Daily Picks: Cup Final tied up going to Chicago
Tampa Bay Lightning at Chicago Blackhawks, 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, Game 3
Series tied 1-1
One of the two teams that enter the United Center on Monday night will leave with the series lead and will be two wins away from the Stanley Cup. The Chicago Blackhawks will play host to the Tampa Bay Lightning in a game that is preceded by many questions for both teams.
The biggest question of all is who will be the Lightning’s goaltender in Game 3? It could be Ben Bishop, or it could be Andrei Vasilevskiy. Bishop may or may not be injured after leaving Game 2 in the third period, but the Lightning aren’t saying exactly what happened or what will happen next. We may not have an answer to this question until game time, but it could end up having the biggest impact on the game as a whole.
Bishop has experience on his side, while Vasilevskiy’s high-pressure experience is confined to the nine-plus minutes he played in Game 2 to earn the win, and what he has done in the KHL and internationally for Russia. The 20-year-old could have to take his spot between the pipes in the United Center.
The biggest question for the Blackhawks is tied to how Joel Quenneville will configure his Game 3 lineup. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews could end up broken up again. Bryan Bickell could be in. Trevor van Riemsdyk could be in. Nothing is confirmed yet, but the Blackhawks could have a somewhat different look in Game 3.
No matter what the Blackhawks look like, it would appear safe to assume that Quenneville is going to match lines as aggressively as possible. Chicago is 7-1 on home ice this postseason, taking full advantage of all the benefits of playing at home. Having the last change and a loud home crowd have seemed to help.
As the series progresses, there will be more attention paid to the teams’ stars. Steven Stamkos and Kane are among the players who have not registered a point this series. Stamkos hasn’t been on the scoresheet in his past four games. Neither should be seeing zeroes much longer.
There is plenty of uncertainty heading into Game 3, but the Blackhawks have the benefit of getting healthy again and playing at home. Expect another spirited bout between these two clubs.
Chris Peters’ pick: Blackhawks 4, Lightning 2
Adam Gretz’s pick: Blackhawks 3, Lightning 2
The Blackhawks and Lightning will battle for the series lead in Game 3.(USATSI)
Three stars
1. Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks: After not registering a point in either of the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final, Kane is getting a lot of questions about why he isn’t producing. Moving him away from Toews and Brandon Saad, if Quenneville ends up doing that, could mean Kane gets the puck more and more opportunities get generated as a result. He hasn’t gone more than two games without a point yet this postseason.
2. Duncan Keith, Chicago Blackhawks: Keith had a five-game point streak snapped in Game 2, but he has been a major producer throughout the playoffs. He’s just one point off of Kane’s team lead with 19. Keith makes an impact on every game and with his team looking at a chance to take the series lead again, he should shine.
3. Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning: If the Lightning are going to contend with goaltending questions, they need their best offensive players to make an impact in Game 3. With 21 points this postseason, Kucherov is one of the Lightning’s most productive forwards. He had a goal and an assist in Game 2.
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