John Tortorella’s motto was “Safe is Death.” On Wednesday night, in Game One of the Stanley Cup Final, it absolutely was for the Tampa Bay Lightning. After playing really well and earning themselves a lead over the Chicago Blackhawks, the Bolts went into a defensive shell and simply allowed the Hawks to come at them in waves. The end result was a 2-1 loss in front of a raucous Amalie Arena crowd.
Despite the ultimate loss, Tampa Bay can be happy with how the first 40 minutes of the hockey game went down. The Bolts were dominant for long stretches. Chicago couldn’t control their speed or their forecheck. They created opportunities. They didn’t allow the Blackhawks to test Ben Bishop. It was a textbook performance, exemplified best by the first two-thirds of this possession chart:
Of course, hockey games aren’t 40 minutes long; they last 60 minutes. That proved to be an issue for the Lightning, as Chicago really turned up the heat in the third period. Tampa tried to nurse a 1-0 lead to the finish line, while Chicago pressed. The home team stopped playing its game just as the road team picked things up. It was a bad combination. Playing safe might work against teams that struggle to score (e.g. Rangers, New York and Canadiens, Montreal), but it won’t work against the high-flying Blackhawks. The Lightning need to stick with what got them here – a puck possession game.
Consequently, it’s not a coincidence that the aforementioned hot start and resulting goal came during a stretch of prolonged Lightning possession. To start the game, the Bolts were playing Jon Cooper hockey. It gave the Blackhawks fits. Tampa was rewarded for their hard work just 4:31 into the game when Alex Killorn tipped home his eighth of the postseason to give the team a 1-0 lead. It was the first Stanley Cup Final goal scored at Amalie Arena since, well, you remember…
While they were able to continue pounding the Hawks with pressure, the Lightning were unable to add to their lead. That ultimately came back to bite them, as Chicago found itself down by only one goal with plenty of time left on the clock. As the ice slowly tilted heavily in the Blackhawks’ direction towards the end of the second and into the third, it was hard not to predict that they would tie the game.
And, Torts was right. Safe is death. After clinging to that one-goal lead for so long, the Bolts surrendered the tying goal. Teuvo Teravainen scored his third of the playoffs at 13:28 of the third to tie the game. Less than two minutes later, Antoine Vermette scored his third of the postseason to give the Blackhawks the lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Just like that, after setting such a torrid pace to start the game, Tampa was stuck in a hole. There was no getting out. Give the Blackhawks full credit for doing to the Lightning what the Lightning did to them earlier in the evening. The difference is that the Hawks were able to capitalize on their opportunities, whereas Tampa Bay was not.
Now, I’ve already seen some commentators say that we shouldn’t expect Chicago to wilt at the sight of the Lightning’s attack moving forward like they did during periods one and two of Game One. Yet, those same commentators expect the Blackhawks to be able to run roughshod over the Bolts in the next game like they did in the third period on Wednesday. There are significant holes in that line of thinking. If you can’t face the fact that both of these teams are really good and that both have the ability to make the other look overpowered for stretches, then I’ve got a beautiful ocean-view property to sell you in Omaha!
If you’re gleeful because Chicago turned up the heat on Tampa in the third period, you should also be wary of what the Lightning did to the Blackhawks for the first 40 minutes. This game showed the hockey world that the Lightning can compete with the almighty Blackhawks. Even in a losing effort, it was abundantly clear that Tampa Bay has the ability to win games. They pushed the Hawks in the first period, and defended reasonably well in the second. Whether they turn that ability into results remains to be seen, but let’s not crown the King based on a 20-minute segment that came after a 40-minute stretch in which the Tampa held a significant possession advantage. Chicago was really good in the third period of Game One. No one is denying that. Tampa was quite good for the first two stanzas, and specifically in the first when they had the Blackhawks on the ropes. That’s a fact also. This was a 2-1 game. The series is far from over.
As always, thanks for reading.
Michael Stuart has been the Tampa Bay Lightning writer for HockeyBuzz since 2012. Visit his archive to read more or follow him on Twitter. 
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