Jonathan Toews says the 2010 Chicago Blackhawks were "oblivious" to how well they were playing on the way to capturing the Stanley Cup. The 2013 Cup took some more thought. "This time around we know definitely how much work it takes and how much sacrifice it takes to get back here," the Blackhawks captain said after the Blackhawks beat Boston in six games to claim their fifth NHL title. It also took more work for general manager Stan Bowman to rebuild from scratch. Salary-cap constraints meant saying goodbye to goaltender Antti Niemi, left-wingers Andrew Ladd and Kris Versteeg, forward/defenceman Dustin Byfuglien and others. Bowman simply changed his roster on the fly, watching draft picks like goalie Corey Crawford, forwards Bryan Bickell, Brandon Saad and Dave Bolland blossom, signing defenceman Michal Rozsival and trading for centre Michal Handzus and defenceman Johnny Oduya. The result was a championship that he has his fingerprints on. "Its hard to win and you have to make some changes, sort of retool a little bit," Bowman said. "Im proud of everybody. Its been a long road to get here and this is sort of the culmination of a lot of hard work for a lot of people." Bowman, named for the Cup by his legendary father, Scotty, was around the trophy plenty throughout his life. Even though Scotty won it nine times, that never devalued the long road of getting there. "Hes a calm guy. I think he realizes how tough it is," Scotty Bowman said. "Thats the thing about the Stanley Cup is its so tough to win that when you do win it, youre delirious." Perhaps not delirious, but coach Joel Quenneville was more candid than usual as he stood on the ice at TD Garden while his players posed for pictures with the trophy that already has his name on it once. "Its always the greatest feeling in the world," Quenneville said. "Once you do it, you cant wait to do it again. The stories, the ups and downs and the process of trying to win a Cup, thats what makes it so special." The Blackhawks only had eight players back from that 2010 Cup team: Toews, Conn Smythe-winner Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Marian Hossa, Dave Bolland and Niklas Hjalmarsson. The core group, led by Toews, Kane, Sharp and Keith, lost in the first round in 2011 and 2012. Chicago ran into a Vancouver Canucks team that was one win away from the Cup and then a hot goaltender in Mike Smith of the Phoenix Coyotes. "I thought we had two good lessons to learn," Quenneville said of those playoff exits. "The core put it all into place. Those guys that were there before, their guidance, their leadership at critical times made the difference." It wouldve been easy for Bowman to be reactionary and fidget with his core after not winning a playoff series in the two years following a championship. But the hockey lifer wisely chose to maintain the course. "I knew we had a very good team here," he said. "We do an analysis and break it down and there were so many good things that happened that you dont want to throw everything out the window." Instead, Bowman tweaked around the edges. Draft picks like Crawford, Bolland and Bickell from the previous regime under Dale Tallon turned out, mixing well with Saad, Andrew Shaw and those Bowman and his scouting staff selected. "The fact that Stan had to make so many decisions right after we won makes this one even sweeter," Sharp said. "He decided (to keep) myself and a couple of other guys around. I feel proud to be part of this organization and to win it again." Even after watching as the Blackhawks started the season with an NHL-record 24-game point streak, Bowman wasnt satisfied. His final move was to get Handzus from the San Jose Sharks before the trade deadline, and the 36-year-old was the second-line centre and the first player to get the Cup from Toews on Monday night. Handzus could immediately appreciate what it all meant. "It shows its great core here, a lot of leaders," he said. "The guys they brought in, they play great. I was the last guy, but I was just trying to fill in. The whole year, they play great." This championship was all about a changing roster and consistent performance this season. The Blackhawks became the first Presidents Trophy winners to also capture the Stanley Cup since the 2008 Detroit Red Wings. Kane said before the Cup final that he and his teammates wanted to thank Bowman for not blowing up the core. Even with the increased pressure that came with the streak and the most points in the NHL, the Blackhawks got it done. "I think its pretty much the same group as last year with maybe a couple differences," he said. "We wanted to prove ourselves all year, especially to maybe our own organization that kept us together, that were here, we can do some special things."Pittsburgh Pirates Shirts . Defenceman Yannick Weber scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period and the Canucks breathed a sigh of relief with a 2-1 win on Saturday night. Pittsburgh Pirates Gear . Spiller left Week 3s 27-20 loss to the New York Jets with a thigh injury, but fully practiced with the team all week