Hear everyone talking about the Stanley Cup Finals but haven’t watched a single game? Or maybe you’re watching a game with someone who doesn’t watch a lot of hockey and don’t want to be bombarded with questions. Don’t worry. I’ve got you covered! You can get a quick scoop on what’s been going on right here. (For those seeking a more in-depth preview of the Finals, please see Sawyer Stinchfield’s article.) First thing you absolutely need to know is the teams vying for the most coveted trophy in all of sports. The Tampa Bay Lightning will be facing the Chicago Blackhawks.
3 Key Chicago Blackhawks Players You Should Know
Here is Jonathan Toews (last name rhymes with “waves”). He is #19 and is the captain of the team. At only twenty-seven years of age, he leads this team to their third Stanley Cup Final after winning in 2010 and 2013. Let that sink in as you reevaluate whether or not you have succeeded at life. The Tazer, as he is known for his scoring prowess, has 18 points in 17 games with 9 goals and 9 assists. In other words, he has been a point per game player.
Etch this man’s face in your mind because he’s been a huge for the Blackhawks. This is Patrick Kane who wears the #88. During the regular season, Kane was placed on injured-reserve after breaking his collar bone. He was expected to be out for 12 weeks and was projected to return about mid-way through the Western Conference Finals. Instead, he came back after 7 weeks at the beginning of the playoffs. He has been a glorious warrior robot notching 20 points with 10 goals and 10 assists in only 17 games. Yes, he’s averaging more than a point a game! After being stapled together, the glorious warrior robot has dominated and is second in points. He is often clutch at key moments, so keep an eye out for him.
Chicago’s goaltender is Corey Crawford (#60). He was not on the 2010 championship team with Toews and Kane, but he was in 2013. He struggled during the first round against the Nashville Predators but regained his position as the number one goalie. He hasn’t played his best this year, notably giving up 3 goals in 37 seconds in a game against the Anaheim Ducks, but he has been solid enough to give the team a chance to win. In the playoffs, he has a 2.56 goals against average, which isn’t great, and a .919 save percentage, which is not bad but not impressive. Although he has the experience, he’ll need to sharpen his game if the Blackhawks are going to win.
3 Key Tampa Bay Lightning Players You Should Know
The captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning is Steven Stamkos (#91). Stamkos, or Stammer Time as he is known, is an offensive force. Although it took him eight games before he notched his first goal in the playoffs, he has 17 points with 7 goals and 10 assists in 20 games. While he may not be right atop the leaderboard, he is still able to score, or at least divert attention to allow other players to score, and he’s been helping in other areas to give his team the best chance to win. This is the first time that Stamkos has appeared in a Stanley Cup Final.
This is Tyler Johnson (#9) and is currently sitting atop the league in points. He has 21 points with 12 goals and 9 assists in 20 games. He is the only remaining player in the playoffs with a hat trick (3 goals in a game) to his name. Johnson is also the only player in the Lightning’s history to ever net a hat trick in the playoffs. Although going undrafted because he was considered undersized, he has proven to be an offensive threat.
The goaltender for the Lightning is Ben Bishop (#30). Bishop has been an average goaltender, but he has blossomed into a bit of a beast in the playoffs and surprising everyone. He has started every game without any question that he is the number one with a 2.15 goals against average and a .920 save percentage. While these aren’t stats that would blow anyone away, he has been absolutely solid and hasn’t lost composure or buckled under the pressure of the playoffs. He also has three assists in the playoffs which is insanely impressive.
What to Expect
The Blackhawks should concentrate on shutting down Steven Stamkos and Tyler Johnson. They should also try to strike first and often because the Lightning have not lost a game in which they scored first and struggle to win come-back games. Tampa Bay’s game plan should be to stop Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane and also take advantage of any mistakes Corey Crawford makes. Crawford struggles early in series and his confidence can be shaken, if the Lightning can take advantage of that, half the battle will be done. One advantage that we’ll call an intangible is experience. The Blackhawks have this advantage of playoff experience having won both in 2010 and 2013 with the same majority of players. In fact, there has been little change since 2013. While this isn’t to say that they cannot be beat, there is a certain camaraderie and chemistry that exists among the players that leads to an absolute faith in success. The Lightning may have a hard time to counter that. If the Blackhawks come together, this series could be over in five games, and the Stanley Cup heads back to Chicago. However, it is entirely possible that this series may take the full seven games, and it may be Tampa Bay’s turn with the Cup.
I will admit for my own selfish reasons I do hope the Lightning win in seven because as a Los Angeles Kings fan, it would break my heart a little bit to see Chicago with the Cup for a third time in six years. And also I may have a huge crush on Brian Boyle.
