Sudden death never sounded so chilling.
As these things usually go, the cracks and crevices that develop over the playoffs are what finally give out and bring dreams crumbling down.
Michael Leighton, who played such a remarkable role in getting the Flyers this far, failed again to secure the near post. Patrick Kane, who was trapped in a terrible scoring funk for the first half of the series, sped in from Leighton's right and fired an odd-angled shot right through the improbable goaltender.
Just like that, it was over. The Flyers' wild ride from claiming the last playoff berth in the last regular-season game to the threshold of a title was finished.
They gave the Blackhawks all they could handle, twice erasing leads in this elimination game.
By late in the third period, the Stanley Cup was out of its case, resting on the black-clothed cart that would carry it out to the ice on a red carpet.
The Flyers, their supply of grit running down with each tick of the clock, kept making desperate rushes toward the net. Simon Gagne fired at Antti Niemi. Save. Jeff Carter had an open net, but whipped the puck into the sprawling Niemi's shoulder. Claude Giroux tried to lift one in short-side. No good.
This incredible postseason story had one more improbable chapter waiting to be written. Ville Leino, completing his own journey from healthy scratch to hero, glided down the right side with the puck. He flicked it across the slot in the general direction of Scott Hartnell.
Defenseman Brent Seabrook got his stick down, sending the puck directly into the right leg of teammate Marian Hossa. It caromed off Hossa and found Hartnell's stick. Hartnell was immediately checked to the ice by Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews. Too late.
