What makes for a more epic game in the Stanley Cup Finals - four overtimes, or four fights? How about both, and a shorthanded goal to win it?
Reader jayc4life's masterpiece on NHL 10 is the timely choice for Box Scores' game of the week - leading the Chicago Blackhawks to a 2-1, 4OT victory over Philadelphia in Game Two of his Stanley Cup Finals. Chicago, of course, defeated Philadelphia on Wednesday night in one overtime to claim the ‘Hawks' first Cup since 1961.
"I honestly can't for the life of me think of a more tense game of hockey I've played on a console in my life," jayc4life said. "Not in NHL 2001, 2004 or even 2007. This one takes the biscuit."
Playing in Battle for the Cup mode, he found the Blackhawks and Flyers tied at 1 at the end of regulation, having already seen two fights between Chicago's Dave Bolland and Philly's Braydon Coburn, Bolland winning both. Three overtimes pass without a score, Chicago spending much of that shorthanded thanks to some questionable penalties. But goalie Antti Niemi stands on his head throughout.
The fourth overtime opens with the Flyers' Mike Richards hammering John Madden in the third fight of the game. Jayc4life, hellbent on getting revenge, even sent superstar Patrick Kane after Coburn to try and get the Flyers' goon ejected. Instead, Kane got the misconduct, putting Philadelphia on the power play. Here's jayc4life with the call:
Out of nowhere, Bolland wins the faceoff and, shorthanded from Kane's misconduct minor, John Madden just drives up the slot and absolutely powers one past Emery, who never had a hope in hell of stopping it high on the stick side. I've never been so relieved to win a sports game in my life. It was the Energizer of matches, it just dragged on and on and on.
And here's a video of the game summary. Check out all those penalties!
Get your shutout, throwdown, upset, blowout or Alcoa Fantastic Finish featured in Kotaku Box Scores. Any sports game, any console, any year is eligible. Just get some image of the screen (crappy cell camera pic will do, YouTube video is optional but also accepted) and write a couple compelling paragraphs about why the game was so awesome. Send it all to owenATkotakuDOTcom with the subject header: Game of the Week, so that I see it.
And now begins Box Scores' open-thread sports discussion. The World Cup is the biggest sports news of the day, or for the next month, really, with the U.S. and England kicking off in 30 minutes for a match of extreme interest, to say the least. The Lakers and the Celtics play tomorrow in the NBA Finals, but it won't be an elimination game - meaning we will see an NBA title won at the Staples Center, right in the heart of E3, next week.
(All times are U.S. Eastern:)
- Soccer
The U.S., no doubt motivated by revenge for British Petroleum's gargantuan oil slick coating the Gulf Coast, meets England in the biggest game in American soccer since Pele and Rambo kicked the shit out of the Nazis in 1981. Last time these two sides met, the Americans embarrassed the Brits 1-0 in the 1950 World Cup. I guarantee U.S. victory. I've never been more certain of anything in my whole life. 2:30 p.m., ABC.
Tomorrow's nationally broadcast match is Germany and Australia, 2:30 p.m., ABC. - NBA
Game Five of the NBA Finals is Sunday at 8 p.m., from Boston. The series is square at 2-2, but does anyone honestly believe this isn't going seven games? - MLB
Fox's game of the week on Saturday is either the Phillies at the Red Sox, or the White Sox at the Cubs, 4 p.m.
On Sunday, why would TBS bother with the Nationals at the Indians? Stephen Strasburg, that's why. The rookie flamethrower makes his second start, and first on the road, at 1 p.m. Cubs and Sox are the game of the week on ESPN, 8 p.m. - Mixed Martial Arts
UFC 115's undercard bouts are on Spike TV at 9 p.m. The features, including Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin, and Mirko Crop Cop vs. Pat Barry, are on pay-per-view. - College Baseball
Ah, June, longer days, warmer nights, and the ping of metal bats. The NCAA's super regionals will determine who plays the last College World Series to be held at Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium. Coverage today and tomorrow on ESPN and ESPN2, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. today, 1, 4, 7 and 10 p.m. tomorrow. - Track and Field
The NCAA Division I championships run at 1 p.m. on CBS, live from the University of Oregon's historic Hayward Field.
- Motorsports
In NASCAR. Saturday's Nationwide Series race is the Meijer 300, 8 p.m. on ESPN; Sunday's Sprint Cup event is the [adjusts glasses, clears throat] "Helluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400," 1 p.m. on TNT.
Formula One runs the Canadian Grand Prix at noon Sunday, on Fox.
Remember, send all Game of the Week nominations to owenATkotakuDOTcom, and flag it "Game of the Week" in the subject header. Please include your commenter handle for proper credit.