Dramatic Game 7s From Chicago Sports History
(CBS) With their second straight win Monday night, the Blackhawks forced a Game 7 with the Red Wings to be played Wednesday night in Chicago in the Western Conference Semifinals.
As such, let's take a look at some of the more dramatic Game 7s from around Chicago.
1965 Stanley Cup Finals
The Blackhawks took down the Canadiens in Game 6 of the 1965 Stanley Cup Finals to force the all-important Game 7 in Montreal. In the 1965 Finals, the home team had won every game leading up to Game 7, which spelled bad news for the Blackhawks.
Behind an unbelievable performance from goaltender Lorne Gump Worsley, the Canadiens shut out the Blackhawks 4-0 to take home the Stanley Cup. Montreal scored all four goals in the first period, but the Blackhawkss anemic offense couldn't fight back.
1971 Stanley Cup Finals
Just six seasons after their defeat in Game 7 of the 1965 Stanley Cup Finals, the Canadiens and Blackhawks were at it again for Lord Stanley's cup. A 4-3 win by the Canadiens in Game 6 pushed the series to seven games, but the home ice advantage wasn't enough for the Blackhawks, who again fell in a dramatic Game 7 to the boys from Montreal.
The Canadiens topped the Blackhawks 3-2 in Game 7 to take their second Stanley Cup trophy from the city of Chicago in less than 10 years.
1992 Eastern Conference Semifinals
The Knicks may have topped the Bulls 100-86 in Game 6 of the 1992 Eastern Conference Semifinals to force a Game 7 at the old Chicago Stadium, but that's as far as New York would get.
As the series shifted to Chicago for the pivotal Game 7, Michael Jordan did what Michael Jordan does and dropped 42 points as the Bulls destroyed the Knicks, 110-81. Jordan went 12-0f-13 at the free-throw line and added six rebounds and four assists, as the Bulls eventually would win their second straight NBA Finals.
1994 Eastern Conference Semifinals
The Knicks were looking for revenge in Game 7 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Semifinals. It was the Bulls, behind Jordan, who eliminated New York in 1992, and the Knicks weren't going to let that happen again.
This was the Bulls first season without Jordan after his first retirement, and the Knicks took advantage, beating the Bulls 87-77 behind 18 points from Patrick Ewing and 17 points from Charles Oakley.
The Knicks, however, were eventually ousted by the Rockets in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
1998 Eastern Conference Finals
With Jordan back at the helm, the Bulls-Pacers seven-game series in the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals was one of the most dramatic series the Bulls endured during their run of six titles in the 1990s.
Six of the seven games were decided by 10 points or fewer, and Game 7 was no exception, with Chicago edging Indiana, behind 28 points and nine rebounds from Jordan. Even with Jordan's point total, the future MVP had what could be considered an off night, shooting 9-of-25 and failing to score from the field for the last 7 1/2 minutes.
The Pacers didn't go out quietly, though, as Reggie Miller added 22 points, shooting 4-of-7 from behind the arc.
With the Game 7 win, the Bulls faced the Jazz in the NBA Finals, were they won their sixth title of the decade.
2003 NLCS
With the city of Chicago still reeling from the Cubs' epic collapse in Game 6 following the Steve Bartman debacle, there was still hope for a Cubs World Series berth.
All that stood in the way were the pesky Marlins. With team ace Kerry Wood on the mound at home - a place he hadn't lost in nearly six weeks - for the pivotal Game 7, optimism was reasonable.
The Marlins shelled Wood for three runs in the first inning, but the Cubs got those back in third - thanks in part to a two-run home run from Wood himself. In the third inning, Moises Alou's two-run blast put the Cubs up 5-3 and the dream of a Wrigley Field World Series began to feel like a reality.
That is, until the Marlins put up three runs in the fifth, one in the sixth and two in the seventh to seal their victory, 9-6, and earn a spot in the 2003 World Series, where they eventually defeated the Yankees.
