Blackhawks Take Opener of Stanley Cup Finals

The Tampa Bay Lightning got off to an early 1-0 lead over the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals on June 3rd in Tampa, and with the Lightning defense swarming around the Blackhawks and goalie Ben Bishop stopping whatever shots got through to him, it looked like that lead would hold up.

And it did, that is, until a two minute stretch in the second half of the third period. The Lightning kept top scorers Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, or Brandon Saad in check, but others stepped up, as is typical of championship teams. Left wing Teuvo Teravainen, the 20 year old Finn who had just nine points in 34 regular season games, tied it up at the 13:28 mark. Then, just a minute 58 seconds later, Antoine Vermette scored what proved to be the game winner, on an assist from Teravainen. Teravainen now has three goals and five assists in 13 playoff games and has nearly matched his regular season output.

Chicago’s defense was also stifling, holding Tampa Bay to just five shots in the third period. The Blackhawks will try to keep it going in Game 2 in Tampa on June 6th, but getting at least a split on the road puts them in great shape. Tampa Bay was an excellent 32-8-1 at home during the regular season but was just 18-16-7 on the road, and the United Center is an intimidating venue for visiting teams.