No matter what the standings are in the regular season, and what the seeding is in the postseason, the Chicago Blackhawks know how to win when it counts. For 53 minutes, it was all Tampa Bay Lightning in Wednesday's game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals, until Chicago struck late. Teuvo Teravainen and Antoine Vermette scored 1:58 apart in the third period to give Chicago a stunning 2-1 win over the Lightning.
Corey Crawford made 22 saves for the Blackhawks, who are looking for their third Stanley Cup in six seasons. Teravinen, Chicago's youngest player, has only been with the team a few months and tied the game with his third goal of the postseason with 6:32 play in regulation. Vermette's third goal gave Chicago the lead with 4:34 left.
Teravinen is the youngest player to have a multipoint game in the Stanley Cup Finals since 19 year-old Jaromir Jagr did it for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991.
Ben Bishop made 19 saves in a losing effort, while Alex Killorn backhanded in the first goal of the game in the opening minutes. Tampa Bay was 6-0 in this postseason when Killorn scores before Wednesday's setback.
Bishop was coming off a shutout of the New York Rangers in game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, and nearly had his third shutout of the playoffs on Wednesday.
The winner of game 1 has won the Cup in 58 of the past 75 finals since 1939, including the last three. The Blackhawks won game 1 in 2010 and 2013, both of which they ended up lifting the Cup. It is their 13th overall finals appearance, and third under head coach Joel Quenneville.
Game 2 of the series will take place in Tampa Bay on Saturday night.
Corey Crawford made 22 saves for the Blackhawks, who are looking for their third Stanley Cup in six seasons. Teravinen, Chicago's youngest player, has only been with the team a few months and tied the game with his third goal of the postseason with 6:32 play in regulation. Vermette's third goal gave Chicago the lead with 4:34 left.
Teravinen is the youngest player to have a multipoint game in the Stanley Cup Finals since 19 year-old Jaromir Jagr did it for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991.
Ben Bishop made 19 saves in a losing effort, while Alex Killorn backhanded in the first goal of the game in the opening minutes. Tampa Bay was 6-0 in this postseason when Killorn scores before Wednesday's setback.
Bishop was coming off a shutout of the New York Rangers in game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, and nearly had his third shutout of the playoffs on Wednesday.
The winner of game 1 has won the Cup in 58 of the past 75 finals since 1939, including the last three. The Blackhawks won game 1 in 2010 and 2013, both of which they ended up lifting the Cup. It is their 13th overall finals appearance, and third under head coach Joel Quenneville.
Game 2 of the series will take place in Tampa Bay on Saturday night.
