'Star Wars' Casting Call In Chicago: Open Call For Young 'Episode VII' Leads Comes To Park West Nov. 14

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May the force be with you, hopeful Chicago-area padawans.

Reports emerged Friday that the production team behind the J.J. Abrams-directed "Star Wars: Episode VII" will be holding an open casting call for two "lead" roles in the latest addition to the sci-fi franchise from 3-8 p.m. at Park West, 322 W. Armitage Ave., on Nov. 14.

The Chicago Tribune first reported the film's casting director Maryellen Aviano is seeking a 17-18-year-old female who is "street smart, independent, athletic, natural beauty… all ethnicities, multi & bi-racial" as well as a male who can play 19-23 years old who is "athletic, smart, handsome, independent spirite [sic]." The characters have been named Rachel and Thomas.

Hopeful cast members younger than 18 need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Acting experience is not required.

The descriptions mirror those for a casting call being held in the United Kingdom this weekend and in other U.S. cities including St. Louis, Nashville, Austin, Troy, Mich. and Bloomington, Minn. in the weeks ahead. Applications can also be submitted online.

Earlier this week, Disney announced the highly-anticipated film will be released on Dec. 18, 2015.

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Elgin Gangs: Chicago Suburb Battles Street Gang Members In Civil Court

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CHICAGO -- One suburban Chicago community wary of street gang activity is flexing some legal muscle and facing off against the group in an uncommon venue: civil court.

The city of Elgin, in a lawsuit recently filed on its behalf by the Kane County prosecutor, is seeking an injunction that would bar 25 reputed members of the Maniac Latin Disciples from associating with each other.

The 38-page suit also asks a judge to prohibit members from engaging in a lengthy list of other activities, from showing gang hand signs and carrying spray-paint cans to wearing hats emblazoned with the letter `D.'

"When there are criminal penalties, we can pressure gangs in criminal court," Kane County State's Attorney Joe McMahon told The Associated Press in a phone interview Wednesday. "The civil suit is another tool that's available."

Chicago remains the regional hub of street-gang activity, but gangs have increasingly moved into surrounding suburbs like Elgin as demographics shift and gangs bid for new drug markets.

Prosecutors typically go after gangs using criminal drug, gun or racketeering statutes. But Elgin, which has a population of about 100,000 people, is using Illinois' 1993 Streetgang Terrorism Omnibus Prevention Act, meant to thwart gangs via civil injunctions.

The law is rarely used, though several other counties have occasionally deployed it. Kane County has used it twice before – in 2010 against Latin Kings in Elgin and in 2012, against Aurora's Latin Kings.

There's a lower threshold of proof in civil cases. And defense lawyers criticize the 1993 civil law, saying it unfairly provides prosecutors a backdoor to curtail someone's freedom of movement and association.

"You are taking away rights without the due process we get in criminal courts," said Elgin-based criminal attorney, Liam Dixon, who has represented gang members in the Kane County cases.

To win in court, attorneys for the city must demonstrate that each defendant has been previously convicted in criminal court for gang-related crimes and that they remain part of the gang.

But Dixon says court-ordered prohibitions can end up applying to people only casually affiliated with gangs or to one-time members who have long since left their gang life behind.

McMahon, the state's attorney, said the civil law had previously survived constitutional challenges, though he expected similar challenges from defense attorneys again.

If Elgin prevails, a gang member engaging in one of the prohibited activities can be charged with a misdemeanor. Once stopped, they also can be searched, potentially leading to more serious charges.

Previous cases filed by the county specified areas where the gang members were barred from meeting, but the latest suit does not – opening the door to the possibility the prohibitions would be statewide.

The suit also seeks unspecified monetary damages for the gang's past illegal activities.

An initial hearing in the case is set for Oct. 8.

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Follow Michael Tarm at http://www.twitter.com/mtarm

Boston Bruins Fans to porn after Chicago Blackhawks claim the Stanley Cup

Sports fans tend to be very passionate people, especially when his team is in a decisive game with the Stanley Cup on the line.

So it makes sense that fans of Boston, after having been deflated the Monday after the Bruins lost to the Blackhawks, sought an emotional release through decidedly different media: while rowdy Chicago were filling the streets, seems that Boston fans at home, with locked doors and closed blinds, were looking for in porn.

That data comes courtesy of Pornhub, an adult web site, which launched a screenshot of your Internet from Boston and Chicago traffic in the hours before the 11:00 p.m. Eastern time on Monday night.

