NHL
Wednesday, June 10
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Game of the Day: Lightning at Blackhawks
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Tampa Bay Lightning at Chicago Blackhawks (-155, 5.5)
Lightning leads series 2-1
With questions clouding his availability, Ben Bishop more than answered the bell to help the Tampa Bay Lightning claim a 2-1 series lead in the Stanley Cup final. Regardless of what ails him, the 6-7 goaltender looks to stand tall as he attempts to propel the Lightning to within one win of the franchise's second championship when they visit the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 4 on Wednesday.
"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
LINE HISTORY: The Blackhawks opened at -150 favorites before being bet to -155. The total opened at 5.5 and has remained there.
INJURY REPORT: Lightning - D Mattias Ohlund (IR-Knee) Blackhawks - Michal Rozsival (Out-Ankle)
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.
TRENDS:
*Lightning are 4-0 in their last 4 road games.
*Blackhawks are 6-1 in their last 7 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game.
*Under is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings in Chicago.
*Under is 5-1 in Lightning last 6 road games
CONSENSUS: According to Consensus, 76 percent of the action is on the Hawks.
Wednesday, June 10
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game of the Day: Lightning at Blackhawks
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tampa Bay Lightning at Chicago Blackhawks (-155, 5.5)
Lightning leads series 2-1
With questions clouding his availability, Ben Bishop more than answered the bell to help the Tampa Bay Lightning claim a 2-1 series lead in the Stanley Cup final. Regardless of what ails him, the 6-7 goaltender looks to stand tall as he attempts to propel the Lightning to within one win of the franchise's second championship when they visit the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 4 on Wednesday.
"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
LINE HISTORY: The Blackhawks opened at -150 favorites before being bet to -155. The total opened at 5.5 and has remained there.
INJURY REPORT: Lightning - D Mattias Ohlund (IR-Knee) Blackhawks - Michal Rozsival (Out-Ankle)
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.
TRENDS:
*Lightning are 4-0 in their last 4 road games.
*Blackhawks are 6-1 in their last 7 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game.
*Under is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings in Chicago.
*Under is 5-1 in Lightning last 6 road games
CONSENSUS: According to Consensus, 76 percent of the action is on the Hawks.
