Unlike Game 1, the second game of the Stanley Cup Finals was a high-scoring one with the Tampa Bay Lightning coming out on top. With the series moving to Chicago, will the Bolts strike again and grab the series lead for the first time? Or will the Blackhawks show who’s the boss when the game is played at home ice?
Read on for a full preview of this game. You can also click here to see what the experts are saying about Tuesday’s matchup.
[sc:NHLArticles ]Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Chicago Blackhawks Game 3 Preview
Series Scores & Schedule
Game 1 –June 3, 8:00 PM ET— Chicago Blackhawks 2 at Tampa Bay Lightning 1
Game 2 – June 6, 7:15 PM ET—Chicago Blackhawks 3 at Tampa Bay Lightning 4
Game 3 – June 8, 8:00 PM ET –Tampa Bay Lightning (+135) at Chicago Blackhawks (-155); total: 5.0– view all NHL lines
Game 4 – June 10, 8:00 PM ET –Tampa Bay Lightning at Chicago Blackhawks
Game 5 – June 13, 8:00 PM ET –Chicago Blackhawks at Tampa Bay Lightning
Game 6* – June 15, 8:00 PM ET – Tampa Bay Lightning at Chicago Blackhawks
Game 7* – June 17, 8:00 PM ET – Chicago Blackhawks at Tampa Bay Lightning
*If necessary
Betting on the Tampa Bay Lightning
[sc:NHL240 ]Despite a strange goalie shuffle, the Lightning bounced back from a sorry Game 1 loss and beat Chicago on Saturday, 4-3. The Bolts now take a tied series to Chicago, where they plan to grab the driver seat in this series. Based on how they’ve fared on the road in these playoffs, the Lightning look prepared to handle playing in hostile United Center. They are 7-3 in 10 road games thus far this postseason.
Back in Game 2, Lightning goalie Ben Bishop left the ice twice in the third period because of an unidentified injury. Bishop’s absence forced Tampa Bay to put rookie Andrei Vasilevskiy in front of the net to finish the game. Vasilevskiy didn’t disappoint, though, as he made five stops in over nine minutes of ice time.
Considering how he managed his nerves and played well on Saturday, the Lightning should feel confident on Vasilevskiy if he’ll indeed start for them for Game 3. The 20-year-old netminder finished the regular season with a 7-5 record, 2.36 goals allowed average and a .918 saves percentage in 13 starts. The Lightning, however, will have to back their goalie up with goals to ease the pressure on either Bishop or Vasilevskiy.
It’s a good sign for Tampa Bay that the Lightning’s other peripheral players made their presence felt in Game 2, as guys like Cedric Paquette and Jason Garrison (scored the winning goal) netted a goal each. Seeing players who are not part of their first or second line scoring makes the Lightning an even more potent team on offense moving forward as it takes away some of Chicago’s focus off their top scorers.
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Betting on the Chicago Blackhawks
Despite their loss in Game 2, there were a number of positives for the Blackhawks to build on moving forward. They can take the series lead back this coming Tuesday at home, where they are 7-1 in their last eight games.
Chicago showed it could keep up with the Lightning’s speed in Game 2, as the Blackhawks outshot Tampa Bay, 29-24. In fact, they even managed to limit Tampa Bay down to just two shots in the third period, without the latter playing conservatively just like in the series opener.
If it weren’t for a pair of penalties levied on Patrick Sharp late in the game—one leading to a power play goal by Tampa Bay—the Blackhawks could’ve won again. With that said, the ‘Hawks must try to avoid penalties as the Lightning are among the best in scoring on the man advantage, as they convert power play opportunities 22.1 percent of the time this postseason.
Furthermore, Chicago has able to do significant damage on the Lightning’s defense even with Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews yet to find the back of the net in the finals. It’s high time for the duo to show up as the series shifts to Chicago, where Kane and Toews have scored 11 of their 19 total goals these playoffs. Rookie Teuvo Teravainen, meanwhile, continued to add to his impressive playoff totals in Game 2 with another goal. So far this postseason, Teravainen has garnered four goals and five assists in 14 games.
Corey Crawford, on the other hand, must play much better than he did on Saturday. Crawford allowed all Tampa Bay’s goals in Game 2, lowering his GAA and SV% to 2.56 and .916, respectively, in these playoffs.
Writer’s Prediction
Chicago (-155) wins, 3-2.
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