20 To 22, the traffic from both cities seems to have been below the average. Right at 23:00, however, just after Chicago came back for a last minute victory, traffic in Boston with 21 per cent higher than the average.

Porn activity of Boston be shot after the loss of #Bruins game 6 Stanley Cup? pic.twitter.com/Bxusld1VWe

-NHLEXPERTPICKS.COM (@NHLexpertpicks) on June 26, 2013

CBS Sports has a press release from PornHub:

Last night marked the end of the NHL Championships, and much as the NBA, the battle for the Cup finals managed to once again take her beloved porn users. Until of course the end of the game marking the loss for the Bruins, who saw everything Boston Pornhub to remove some of that pent-up aggression.

It is true - to Pornhub.com statisticians analyze carefully each time the game to follow the changes of traffic in Chicago, Boston, and in the United States per hour; by comparing each location relative to the rest of the country.

With respect to the press release, Inquisitr joked, "wait, PornHub has statistics"?

2013 Stanley Cup final photos: latest goals Chicago Blackhawks eliminate Boston Bruins

BOSTON - Chicago took only 17 seconds to secure his second Stanley Cup Championship in four years. It is how long it took to score two goals in the last minute, more or less of game 6 to the power that the Blackhawks to a 6 game 3-2 victory over Boston. The sold-out TD Garden was nearly empty - except some hundred fans mesh of Red Blackhawks seeping to the first rows - when Chicago players pass the Cup 35 pounds on the ice.

It is a gallery of images of the six games of the NHL championship:

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Duncan Keith's Baby Son Celebrates Chicago Blackhawks' Stanley Cup Win (PHOTO)

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Once the hard fought 2013 Stanley Cup Final was over, the Chicago Blackhawks got downright adorable.

Following his team's thrilling Game 6 victory over the Boston Bruins, Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith shared the incredible moment with his baby son, Colton Duncan Keith.

In an heartwarming scene, Duncan put young Colton, who was born in May, in the Stanley Cup, feet first. Although he was sporting a pair of noise-canceling head phones, the party seemed a bit much for the toddler. Needless to say, there will definitely come a time when he understands how many hockey fans would have loved to take a seat in the Stanley Cup.

Baby in the Cup! - pic.twitter.com/aL87Dui3WA

— Sean Leahy (@Sean_Leahy) June 25, 2013

Beautiful scene of Duncan Keith with his newborn baby on the ice pic.twitter.com/ciwDlzHVME

— Mike Darnay (@MikeDarnay) June 25, 2013

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Chicago Bears Beat San Diego Chargers 33-28 Despite Jay Cutler, Offense Looking Shaky (PHOTOS)

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CHICAGO -- This new and supposedly improved offense is producing some awfully familiar results for the Chicago Bears.

Jay Cutler looked shaky again and the defense made up for it, harassing Philip Rivers early on and setting the tone for the Bears in a 33-28 victory over the San Diego Chargers in a preseason game on Thursday night.

All eyes remain on the quarterback after the Bears made some big changes on offense in the offseason, hiring coach Marc Trestman to replace Lovie Smith and revising their line.

So far, the results are mixed at best.

Cutler played a quarter and completed 4-of-5 passes for 38 yards and a touchdown, but the only receiver he targeted was Brandon Marshall. That's not a good sign for the Bears, considering they want to distribute the ball more evenly this year. Nor was Cutler getting intercepted trying to hit Marshall in double coverage.

On a more positive note for the Bears' offense, Matt Forte ran for 74 yards and a touchdown on eight attempts after carrying just once in a loss at Carolina in the preseason opener.

His 58-yard run around the left end set up the game's first touchdown, a 5-yard strike from Cutler to Marshall.

Devin Hester also showed a spark, returning the game's opening kickoff 45 yards. And reserve Michael Ford ran one back 100 yards in the third quarter, leading to a 3-yard scoring run by Michael Bush.

The first-team defense sacked Rivers three times and forced two turnovers, even though star defensive end Julius Peppers (hamstring), defensive tackle Henry Melton (concussion) and linebacker D.J. Williams (strained right calf) sat out with injuries.

Rivers got swarmed as soon as he stepped on the field, and the Chargers fell again after getting pounded by Seattle last week. He was 5 of 9 for 50 yards with an interception, and he lost a fumble on a sack by Shea McClellin, leading to a 3-yard run by Forte that made it 14-0 near the end of the first quarter.

Backup Charlie Whitehurst came in early in the second quarter and was 6 for 9 for 69 yards and a touchdown. He fumbled away his first snap, leading to a field goal by Robbie Gould, but he also led the Chargers on an 80-yard TD drive late in the half.

