Schedule and 2012-13 Results
Regular Season Records: Chicago 36-7-5=77pts, Boston 28-14-6=62pts
Game 1 on Wednesday, 12 June: Boston loses at Chicago, 4-goals-3 (3OT)
Game 2 on Saturday, 15 June: Boston wins at Chicago, 2-goals-1 (OT)
Game 3 on Monday, 17 June: Chicago loses at Boston, 2-goals-nil
Game 4 on Wednesday, 19 June: Chicago wins at Boston, 6-goals-5 (OT)
Game 5 on Saturday, 22 June: Boston loses at Chicago, 3-goals-1
Game 6 on Monday, 24 June: Chicago wins at Boston, 3-goals-2

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 6: With two unanswered goals at 18:44 and 19:01 of the third period, the Chicago Blackhawks visited and defeated the Boston Bruins 3-goals-2 for a 4-games-2 win of MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1202. The Chicago Blackhawks thus win the 2013 NHL championship. With the series 1202 win, the Chicago Blackhawks improve their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record to 36-40 overall (with the active four-series winning streak befitting a new champion) and 3-6 in the Finals; with the series 1202 loss, the Boston Bruins see their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record fall to 47-47 overall and 5-11 in the Finals. The win order for the victorious Chicago Blackhawks in series 1202 was WLLWWW: Series 1202 thus becomes the second NHL Finals, the 21st NHL series (all rounds), and the 30th MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow that win order to completion. The sum of the victory margins for series 1202 was eight goals: Series 1202 thus ties the 1999 NHL Finals (in which the Dallas Stars defeated the Buffalo Sabres) for the smallest sum of victory margins in a best-of-7 NHL Finals series lasting six games. The 47 best-of-7 playoff series losses and the 257 best-of-7 playoff game losses by the Boston Bruins are MLB/NBA/NHL-highs. The Chicago Blackhawks trailed series 1202 Game 6 by a goal on the road as late as 18:43 into the third period. In the history of best-of-7 NHL playoff games from 1939 through 2012, inclusive, road teams down a goal 18:43 into the third period had only a 21-541 (.037) game record.

After Game 5: The Chicago Blackhawks hosted and defeated the Boston Bruins 3-goals-1 for a 3-games-2 lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1202. When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Chicago Blackhawks have a 17-3 series record (with an active 12-series winning streak) and a 13-7 Game 6 record (with an active five-Game 6 winning streak). When trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Boston Bruins have a 3-18 series record and a 10-11 Game 6 record (with an active four-Game 6 winning streak). The last Boston win in that situation occurred in series 1136, in which the Bruins won Games 6-7 against the Vancouver Canucks in the 2011 NHL Finals for the 2011 NHL championship. Chicago thus far in series 1202 has posted a WLLWW @ HHVVH win/site order: In best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, teams with a WLLWW @ HHVVH win/site order are on an active nine-series winning streak.

After Game 4: The Chicago Blackhawks visited and defeated the Boston Bruins 6-goals-5 with a goal 9:51 into the first overtime period. Chicago thus ties MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1202 at 2-games-all. When tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the Chicago Blackhawks have a 14-16 series record (with an active four-series winning streak) and a 16-14 Game 5 record (with an active four-Game 5 winning streak), while the Boston Bruins have a 16-14 series record and a 15-15 Game 5 record. Series 1202 Game 4 becomes the second best-of-7 NHL playoff game to end 9:51 into the first overtime period – in series 57, the Bruins in Boston scored at 9:51 into overtime to defeat the Detroit Red Wings in Game 5 of their 1946 NHL Semifinals series and win that series 4-games-1. The eleven total goals in series 1202 Game 4 tie for the most total goals in a best-of-7 NHL Finals Game 4; in Game 4 of the 1992 NHL Finals, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks also combined for eleven goals in the Pittsburgh 6-goals-5 victory (for the series sweep and the 1992 NHL championship). In the history of best-of-7 NHL Finals series, teams posting a win/site order of WLLW @ HHVV (as Chicago has in the 2013 NHL Finals) have a 2-1 series record, with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1964 (over the Detroit Red Wings) and the Calgary Flames in 1989 (over the Montreal Canadiens) accounting for the victories and the Montreal Canadiens in 1967 (to the Toronto Maple Leafs) sustaining the loss.

