There have been just a few too many niceties about how great and classy Chicago was and how nice everyone was and how wonderful the Chicago Blackhawks are and their fans are super and they should have won and all of that.
Well, I'll say it: Bullshit. Fuck Chicago.
It's all nice and good that they're the NHL's favorite team, but there's something sinister and villainous about a team that knocks you on your ass and you thank them afterwards. They smile as they twist the knife.
It's like when Dick Cheney shot a guy in the face...and the guy apologized once he got out of the hospital. For getting shot. In the face.
I don't fault the Bruins effort. Truly, it was herculean. I'm not mad that they lost. The blackhawks "should" have won, after all, especially if you believe Servo the Corsi Corgi. But a couple bounces here and a couple bounces there and a couple people with wide open nets burying their chances and we're all calling in sick with Parade-itis. The bruins could have won. They deserved it as much as anyone (nobody deserves anything in sports, that's the fun of it) and it could have happened.
Pretending that the Chicago Blackhawks were gracious hosts to the Eastern Conference Champions in their victory lap just seems...I dunno, wrong. Andrew Shaw held Brad Marchand down and punched him in the face. Didn't Chris Kelly get in a fight? These things don't just happen between gentlemanly friends, taking a light stroll through a summer Stanley Cup Final. There was some snarl to the series, and it should be recognized as such. Sure, it wasn't the all-out dirty battle that the Canucks and Bruins had or the Habs and Bruins seem to have every year in the playoffs, but it wasn't as friendly as everyone thought. Ask Toews (if he remembers, poor bastard) about the Bruins playing clean.
Congrats to Chicago and all, just...eat shit, you assholes, as well.