Cutler got sacked twice on the opening drive, an ominous start after he threw an interception on Chicago's first play from scrimmage the previous week.

Jarret Johnson burst through the left side to force a fumble on second down that the Bears recovered, and Cutler held the ball too long on the next play, resulting in a sack for Corey Liuget.

Forte set up Chicago's first touchdown on the next possession when he turned a pitch into a 58-yard sprint down the left side to the 5. Marshall, who sat out last week after having offseason hip surgery, then caught a strike from Cutler in tight coverage to give the Bears a 7-0 lead.

They had a chance to add to it after Chris Conte picked off Rivers at the 35 on the next possession. But on the first play, Cutler got intercepted by Donald Butler trying to hit Marshall in double coverage.

The Chargers were driving near midfield when McClellin sacked Rivers from the blind side and forced a fumble that Major Wright recovered. The Bears took over on the San Diego 35, and Forte ran it in from the 3, making it 14-0 with 18 seconds left in the quarter.

Both teams were missing some key players, although Peppers' absence was a bit of a surprise.

Trestman said this week that the eight-time Pro Bowl defensive end would play after sitting out against Carolina, but he was not in uniform.

The Chargers held out Danny Woodhead because of his undisclosed injury and receiver Malcolm Floyd after he hurt his right knee in practice on Monday. Rookie linebacker Manti Te'o also sat out as expected after spraining his right foot against Seattle last week.

Liuget left late in the first quarter with a shoulder injury. And Bears third-string quarterback Matt Blanchard injured his left hand in the second half, forcing Josh McCown back into the game.

___

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More speed cameras to be installed in the parks of Chicago

CHICAGO - The Department of transportation will begin to install four parks near speed cameras next week, and drivers will have a grace period of 30 days before penalties begin to appear in the mail, city officials announced Friday.

The four locations - Garfield Park, Gompers Park, Washington and Marquette Park - will have speed cameras installed at the end of August, and CDOT announced an additional eight places where drivers can wait for cameras at the end of September.

Apart from the month of grace, drivers will receive a fine first caught speeding in a designated "safe zone".

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Boston Bruins Top Chicago Blackhawks 2-0 In Stanley Cup Final Game 3, Take 2-1 Series Lead

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BOSTON — Tuukka Rask shut out the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals on Monday night and got enough help from the Bruins' offense to do it without another exhausting overtime.

After playing four extra periods in the first two games, the Bruins made an early night of it with second-period goals by Daniel Paille and Patrice Bergeron to win 2-0 and take a 2-1 lead in the Stanley Cup finals.

"A win is a win. We'll take a win any day," said Rask, who stopped 28 shots for his third shutout of the 2013 playoffs. "We'll take a regulation win, for sure."

Corey Crawford made 33 saves for the Blackhawks.

Game 4 is Wednesday night in Boston before the matchup of Original Six franchises returns to Chicago for a fifth game. The teams split the first two games there, with the Blackhawks winning Game 1 in triple-overtime and the Bruins stealing home-ice advantage on Paille's goal in the first OT of the second game.

But this time the intrigue came before the opening faceoff instead of after the end of regulation.

Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara and Chicago forward Marian Hossa both left the ice after warmups. But while Chara needed just some stitches after his collision with teammate Milan Lucic, Hossa was a late scratch with an unspecified injury.

"I was as surprised as anybody else," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "I can definitely tell you they lost a pretty important player on their roster, but that doesn't mean we change our game. I think it's important we stick with what we believe in."

Julien said Chara slipped and "had a little gash over his eye."

"Nothing serious," Julien said of his captain and No. 1 defenseman, who still managed to lead the team in ice time.

Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville was less forthcoming with information on Hossa's malady, sticking to the standard NHL diagnosis: Upper body.

"We'll say `day-to-day.' We're hopeful he'll be ready for the next game," he said, adding that it did not happen during warmups, as had been reported on the team's Twitter account. "It was a game-time decision after the warmup there. That's when we made the call, after warmup."

Hossa, who has three game-winning goals in the playoffs this year, was tied for the team lead with 15 playoff points and was third on the Blackhawks with 17 goals during the regular season.

It was a loss the Blackhawks couldn't afford.

Not with Rask stopping everything that came his way.

"We ran up against some of the best goalies in the league here," Quenneville said. "Tonight I thought we made it rather easy on him as far as traffic and finding and seeing pucks. I think we've got to be better at going to the net."