and expects to be ready to go on Sunday. https://www.cheappiratesjerseys.us/ . The players spoke Jan. 13 during a Major League Baseball Players Association conference call after Rodriguez sued the union and Major League Baseball to overturn an arbitrators decision suspending him for the 2014 season and post-season. Custom Pittsburgh Pirates Jerseys . "I wrote 36 on my sheet at the beginning of the game," the Cincinnati coach said, referring the yard line the ball would need to be snapped from. Pirates Jerseys China . With Parker having a quiet game for once, Nicolas Batum and Boris Diaw provided the scoring as France won its first major basketball title by beating Lithuania 80-66 on Sunday. It was a victory that ended a decade of frustration for Parker and a talented French generation, which lost the final against Spain two years ago and took bronze in 2005.CHICAGO -- From their torrid start to their dreadful slump and sudden resurgence, it sure has been a wild season for the Chicago White Sox.They are looking better as the All-Star break approaches.Miguel Gonzalez pitched five-hit ball over seven innings and the White Sox beat the New York Yankees 5-0 on Wednesday night.The White Sox have won six of eight and 11 of 16. They took two of three from the Yankees and won their fifth straight series.Thats more like it for a team that led the AL Central at 23-10 before going into a huge tailspin.Everybody seems to be contributing in one way or another and its nice, manager Robin Ventura said. Were playing better baseball, its that simple. Were playing all-around better baseball.The White Sox bounced back after getting blanked for the fifth time and handed the Yankees their fifth shutout.Tim Anderson capped a four-run second with a two-run double off Michael Pineda (3-8). Gonzalez (2-4) took it from there.He matched his longest outing of the season and shut down New York after it pounded out a season-high 20 hits in Tuesdays 9-0 romp.Gonzalez, who went seven innings in a loss at Houston last week, struck out three and walked one. The right-hander was 0-3 with a 7.25 ERA in his previous four starts.Zach Duke worked 1 1/3 innings, and David Robertson got the final two outs, striking out Chase Headley with runners on second and third to end the game.I think that we learned from our success early on, we learned from our failures last month, Adam Eaton said.Jacoby Ellsbury and Didi Gregorious each had three hits for New York. But the Yankees (41-43) missed a chance to reach the .500 mark and dropped to 2-4 on a 10-game trip that takes them to the All-Star break.We cant get over the hump, manager Joe Girardi said. We cant play consistent enough to get over the hump and get to five games over, get to 10 games over and its a number of different things. Its pitching at times. Its swinging the bats at times. You look at the two games here and we didnt hit with runners on and that was the difference.Pineda, who had a 2.75 ERA in six June starts, gave up five runs and five hits in six innings.The White Sox did most of their scoring in the second, pounding out four runs after Pineda retired the first two batters.ddddddddddddBrett Lawrie singled to ignite the rally and scored from second on a base hit by Avisail Garcia, who came in on a 6-for-46 slump. J.B. Shuck added an RBI ground-rule double to left, putting runners on second and third, and Anderson followed with a double to left that made it 4-0.NO BATTING PRACTICEBoth teams were forced to cancel batting practice after a pipe on the third-base side cracked. Workers dug a trench on the foul side of the base, though it was filled in by the time the game started.If we lose a player in a sink hole ..., Girardi said. Maybe one of their players should walk over it first.SALES PITCHWhite Sox ace Chris Sale was very appreciative after joining Billy Pierce as the only White Sox pitchers to make five straight AL All-Star teams. He also said it would be such a thrill to start, a possibility considering he leads the majors with 14 wins.Ive always been there and seen the start of the game and just everything that goes into it, he said. I would be thrilled to do that.TRAINERS ROOMYankees: Carlos Beltran was back at designated hitter after playing the outfield Tuesday for the first time in a week. He has been bothered by a tight right hamstring. The issue is not gone, so hes probably going to DH more than the outfield for a little bit, Girardi said. Girardi also said he thinks Beltran will be able to play in the All-Star Game after being selected for the ninth time.White Sox: The White Sox hope to get C Alex Avila (strained right hamstring) back during their series against Detroit at home July 21-24 after placing him on the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday.UP NEXTYankees: New York opens a four-game series at AL Central leader Cleveland, with RHP Ivan Nova (5-5, 5.06 ERA) starting for the Yankees and RHP Trevor Bauer (7-2, 3.02) pitching for the Indians.White Sox: Sale (14-2, 2.93) goes for his 15th win as the White Sox open a three-game series against Atlanta on Friday. ' ' '