The Chicago Blackhawks are one victory away from hoisting the Stanley Cup for the third time in six years and as they return home with a chance at making more history, there is no shortage of confidence.
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The Blackhawks rallied out of a 2-1 series hole by winning two straight games to take a 3-2 series lead, including a Game 5 victory on the road.
Chicago topped Tampa Bay at the Amalie Arena in Game 5, 2-1, Saturday night in what marked the fifth straight game of this series that was decided by just one goal.
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Now, the Blackhawks, which are 5-0 in Games 5 and 6 in the Cup Final under coach Joel Quenneville, look to win the Stanley Cup yet again after doing so in 2010 and 2013.
Those two championship seasons culminated in Game 6 on the road, while this time the Blackhawks have a chance to clinch at home.
"We always like to think we get better and better as the series goes along," captain Jonathan Toews told NHL.com. "We get into these later games where we have the chance to play these games that are more meaningful, I think that's when we play our best."
Toews also praised Quenneville as he has coached this team to two Cups since taking over in 2008-09 and is 72-44 in the playoffs.
"Joel has done an incredible job of, I think, just gauging where we're at throughout some of these series," Toews said. "I think he identifies things that will make us stronger going into the later games in the series."
As for Quenneville, he credits his players for performing so well in big spots throughout his career.
"Our top guys rise to the challenge," Quenneville said. "They know it's an important game. The bigger the setting, they rise to that challenge. It's a compliment to them."
While they've earned 15 of the 16 wins they need to become champions, the Blackhawks know the Lightning present quite the challenge as they defeated the Detroit Red Wings in seven games in Round 1 and then became the first team to ever hand the New York Rangers a Game 7 defeat in Madison Square Garden in the Eastern Conference Final.
The Stanley Cup will be in the building when the puck drops on the Lightning and Blackhawks live from the United Center Monday night in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final.
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