Rask, who was a backup to Conn Smythe-winner Tim Thomas in the team's 2011 Stanley Cup run, didn't face as difficult a test as in the first period of Game 2, when the Blackhawks sent 19 shots at him but managed just one goal. But he stymied them all game and got some help from the post on Bryan Bickell's shot with 42 seconds left in the game.

The puck caromed off the right post and the goal light flickered on briefly, but play continued for another 30 seconds before the whistle blew and the game degenerated into fisticuffs. Chara was on top of Bickell, pounding away, and Andrew Shaw got the better of Brad Marchand.

By the time it was all sorted out, the benches were a little emptier but the scoring column for Chicago was still blank.

"You're playing the last five minutes of the game, you know they're going to throw everything they can at you," Rask said.

After a scoreless first period, the Bruins made it 1-0 when Paille slapped in the puck at 2:13 of the second, falling to one knee for extra power. It stayed that way until late in the second, when the Bruins picked up their first power plays of the game on two nearly identical plays, with a Bruin racing to the net and a Blackhawk undercutting his skates and sending him crashing into the left post.

Boston set up their offense during the 11-second two-man advantage, and just five seconds after it expired – but before Dave Bolland was able to get back into the play – Jaromir Jagr slid one across the middle, past Lucic in the center to Bergeron on the other side for the easy one-timer.

It was Jagr's 197th career playoff point in 199 games, moving him into sole possession of fifth place on the NHL's all-time postseason points list.

Notes: Jagr had been tied with Paul Coffey on the career postseason scoring list. ... Two of Jagr's playoff points came on goals scored against the Blackhawks when they were swept by Penguins in 1992 final. ... Boston's Gregory Campbell, who broke his leg blocking a shot in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals, attended the game. ... The Bruins have killed off 27 straight penalties in the playoffs. ... Boston's David Krejci entered the game tied with Chicago's Andrew Sharp for the most goals in the postseason with nine. The Bruins center entered the game leading all scorers with 23 points. ... The Bruins are attempting to win a Cup for the second time in three seasons for the third time in their history. They also did it in 1939 and `41 and again in 1970 and `72. ... Bruins won their seventh straight home playoff game. ... The Blackhawks fell to 3-5 on the road in the postseason. ... Ben Smith, who played just one game this regular season and none in the playoffs, replaced Hossa in the lineup. ... Stalberg replaced Brandon Bollig in the lineup for Chicago.

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Bears Trade Gabe Carimi To Buccaneers: Chicago Says 2011 1st-Round Draft Pick Dealt To Tampa

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Tackle Gabe Carimi #72 of the Chicago Bears during the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on December 23, 2012 in Glendale, Arizona.

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bears say they have agreed to trade former first-round draft pick Gabe Carimi to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The team confirmed the deal, which is pending a physical, on Sunday night. The Bears didn't say what they were getting in return, although a person familiar with the situation said Tampa is sending a sixth-round pick to Chicago.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the terms were not announced.

The Outland Trophy winner as a senior at Wisconsin, the 6-foot-7 Carimi never quite lived up to expectations after the Bears took him with the 29th pick in the 2011 draft. He started the first two games at right tackle as a rookie before suffering a season-ending knee injury and appeared to be limited last year.

He started the first 10 games at right guard before losing the job to Jonathan Scott and played guard and tackle the rest of the way. But he seemed to be the odd man out after a series of moves this offseason.

The Bears fired coach Lovie Smith and hired Marc Trestman to replace him. They also revised their offensive line, signing left tackle Jermon Bushrod and veteran guards veteran guards Matt Slauson and Eben Britton. They also drafted guard Kyle Long in the first round, adding him to a mix that also includes James Brown and Edwin Williams.

Carimi attended the Bears' voluntary minicamp in April but did not participate in organized team activities after that.

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Bruno Bartoletti dead: longtime leader Chicago Lyric Opera artistic dies in Florence

Rome - Bruno Bartoletti, Director of orchestra that was associated with the lyric opera of Chicago for half a century, and defended the modern opera, as well as classics, died Sunday in his native Tuscany, a day before his birthday, 87.

The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, where the master had served as artistic director from 1985 until 1991, said Bartoletti died in a Florence hospital after a long illness.

In a career that saw Bartoletti perform well in 80 years - directed Giacomo Puccini's "Manon Lescaut" at the Teatro Comunale of Florence in February 2011 - served as the first director of music of lyric opera of Chicago, starting as a guest conductor there in 1956, when he was relatively unknown.

