How did the Chicago Blackhawks blow the 1971 Stanley Cup?

For Chicago Blackhawks' fans of a certain age, 1971 evokes bleak memories.

The story begins a decade before, when the young Blackhawks won the 1961 Stanley Cup. Bobby Hull was just 22 years old then. Stan Mikita was 20. Even the veterans, like goaltender Glenn Hall, were mostly under 30. This was a team with a brilliant future.

As expected, the Blackhawks were a contender throughout the sixties, with Hull and Mikita emerging as superstars. But playoff disappointment plagued the team, year after year.

In 1971, the Hawks put together another solid season and met the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Final. Chicago opened the series by winning the first two games at home, scoring seven goals against a rookie goaltender named Ken Dryden. Surely, this was finally the Blackhawks' year.

But Montreal also proved unbeatable on home ice, and the series came down to Game Seven at Chicago Stadium. The home team jumped ahead 2-0, and carried that lead late into the second period. The Cup was within reach.

Blackhawks' coach Billy Reay takes up the story:

"I remember Hull hit the crossbar with a shot that would have made it 3-0. Then (Jacques) Lemaire scored on a long shot to make it 2-1. I thought that was the year we were going to win it, but that's the way things go in hockey."

Lemaire's goal was a weak one, a floating slapshot from center ice. "It must have dropped six inches," Stan Mikita recalled. "Tony (Esposito, the Chicago goalie) was notorious for not being able to see the puck from long distances. I was in the [penalty] box on that end when he took the shot. I might have had a better view than Tony."

It would not be fair to pin the loss on Esposito, but the goal appeared to deflate the Blackhawks. Henri Richard followed up with a pair of goals, giving the Canadiens a 3-2 victory and their third Stanley Cup in four years. For Chicago fans, it was another collapse by a great team that too often found a way to fall short when the games mattered most.