Stanley Cup Final 2013: Game 2 Preview, TV Info and Predictions

The NHL’s first nonconference contest in over a year (by one day, to be exact) went 52 minutes and eight seconds above the standard 60-minute brim. In turn, the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins scraped out a surplus of head-to-head action for those seeking an instant, authentic read on the 2013 Stanley Cup Final card.

The length of Chicago’s come-from-behind, 4-3 overtime triumph in Game 1 Wednesday night was fitting in another regard. It yielded more moments to assess and thus fill an unusually wide gap of nearly three full days before the contesting parties reconvene at the United Center for Saturday’s Game 2.

This means more time for the Boston faithful to digest the fact that their team faces a 1-0 playoff series deficit for the first time since their last finals appearance in 2011. Meanwhile, the home masses have extra time to ponder how the regular-season champion Blackhawks can ensure they maintain their home-ice advantage and sculpt a 2-0 series edge for the third time in four tries this spring.

Here is an assortment of critical elements lying beneath the surface of that storyline as Game 2 approaches.

Viewing Info

Time: Saturday, June 15, 8 p.m. ET

TV: NBC Sports Network, CBC, RDS

Key Storyline: Big Games From Big and Small Packages

Andrew Shaw’s sudden-death strike capped a statement outing that saw the ostensibly undersized Chicago forward (5’10”, 180 pounds) tie Bryan Bickell and Brandon Bollig for the team lead with nine hits on the night. In addition, he joined the evening’s multipoint club, having set up Dave Bolland for a goal in the third period.

On the other bench, hulking Bruin Milan Lucic had a hand in all three of his team’s goals and led all participating skaters with five takeaways in Game 1.

Shaw, however, was instrumental in ensuring that Lucic and his linemates were not enough. Therefore, his pronounced Boston counterpart, Brad Marchand, will be worth watching in Game 2 as the Bruins seek more variety on the scoresheet as part of their bounce-back effort.

Just the same, the likes of the 6’4”, 233-pound Bickell have an impactful and rewarding Game 1 to build on.

Key Matchup: Chicago’s Offensive Depth vs. Boston’s Defensive Depth

Prime production suspect David Krejci led the Bruins to an initial 2-0 upper hand in Game 1, setting up two unanswered goals for his linemate, Lucic. But after Boston’s most dependable scorers went mute, the Blackhawks found their way back—thanks, in no small part, to the forwards who ranked at the bottom half of the cumulative ice-time leaderboard.

Michael Frolik and Markus Kruger collaborated to set up defenseman Johnny Oduya’s 3-3 equalizer. Bolland and Shaw sandwiched that play by claiming a hand in both Chicago’s second regulation goal and the overtime clincher.

In so doing, they exploited Boston’s bottom blue-line tandem of rookie Torey Krug and Adam McQuaid, who each finished the night with a minus-two rating. Krug was actually fortunate at that, considering his other giveaway to Shaw at 1:48 of the first period (though it was recorded as a Shaw takeaway) amounted to nothing.

Meanwhile, while the vast majority of their teammates remain safely in the black, leaned-on checking center Chris Kelly and winger Rich Peverley amplified their playoff woes. Kelly was on the ice for all three goals in question and dropped to a minus-nine this spring while Peverley dipped to a minus-six.

Injury Report (via tsn.ca)

Boston Bruins

Gregory Campbell: Out for the rest of the playoffs with a broken leg.

Nathan Horton: Questionable for Game 2 with an undisclosed injury.

Chicago Blackhawks

No injuries.

Projected Lineup

Bruins’ Projected Lineup

Forwards

Line 1: Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Jaromir Jagr

Line 2: Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Nathan Horton or Tyler Seguin

Line 3: Kaspars Daugavins-Rich Peverley-Seguin or Jordan Caron

Line 4: Daniel Paille-Chris Kelly-Shawn Thornton

Defensemen

Line 1: Zdeno Chara-Dennis Seidenberg

Line 2: Andrew Ference-Johnny Boychuk

Line 3: Adam McQuaid-Torey Krug

Goalies

Starter: Tuukka Rask

Backup: Anton Khudobin

Blackhawks’ Projected Lineup

Forwards

Line 1: Brandon Saad-Jonathan Toews-Marian Hossa

Line 2: Patrick Sharp-Michal Handzus-Patrick Kane

Line 3: Bryan Bickell-Dave Bolland-Andrew Shaw

Line 4: Brandon Bollig-Markus Kruger-Michael Frolik

Defensemen

Line 1: Duncan Keith-Brent Seabrook

Line 2: Niklas Hjalmarsson-Johnny Oduya

Line 3: Nick Leddy-Michal Rozsival

Goalies

Starter: Corey Crawford

Backup: Ray Emery

Boston Will Win If…

Its leaders turn in another exemplary performance and the supporting cast joins in.

The highlight of Wednesday’s series opener was almost a revolutionary special teams segment with the Boston captain Chara and alternate captain Bergeron fundamentally factoring in. Chara drew the team’s first power play of the night at 5:51 of the third period, and Bergeron slugged home a conversion 18 seconds later for a 3-1 lead.

But that lead was back down to a single goal within two minutes, as Krug’s costly turnover amounted to Bolland’s goal. Boston’s edge evaporated altogether when Oduya hit the mesh at the 12:14 mark.

None of that happened on Chara’s or Bergeron’s watch, though one of their team's best overtime threats did. Chara finished the night in slim company with the three members of the Krejci line as the only Bruins skaters with a positive rating, while Bergeron and his linemates were among the other four forwards without a minus.

Chicago Will Win If…

Its offensive droves continue to erode the Boston backcheckers.

The Blackhawks did not get instant gratification for their disproportionate quantity and quality of possession time, but the effects were self-evident when they finally started scoring. As previously noted, Krug’s egregious turnover amounted to the goal that whittled Chicago’s deficit back to a single goal at 3-2.

Later, Bruins blueliner Andrew Ference failed to position himself in a timely fashion and had Oduya’s equalizer bounce home off his own left skate.

Those mental lapses were a proper translation of the Blackhawks running away in the shots-attempted category, bruising the Bruins by impelling them to block 40 of those bids and inducing 16 icings, including 11 in regulation. (Chicago, by contrast, only iced the puck six times in Game 1, including four in regulation.)

Prediction: Blackhawks 3, Bruins 2

This series is simply primed to have home ice hold sway the whole way through, even if each game is as close as the opener was.

Despite the initial hole it faced in Game 1, Chicago has scarce reason not to rerun its energetic, forceful and heavy-hitting start in Game 2. Odds are if the Blackhawks bring that again, they will reward themselves with an initial lead and subsequently stay at least one stride ahead of the dogged Bruins where it matters most.

Unless otherwise indicated, all statistics for this report were found via nhl.com