Lightning down Hawks in Game 2 to get even

Andrei Vasilevskiy (far right) came off the bench cold to help the Lightning seal a Game 2 win. (USATSI)

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Chicago Blackhawks, Stanley Cup Final Game 2

Lightning 4, Blackhawks 3 | Series tied 1-1 | Game 3 Monday

Game 2 in a nutshell: With the kind of pace you’d expect both the Blackhawks and Lightning to play at, the two teams put on a show. That was especially true in the second period in which the Blackhawks tied the game, took the lead and lost the lead in a span of about three minutes. Then Tyler Johnson scored to make it 3-2 on a bad-angle goal and the Lightning looked fully loaded for this one. The Blackhawks ended up tying the game early in the third on a controversial goal. Suddenly the game got especially weird from there. Lightning goalie Ben Bishop left the ice twice, finally for good late in the third period. The Lightning tied the game on a fortuitous deflection for Jason Garrison, and rookie goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy slammed the door shut in relief of Bishop to tie the series.

Turning point: The goal Tyler Johnson scored to make it 3-2 in the second period was simply one Corey Crawford shouldn’t have given up. It was from a bad angle, Crawford didn’t seal the post and Johnson was able to get the extra whack to push it over the goal line. The Blackhawks responded well to the goal, but they shouldn’t have been in that position in the first place. Crawford did not have his best game, but that was his worst moment and it proved to be a costly one.

Three things we learned

1. The Tampa Bay Lightning are unbeatable in Game 2. For the fourth straight series, the Lightning were victorious in the second game. They have scored four or more goals in each of those games for a 21-8 aggregate score line. Three of those victories came after Game 1 losses, so this is a team that absolutely learns from its mistakes. They came out flying and stayed flying against the Blackhawks and it paid off with a 4-3 win. Additionally, the Lightning have not lost back-to-back games on home ice since December. That blip in December was the only time they lost back-to-back at home all year. That’s pretty remarkable and a big reason why they were able to climb right back into the series.

2. The goaltending situation for Tampa Bay at the end of the game was extremely strange. There has to be some real concern for Ben Bishop, who briefly left the game midway through the third period. He then came back after the Lightning scored and shortly thereafter left the game for good. Andrei Vasileveskiy made some key saves late in the game despite sitting on the bench for much of the first 50 minutes of the contest. For a young guy to step into this situation, holding onto a one-goal lead and to make five big stops is pretty darn impressive. This will be a huge storyline going forward if Bishop is ailing. Vasilevskiy is a tremendous young prospect, but at just 20 years old, stepping into Game 3 in United Center is a tall order for the rookie. At least he can have a little confidence heading in by keeping his net a puck-free zone in the third.

3. The Blackhawks did not play poorly in this game, even though they ended up on the losing end. The only goal that was really poor from Corey Crawford was the Tyler Johnson goal mentioned above. That was a bad one and it ended up contributing to the Lightning out-scoring Chicago. Two deflections and a screen accounted for the other three goals allowed. But the Blackhawks showed they’re a resilient group again with the way they came out in the third period. They held Tampa to only two shots in the final frame and it was not the same situation where Tampa simply stopped playing offensively. This was a great game played by two extremely entertaining teams and the Lightning were just enough better in Game 2.

Video of the game: Here’s a look at the goal that gave the Lightning a 3-2 lead courtesy of Tyler Johnson. The goal also gave Johnson the Lightning’s franchise record for goals in a single playoffs with 13. He hadn’t scored in five games and there were rumors that Johnson was injured and may not play tonight, but he played extremely well. Oh, and did we mention this highlight is from the Chinese feed? Because it’s from the Chinese feed and the play-by-play is great.

You know who else loves the @NHL and the #StanleyCup Final? China! Listen in to their call of @TJohnny09‘s goal. https://t.co/bQ5wg9zXce

— NHL (@NHL) June 7, 2015

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