Bartoletti was 30 when the lyric opera's 2 years needs a replacement for the "Il Trovatore" by Giuseppe Verdi conductor in 1956. Baritone Tito Gobbi supported him and Bartoletti made his debut with the company. He directed over 600 representations of 55 operas at the lyric, in his 51 years, with his latest in 2007. He served as artistic director with Pino Donati from 1965 until 1975 and as artistic director from 1975 until 1999.

"Sir Andrew Davis, director of music of the letter, said that when he took the"musical"reins of Bartoletti in 2000,"I was very aware of the extraordinary legacy which had left."

"Not only establish and maintain the tradition of the great Italian opera that the company earned the nickname of 'La Scala West', but also oversaw the expansion of the repertoire" including a "remarkable range" of operas of the 20th century and premieres, Davis said in a statement. "

Interviewed by The Associated Press in Chicago in 2007, Bartoletti said that it was returning to Florence to be with his family and announced that he would not outside Italy again.

He was a proponent of the modern music in Chicago and Florence.

One of the things I'm most proud of is the premiere of city of Alban Berg 'Wozzeck', which I think is the great masterpiece of the 20th century, "he said in that interview in Chicago.

Lyric Founder Carol Fox in charge "Lost paradise" of Krzysztof Penderecki for the United States bicentennial in 1976, but the work was not completed until two years later. Bartoletti conducted the world premiere on November 29, 1978.

CEO letter, Anthony Freud, recalled Sunday how Bartoletti nurtured the incipient company when he first joined. When he retired as artistic director in 1999, letter was recognized in the world as one of the great opera companies, "Freud said in a statement.

Bartoletti also took place at La Scala, working with the legendary opera house of Milan for 13 productions, from 1958. He was a guest repeat at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires.

Among the most notable albums with Bartoletti as the master was a recording of Verdi "Un Ballo in Maschera" with Renata Tebaldi and Luciano Pavarotti.

A wake was scheduled for Monday in the foyer of the Teatro Comunale of Florence, followed by a funeral in Sesto Fiorentino, a suburb of Florence, where the master, was born on June 10, 1926. Bartoletti did studying music at the Conservatory in Florence. The Tuscan capital awarded him honorary citizenship in 2009.

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Associated press writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report from New York.

L.A. Kings Beat Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 In Game 3 Of Western Conference Finals

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LOS ANGELES — Slava Voynov had a goal and an assist, Jonathan Quick made 19 saves, and the Los Angeles Kings beat Chicago 3-1 in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals on Tuesday night, trimming the Blackhawks' series lead to 2-1.

Justin Williams also scored and Dwight King added an empty-net goal in the defending Stanley Cup champions' 15th consecutive home victory since March. The Kings have won eight straight home playoff games, dating to last season's title clincher, and they never trailed while ending the top-seeded Blackhawks' five-game postseason winning streak.

Game 4 is Thursday night.

Bryan Bickell scored and Corey Crawford stopped 25 shots for the Blackhawks, who chased Quick from Game 2 and earned back-to-back home victories to open the series last weekend.

Chicago Blackhawks Win Game 7: Brent Seabrook Overtime Goal Eliminates Detroit Red Wings (VIDEO/PHOTOS)

The Chicago Blackhawks' Brent Seabrook (7) celebratea his overtime goal to beat the Detroit Red Wings, 2-1, in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 29, 2013. (Scott Strazzante/Chicago Tribune/MCT via Getty Images)

CHICAGO -- Brent Seabrook sent a wrist shot past goalie Jimmy Howard's glove 3:35 into overtime to give the Chicago Blackhawks a 2-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings in Game 7 of their second-round playoff series on Wednesday night.

The Blackhawks, who had the best record in the NHL regular season, rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to reach the Western Conference finals against the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings.

For just the second time in NHL history, the final four teams remaining in the playoffs are the four most recent Stanley Cup winners. Chicago captured the Cup in 2010.

Seabrook picked up a loose puck and skated in on Howard through the middle of the ice, with Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall in front of him. His shot hit Kronwall's leg before it sailed into the left side of the net for the defenseman's first goal of the postseason.

"I don't know if I saw it go in to be honest," Seabrook said. "I just heard the horn going and the boys jumping out. It was a pretty exhausting game, but I think I was more tired during the celebration with guys jumping and pushing me in the face and dragging me down.

"It's exciting. You don't get to do that too many times."

The sellout crowd of 22,103 roared as Seabrook skated over to the boards and was mobbed by his delirious teammates.

