Stanley Cup Final 2015: Blackhawks vs. Lightning Game 1 Odds, Props, Predictions

It’s time. All the hard-fought wins, all the blood, sweat and tears that were shed, all of it was leading to this. All of it was leading to the Stanley Cup Final.

The Chicago Blackhawks are looking to put the finishing touches on a modern-day dynasty—three titles in six seasons is nothing to scoff at—but the youthful ranks of the Tampa Bay Lightning will have something to say about it, as they try to reach the summit of the NHL for the first time since 2003-04.

Experience against youth might be the prevailing storyline throughout the series, and rightfully so, but both of these teams have earned their way to the final stage and are both just four wins away from claiming the sport's greatest prize. Let the fun begin.

Game 1 Information

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

When: Wednesday, June 3

Time: 8 p.m. ET

Where: Amalie Arena, Tampa, Fla.

TV: NBC

Moneyline Odds (via Odds Shark): Blackhawks (+100), Lightning (-110)

With no offense to what the Lightning have done up to this point in the playoffs, this is going to be the moment where everyone finds out if they are real or not.

After all the drama of the 7-game series against the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final, the Lightning will have to battle the emotions that surround a home game to kick off the series against the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Final.

The Blackhawks have been here before and will be ready to pounce if Tampa Bay comes out even a little shaky based on the circumstances which could result in a rattled confidence for the Lightning going forward in the series.

But despite all the youth and the lack of experience, the Lightning don’t look like a team who is going to get rattled so easily. Tampa Bay has yet to allow tough circumstances to throw it off its game—just ask the Red Wings, Canadiens and Rangers—and that isn’t likely to start now:

This is a battle-tested Lightning team with some of the best players in the league that has proved itself this postseason and will be ready to come out Wednesday night, use the home fans as motivation and take an early series lead.

Game 1 Prediction: Tampa Bay 3, Chicago 1

Series Preview and Prediction (odds via Odds Shark)

Winner	Odds
Exact Game Picks	Odds
Chicago Blackhawks	-150
Tampa Bay Lightning	+130
Blackhawks in 4	17/2
Blackhawks in 5	4/1
Blackhawks in 6	7/2
Blackhawks in 7	17/4
Lightning in 4	14/1
Lightning in 5	13/2
Lightning in 6	6/1
Lightning in 7	9/2

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

Whatever happens in Game 1, this series won’t be decided early. Both teams have put up strong numbers throughout the postseason and will fight until the very end to write their names in the history books forever.

The Blackhawks hold the advantage in goals per game with 3.29 this postseason, but have similarly struggled on the defensive end by allowing 2.94 goals per game. Tampa Bay hasn’t been stellar in either category, scoring 2.75 and allowing 2.45 per contest, but has carried on the regular season balance that helped them finish in second in the Atlantic.

While Tampa Bay’s numbers make sense based on regular-season production, the Blackhawks’ goal-scoring prowess stands out as a bit of an anomaly when compared to the regular season when they only averaged 2.68 per game. Part of that is because of the floundering of the Ducks, Wild and Predators defensively, but there is a fear that Chicago will come back down to earth against a Lightning team that had marginal success holding the Rangers in check.

Both teams carry a ton of star power into the series as well, with Tampa Bay being led by the young group of goalscorers in Tyler Johnson, Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, Alex Killorn and Ondrej Palat, but the name power of the Blackhawks is in a league of its own.

With Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, two of the great players of this era of the NHL, still leading the way and the combination of young and old with players like Brandon Saad and Marian Hossa stepping up their games as well, it is going to be a tough ask to stop Chicago from battling its way to another Stanley Cup victory:

In the battle of the goaltenders—one that won’t exactly go down in history as the greatest of all time—the slight advantage has to go to the Lightning, although a switch in fortunes wouldn’t be the most surprising thing to happen this series.

Chicago's Corey Crawford had the superior regular season, finishing in the top 10 in both goals against average and save percentage, but that didn’t stop the Blackhawks from pulling out of the opening round series against the Nashville Predators when he gave up nine goals in two games.

Ben Bishop on the other hand has stepped up his game after a mediocre regular season showing—he is currently ranked No. 8 in goals against average and No. 10 in save percentage in the postseason—holding the New York Rangers to two shutouts in huge road wins in Games 5 and 7 of the Eastern Conference Final:

Even though Crawford has been here before and knows what it takes to bring home a championship—he was the starter for the 2012-13 Stanley Cup-winning Blackhawks side—Bishop’s current form is hard to ignore and gives Tampa Bay the slight advantage between the sticks.

This is one of the tougher series to pick in a long time, with both teams deserving to get to this point and having a number of factors that could tilt the series in their favor.

Whether it be the relentless offense of the Lightning constantly knocking at the door, the group of youngsters that make up their core or Bishop’s play this postseason, there is a lot to be said for Tampa Bay’s chances to bring home a second Stanley Cup.

The Lightning have a group that will be back at this stage again in the next few seasons, but this season isn’t the one where they take back Lord Stanley’s Cup. This season, as many in the recent past have, belongs to the Blackhawks.

As long as Kane and Toews are still around—and seeing as the two are both under the age of 28, that could be a while—taking down the Blackhawks in the playoffs is a Herculean task and not one the Lightning are up for this year:

With five of the team’s combined six playoff series going to at least Game 6 so far this postseason, expect a similar showing in the Final between these two. At the end of the day though, the Blackhawks' experience does enough to secure them their third Stanley Cup in the last six years.

Prediction: Chicago Blackhawks in 6