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Game 5/Stanley Cup Finals Chicago Blackhawks at Tampa Bay Lightning 8PM Eastern/7 Central NBC/CBC/TVA
Further proof that this is a year round sport: it's June, like a steambath outside this morning, and I'm writing this Game 5 preview blog on my iPad at my son's hockey practice.
So we enter Phase 3 of a 7-game series: Games 5 and 6. But let's face it, each game now is almost more important than the next. What is game 6 like in Chicago Monday night, if the Hawks win tonight in Tampa? Or if Tampa wins.
For Tampa, the challenge tonight is to make a statement—put the Hawks away tonight and on the ropes in the series.
For the Hawks, to take control of the series and really box Tampa into a corner Monday.
But there is nothing about this Tampa team right now that says there is an opening to exploit.
Or is there?
For all of Jon Cooper's gamesmanship about his goaltending situation, there is an underlying issue there. One which the Hawks realy failed to exploiut in Games 2, 3, and 4.
Anyone assuming that if Ben Bishop plays tonight, he is 100% or close to it is wrong.
The way Bishop was moving (or not) in Game 3 indicates some kind of soft/connective tissue injury around his mid-section that is both big trouble for a goalie and not something that heals up in 4-5 days. An injury like that takes weeks to heal properly and is highly susceptible to re-injury, especially with quick sudden movements requiring maximum range of motion.
If Andrei Vasilevskiy plays, well, it's great that he's been enshrined early in the Hall of Fame based on making 15 saves on 17 shots in game 4, and giving up a lot of fat rebounds.
But the fact is, Tampa probably has at least a big question in net no matter who plays. And Cooper's public statements around the situation ("Bishop will play again in the series") might not be sending Vasilevskiy the best message as far as his confidence in him.
That said, the Hawks really failed to fully exploit Tampa's goaltending in the last three games, due to Tampa's defense. And to win in game 5, it is almost a must that they do so.
So what's changed that will enable that? Having re-watched the latter stages of game 4 a couple of times, one note of encouragement for Chicago is that the top two lines look dangerouos now. Toward the end of Game 4, Patrick Kane's line, with Brad Richards and Brandon Saad, looked very potent.
Regardless, Tampa remains very dangerous in their own right, especially counter-attacking after a Chicago rush. The Hawks need to be very conscious of that.
One of the criticisms leveled at the Hawks in game 4 was how far back Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith were playing, creating gaps that were too wide between themselves and the forwards. this was initially attributed to fatigue. Mmmm, maybe.
It later came to light, as first reported here, that Seabrook was allegedly taking IVs between periods for flu-like symptoms and under normal circumstances, he likely wouldn't have played. But he toughed it out. This could also explain why he and Keith appeared to be playing more conservatively, or fatigued.
Both have had an extra day to recoup and recover. It remains to be seen how they'll play tonight.
Regardless, both know how to play and win in these pivotal latter games of series, as do Kane, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, Richards, and Corey Crawford.
That experience and leadership must assert itself tonight. Game 5 is not a must-win for Chicago, but the pressure and need is there for arguably the team's best performance of the series.
Home ice or not, Tampa is hurting too. The Hawks must leave Amalie tonight feeling good about how they played in game 5 and good about Game 6. A "W" would then also be huge.
Recap tomorrow,
JJ