in the crease, only allowing San Jose to get 18 shots on net.

Led by captain Jonathan Toews, who extended his point streak to 13 games, the Blackhawks played a calm game, only taking two penalties. Eight guys added at least a point to their stats and the Hawks played a solid game.

Late in the third with the game tied at two, the ever-so-clutch forward Dustin Byfuglien swooped in to score the game- and series-winner. Bringing his total of game winning goals to four, Byfuglien has emerged as the late-game savior of this team, and he's loving every minute of it.

The Hawks team has certainly earned their spot in the Cup Finals, and are without a doubt the favorites against either team from the Eastern Conference (Philadelphia or Montreal). They have played well throughout all of the playoffs, and pulling off the sweep against the No. 1 team in the West will give the Blackhawks huge momentum going into the final round.

They're young, they're talented, and they have depth.

San Jose couldn't keep up with Chicago's full lines of talent, and guys who were pretty much nobodies a little while ago are now scoring huge goals in the playoffs—t hese guys have what it takes.

When the Cup Finals start, look for the scorers to keep scoring, the stopper to keep stopping, and the best in the west to keep winning.

The the Blackhawks are going all the way, and not just in the video game world.