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 "It's going to take a lot not to play in a Stanley Cup final game,
personally," said Bishop, who turned aside 36 shots in Tampa Bay's
3-2 win on Monday despite visibly laboring to both stand and move
laterally. Bishop improved to 8-3 with a 1.50 goals-against average
and .947 save percentage on the road for the Lightning, who have won
four straight away from home and a franchise-best eight this
postseason. Although the Blackhawks have dropped consecutive games
for the first time in the playoffs, they are no stranger to
overcoming a 2-1 series deficit in the Stanley Cup final - having
done so against Boston in 2013. "For whatever reason, we play our
best games when our backs are against the wall," defenseman Brent
Seabrook said.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING: Coach Jon Cooper had no issue heaping praise
toward Victor Hedman after the defenseman feathered a pair of
highlight-reel passes en route to his second straight two-assist
performance on Monday. "Victor Hedman, what he's doing, I mean, this
is clearly his coming-out party," Cooper said of Hedman, whose 13
assists are just five shy of Chicago's Duncan Keith and Anaheim
captain Ryan Getzlaf for the overall lead. "(Hedman) sets that
(first goal) up and then makes a big-time play on the winner (by
Cedric Paquette with 3:11 remaining in the third period). He was a
monster out there." Hedman's involvement on the offensive end has
been a boon for Tampa Bay, which boasts a 9-1 mark in the postseason
when the blue-liner records at least one point.
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS: Speaking of Keith, the two-time Norris Trophy
recipient continued to shoulder the load by setting up another goal
in Game 3 while logging 31:37 of ice time. Keith's assist total
trails only Edmonton's Paul Coffey (25, 1985), Calgary's Al MacInnis
(24, 1989), New York Rangers' Brian Leetch (23, 1994) and Boston's
Bobby Orr (19, 1972) among defensemen in one playoff year. Superstar
Patrick Kane and captain Jonathan Toews are singing much different
tunes after excelling in the first three rounds, with the former
being held off the scoresheet in all three games of the Stanley Cup
final while the latter has just one assist.
[to top of second column] |
OVERTIME
1. Chicago's Johnny Oduya (upper body) is expected to play in Game
4, Quenneville told reporters on Tuesday. The Blackhawks have been
leaning heavily on Ds Keith, Seabrook, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Oduya
in lieu of an injured Michal Rozsival and ineffective Kimmo Timonen.
2. Lightning captain Steven Stamkos has been held off the scoresheet
in five straight contests.
3. All three contests have been decided by one goal, marking the
first time a Stanley Cup final has experienced such results since
Chicago took two of its initial three games versus Philadelphia in
2010.
PREDICTION: Blackhawks 5, Lightning 2
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