After Game 3: The Boston Bruins hosted and defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 2-goals-nil, thereby taking a 2-games-1 lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1202. When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Boston Bruins have a 20-8 series record and a 13-15 Game 4 record. When trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Chicago Blackhawks have a 10-17 series record and an 18-9 Game 4 record. The win/site order thus far in series 1202 is LWW @ VVH: In series 1198, the Detroit Red Wings posted a LWW @ VVH win/site order in the 2013 NHL Quarterfinals, and won Game 4 but then lost Games 5-7 and the series to the Chicago Blackhawks. The Boston Bruins have a 4-0 best-of-7 NHL playoff series record upon posting a LWW @ VVH win/site order. In the history of best-of-7 NHL playoff series, teams tied 1-game-all which win Game 3 by shutout irrespective of site (such as Boston) have a 26-14 (.650) series record. The 2013 NHL Finals Game 3 shutout by the Boston Bruins is their sixth in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series and their second in a best-of-7 NHL Finals series (their first in the NHL Finals was thirty-five years ago, in 1978).

After Game 2: The Boston Bruins visited and defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 2-goals-1 with a goal 13:48 into the first overtime period, thereby tying MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1202 at 1-game-all. When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the Chicago Blackhawks have a series record of 16-11 and a Game 3 record of 15-12, while the Boston Bruins have a series record of 22-13 and a Game 3 record of 18-17 (with an active four-Game 3 winning streak). Teams such as the Chicago Blackhawks which win Game 1 but lose Game 2 at home in the NHL Finals have an active three-series winning streak. Series 1202 is the first NHL Finals-round series to be tied 1-game-all since the 2004 NHL Finals, and the first NHL Finals-round series to feature a WL @ HH win/site order through two games since the 2001 NHL Finals.

After Game 1: With the winning goal 12:08 into the third overtime period, the Chicago Blackhawks hosted and defeated the Boston Bruins 4-goals-3 for a 1-game-nil lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1202. When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Chicago Blackhawks have a 21-8 series record (with an active six-series winning streak) and a 17-12 Game 2 record. When trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Boston Bruins have a 13-32 series record (with an active four-series winning streak) and a 17-28 Game 2 record. Chicago trailed by two goals as late as 7:59 into the third period: In the history of best-of-7 NHL playoff series from 1939 through 2012, inclusive, home teams down two goals as late as 7:59 into the third regulation period had a 100-425 (.190) game record, and home teams 12:07 into the third overtime period had a 4-13 (.235) game record. Series 1202 Game 1 was the 18th-longest best-of-7 NHL playoff game, the fourth-longest best-of-7 NHL Finals-round game, the longest in any round since 2012 Quarterfinals Game 3 (when the New York Rangers defeated the Capitals in Washington 14:41 into the third overtime in series 1163), the longest in the NHL Finals since 2002 Finals Game 3 (when the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Hurricanes in Carolina 14:47 into the third overtime in series 862), and the longest best-of-7 NHL Finals game won by the home team (topping the old mark set by the Montreal Canadiens in their defeat of the visiting Calgary Flames in 1989 NHL Finals Game 3 at 18:08 into the second overtime in series 540).

Pre-series assessment: In the 2012-13 NHL regular season, the Chicago Blackhawks finished 15 points ahead of the Boston Bruins. From 1939 through the 2013 NHL Semifinals round, when NHL teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by 15 regular-season points, they have posted a 19-7 (.731) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1202 is the 94th best-of-7 playoff series for Boston, and the 76th for Chicago. In best-of-7 NHL playoff series, Boston has a 47-46 series record, a 5-10 Finals-round series record, and a 48-45 Game 1 record (with an active four-Game 1 winning streak), while Chicago has a 35-40 series record, a 2-6 Finals-round series record, and a 29-46 Game 1 record (with an active three-Game 1 winning streak). Series 1202 is the fourth best-of-7 NHL playoff series meeting between Boston and Chicago; Boston won the first three.