Howard put his arm around Kronwall, who was down on one knee, and tried to console him while the Blackhawks celebrated.

It was quite a change from the end of the third period, when the Blackhawks thought they had scored the go-ahead goal. But it was waved off with less than 2 minutes remaining by referee Stephen Walkom, who called a pair of penalties behind the play.

Patrick Sharp had given Chicago a 1-0 lead in the second period.

Henrik Zetterberg tied it in the third for No. 7 Detroit, which beat second-seeded Anaheim in seven games in the first round. Howard finished with 33 saves.

Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk was held without a point, closing out an ineffective series for the Russian star.

Chicago made it to the conference finals for the first time since it won the title three years ago and will host Los Angeles in Game 1 on Saturday night. The Kings advanced with a 2-1 victory over San Jose in Game 7 on Tuesday night.

Pittsburgh will host Boston in the opener of the Eastern finals on Saturday.

Chicago was one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup when the playoffs began, storming to the Presidents' Trophy during the lockout-shortened season. The Blackhawks then boosted their credentials with a five-game win over Minnesota in the first round and a convincing 4-1 victory against the Red Wings in the series opener.

But Howard and Detroit responded with three straight victories, pushing Chicago to the edge of elimination. The frustrated Blackhawks held a team meeting the day after Game 4, where the seeds were planted for their improbable comeback.

They felt one win would turn it around, and they were right.

Three victories later – in which the Blackhawks outscored the Red Wings 10-5 after managing just two goals in Games 2-4 – they became the 25th team to win a series after trailing 3-1.

It was the first time in franchise history Chicago has made such a comeback.

Crawford finished with 26 saves, continuing his strong performance after allowing a soft goal that nearly proved costly in Game 6. He was especially tough after Detroit turned up the pressure early in the third.

The Blackhawks celebrated wildly when Niklas Hjalmarsson blasted a slap shot by Howard with 1:47 left in regulation, prompting cheers from the raucous crowd.

But Chicago forward Brandon Saad and Detroit defenseman Kyle Quincey got tangled up in front of the Red Wings bench. Walkom stopped play to give roughing penalties to both players as the Blackhawks went in for what appeared to be the go-ahead goal.

Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews had a long discussion with one of the officials while the cheers turned to boos as the crowd realized the goal was waved off. The Red Wings then rushed down the ice, and Johan Franzen's shot was blocked by defenseman Duncan Keith.

After a seesaw series with all sorts of twists and turns, Chicago and Detroit faced off one more time in a Western Conference playoff game.

The Red Wings will move to the East after this season as part of NHL realignment while the Blackhawks remain in the West.

Playing on soft ice due in part to The Rolling Stones concert on Tuesday night, the Original Six teams provided a fitting conclusion to a compelling series.

Each side made the safe play for most of the game, clearing the puck away if there was any danger and patiently waiting for the other team to make a mistake.

Crawford and Howard were there when anyone got open.

The Blackhawks got an opening at the start of the second period when Sharp got Kronwall to turn the puck over while the Red Wings changed lines.

Sharp then skated in with Michal Handzus and Marian Hossa and finished a pretty passing sequence with his seventh goal of the playoffs at 1:08.

Detroit and Chicago each killed off a power play in the period while they jockeyed for control, and the Red Wings finally got even at the beginning of the third.

Gustav Nyquist made a nice move to get open along the boards and found a streaking Zetterberg on the left side for the captain's first goal since the Red Wings' 3-2 victory at Anaheim in Game 7 of the first round.

The Red Wings looked ready to duplicate the Blackhawks' three-goal flurry in the final period of Game 6, dominating the action after tying it up. But Crawford stood tall, turning away every Detroit rush.

"To go all the way, you need a lot of luck," Detroit forward Daniel Cleary said. "You need to be healthy to win. The last five teams that won Cups were still alive. There's probably a reason for that. They're a good team. I mean, tip your hat to them. They played well."

NOTES: Detroit C Valtteri Filppula didn't return after leaving in the first period with an undisclosed lower body injury. ... It was the third Game 7 between the Red Wings and Blackhawks. Detroit won 4-2 in 1964, and Chicago returned the favor by the same score a year later. ... White Sox 1B Paul Konerko won his matchup with Cubs RHP Jeff Samardzija in shoot the puck after the second period. Former Bulls star Scottie Pippen and Chicago Bears cornerback Charles Tillman both received warm ovations when they were shown on the video board. ... Chicago went 4-0 against Detroit during the regular season.

___

Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap

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