Better Together (Patrick Kane)

67| We Won?

Danielle

Isn't it crazy that 49 years of history can come down to one moment? How some of the greatest to every play the game like Jeremy Ronick and Bobby Hull and everyone else who played with the Hawks in the last 49 years couldn't get the cup back to Chicago. Since 1961 no one has brought the cup back to Chicago and I think it was about time that changed.

This team right now, they are something else. Jonathan has absolutely torn up these playoffs. He has 7 goals and 22 assists in just 21 game. And the leading scorer in the playoff you ask? Big Buff, just as everyone predicted. Everyone on this team has had a huge part in getting to this game six in Philly. It took 82 games in the regular season and three more series in the post season but we finally made it. With one more goal we can finally be done with all this talk about a drought and how Chicago isn't a hockey town.

I sit up in the boxes with my uncle and my grandpa and the rest of the front office as they zamboni the ice for over time. I sit quietly as I just stare down at the crowd. There was a lot of Orange out there, it was intimidating. But I wasn't scared if we would win, it was a matter of how and when we would win this game.

"You look bored" my uncle realizes.

"Me? How could I possibly be bored watching the zamboni go around and around in a circle until he misses a spot and the crowd boos him" I laugh.

"Yeah, I forget you're just 21 sometimes. Why don't you go and see your friends" he asks.

"Really" I ask.

"Yeah, tell them to pray some more" he jokes and I roll my eyes. I hop off my seat and head for the little bit of red in a sea of orange. I find everyone pretty quickly and say hi.

"See, Danny is smart. She didn't wear Blackhawks stuff so she won't get heckled" Patrick's sister Erica says.

"Nope, I still get heckled. Because if I wasn't engaged to Patrick I'm still the general managers niece. And if I wasn't Stans niece then I am Scotty's granddaughter. There's no hiding when I'm in a hockey arena" I laugh.

"That's rough, but we love having you on our side" Patrick's dad says an I smile.

"Happy to be here" I nod.

I sit and talk with Patrick's sisters as the team comes back to the ice. The thing about over time hockey in the play offs is that it doesn't end until someone scores a goal. So each over time period is 20 minutes and if you go three over times you basically played two games. Crazy to think about but it's part of what makes the Stanley cup the hardest trophy in all of sports to conquer. It also makes it the coolest trophy.

"Ohhh I can't wait for this to be over" Patrick's mom groans.

"We will be fine, they'll pull through" I assure her.

"I know, I just get so nervous" she admits.

"I have a good feeling about this" I say and she smiles.

"Then so do I" she admits.

The over time period starts and I stay down for a little. I didn't have to be up in the boxes but my uncle likes me there. You can see it all from up there but these seats were pretty nice too.

About halfway through the period Patrick is on the ice and I watch him closely. He checks his options and makes up his mind. They play in the o zone for a little until the puck squirts out to the blue line. Soupy takes the puck and passes it to Patrick who was also waiting along the blue line. He keeps his head up and stick handles a little earning a "ahhhh" from the crowd.

What happens next is pure magic. The defender takes his chance and tries to charge Patrick but he easily maneuvers around him. Patrick protects himself with one hand and easily carries the puck with the other. After he beat his man it was just him and the goalie. And with Patrick being so deceptive the goalie wasn't sure if he was going to shoot or pass. No one on the ice knew if he was going to shoot or pass.

But like lighting the puck is shot off his stick and to the net.

"Yes! Yes yes yes" I scream as everyone just stares at me. I look around and was shocked no one was celebrating.

"Wait... where's the puck" Jessica asks.

"It's in the net" I scream and she looks at me weird.

"Are you sure, because there's no signal or whistle or anything" she defends.

I look down at the ice where half of the players were at the net looking for the puck... then the other half was chasing Patrick as he jumps around like a guy walking on hot cement barefoot, his hands gloveless and shaking in celebration. He jumps in Neimis arms as the rest of the guys follow suit. They were all celebrating while the officials and the flyers were trying to find out where the magical puck went.

"We won! We won? I'm confused" Donna admits.

"We won... and your son won it for us" I say and she smiles. A second later the net is lifted and there the puck sits on the ice. Mason chucks the puck and the flyers skate away finally admitting defeat. Jonny skates over and finally believes that they had done it. It was all over and we got the cup back to Chicago.

After a video review they find the puck indeed crossed the line and it was stuck under the net. The magic of Patrick Kane had fooled nearly everyone in the nation and he won the cup in only a way he can.

Jonny is announced as the MVP because he was honestly brilliant and we were all super happy for him. I congratulate his parents and brother and they were on cloud nine.

The trophy gets passed around and I could feel their happiness from here. For guys like Hossa who scored maybe the most important goal in the playoffs before tonight. He had been here the last two years and lost both times and now he finally gets to raise the cup. For guys like Jonathan who was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, he was now the youngest member of the triple gold club and will forever go down as one of the best captains in history at such a young age. And of course this was great for Patrick, a simple American Boy with big dreams. People always doubt what he can do, and they always will. But he proved to himself that he is capable of being what this team needs when they need it and that's what's important.

As everyone clears out of the arena we get let down onto the ice. Patrick's family goes to congratulate him and I let them hang out while I go do something I needed to do.

I find my uncle and jump on his back. He catches me easily and laughs as we slip and slide on the ice.

"Is this Danny" he asks and I hop down.

"How'd you know" I ask.

"Because you're a lot bigger than Cam and Will and your hair just hit me in the face" he laughs. Fair enough.

"I'm so proud of you uncle Stan" I say wrapping my arms around his neck so I can hug him good.

"Couldn't have done it without you kiddo" he whispers in my ear.

I go and congratulate my grandpa who was impressed even though this is the tenth cup he's been a part of. We talk about the game for a little before I feel a pair of hands on my waist.

"I have been looking everywhere for you" a raspy voice says and I smile. I turn around and press a kiss on Patrick's lips. I go to pull away but he pulls me right back in.

"I've missed you too" I whisper on his lips and I feel him smile. I open my eyes and his bright blue ones are shining down on me.

"Did I have you worried there" he asks.

"Never doubted for a second" I claim.

"I knew you wouldn't have. Just as you drew it up huh" he teases.

"Not at all. But my money was on you" I claim.

We get our families together and get a picture with the cup. I figured that would be cool to have at the wedding.

After a long night we get on the plane and head back to sweet home Chicago.