The Chicago Blackhawks are in prime position to raise Lord Stanley’s Cup at their own home ice. But the Tampa Bay Lightning are never ones to count out on the road. The Lightning have played excellently on the road in this year’s playoffs winning eight of 12 away from home.
Think the Lightning can put on a gutsy performance to take the series back home? Or will Chicago seal the deal? Read on as experts sound off on their Stanley Cup finals Game 6. Dig deeper into this crucial game; check out the complete preview for the Lightning vs. Blackhawks Game 6.
[sc:NHLArticles ]Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Chicago Blackhawks Game 6 Experts Picks and Predictions
Bleacher Report
| Expert | Prediction |
|---|---|
| Steve Macfarlane | Blackhawks 3-2 (OT) |
Steve Macfarlane of Bleacher Report believes that the Blackhawks can close out this series at home. He notes a string of Tampa Bay injuries will limit the young but talented team. Two of the Triplets are banged up with Tyler Johnson playing with an alleged broken finger, and Nikita Kucherov left Game 5 after crashing into a post. Kucherov is questionable for Game 6.
[sc:NHL240 ]Johnson leads the postseason with 23 points, while Kucherov is a step behind with 22. It’ll be crucial if the top two players of the Lightning aren’t up to speed, especially on the road. But it’s not just the defense that’s been hit in the Lightning roster. Goalie Ben Bishop is also dealing with a lower body injury which may limit his production.
Those who are hoping for Steven Stamkos to save the Lightning are in tough luck. The Lightning captain hasn’t scored in seven straight games. Despite Tampa Bay’s share of troubles, the Blackhawks also have something going against them. The Blackhawks have not raised a Stanley Cup at home in the Rocky Wirtz era. They won the cup at Philadelphia in 2010 and Boston in 2013.
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Rant Sports
| Expert | Prediction |
|---|---|
| Seth Lassen | Blackhawks 3-2 |
Rant Sports’ Seth Lassen also believes that Chicago closes the series in Game 6. He cites a couple of Tampa Bay’s miscues as a sign of the team falling apart. First, goalie Ben Bishop left the Tampa Bay goal open to try and play the puck, which eventually led to a Patrick Sharp goal on an empty net. Second, Jonathan Drouin left Chicago’s Antoine Vermette unmarked, who eventually scored the game-winning goal.
But the Game 5 victory wasn’t all because of the Lightning’s mistakes. Corey Crawford has been solid for Chicago, allowing just one goal in each of the past two games. Crawford has a .965 save percentage in those games. A disorganized Tampa Bay team may not have what it takes to get a crucial victory on the road.
Sports Chat Place
| Expert | Prediction |
|---|---|
| Mark Roberts | Blackhawks |
Add Mark Roberts as another Chicago backer for Game 6. He believes that the Blackhawks showed the talent and experience needed to win the series in Game 5. The Blackhawks weathered the Tampa Bay attack which shot 32 pucks on goal against Crawford.
Roberts also notes that Chicago has won four of their last five when its opponent scores two goals or less in the previous game. Crawford has allowed the Lightning to score just one goal in three of the five games in the series thus far. Expect the Chicago goalie to remain solid between the pipes especially with a chance at clinching the series at home.
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