Blackhawks vs. Lightning: Game 1 Score and Reaction from 2015 Stanley Cup Final

The Tampa Bay Lightning seemed destined to win Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final Wednesday night at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, but thanks to two goals in less than two minutes in the third period, the Chicago Blackhawks stole a 2-1 victory.

Teuvo Teravainen tied the game at 1-1 with 6:32 remaining in regulation, and then the 20-year-old forward picked up an assist on Antoine Vermette's game-winner just one minute and 58 seconds later as Chicago seized early command of the series.

Winning Game 1 is always crucial in the playoffs, but it is especially huge in the Stanley Cup Final. Teams that take the opening game have historically hoisted the Cup over 75 percent of the time, as NHL Public Relations noted:

Tampa Bay outplayed the Blackhawks for the game's first two periods, but goalie Corey Crawford kept Chicago afloat. The Blackhawks were outshot by a 23-21 margin, although they continued their trend of winning games in the playoffs despite coming out on the losing end of that battle, according to Christopher Kamka of Comcast SportsNet Chicago:

After the Blackhawks' shocking and exciting victory, Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen, who knows a thing or two about winning in the playoffs, offered his take:

It was clear that the youthful Lightning were excited to open the Stanley Cup Final on home ice as they buzzed around Crawford almost immediately after the puck dropped.

Chicago averted disaster in the game's first shift, but it wasn't long before the Bolts opened the scoring. Just 4:31 into the game, forward Alex Killorn redirected an Anton Stralman shot past Crawford to make it 1-0.

Killorn's eighth goal of the postseason was his best, and it may very well have been one of the greatest tallies ever recorded in the Stanley Cup Final, as Mike Hall of Big Ten Network suggested:

The 25-year-old center's tip was so precise that Yahoo Sports' Nick Cotsonika joked about his Ivy League education potentially playing a role:

That marker looked to be key, as Tampa entered the contest with a flawless record when striking first in the 2015 playoffs, per ESPN Stats & Info:

The goal energized the Lightning, and they continued to apply pressure. But Chicago settled in and avoided falling any further behind.

Even so, Tracey Myers of CSN Chicago felt as though the Bolts began Game 1 in ideal fashion:

The Blackhawks were given an opportunity to swing the momentum in their favor early in the second period, as the officials nailed Killorn for a two-minute high-sticking penalty less than 30 seconds into the frame.

Chicago couldn't get anything going despite its embarrassment of riches offensively, however, and the lack of quality chances made Lightning goalie Ben Bishop look great, as Ken Campbell of the Hockey News noted:

The Blackhawks were once again unable to cash in on a chance with the extra man midway through the second period, when the officials whistled Tampa for too many men on the ice.

While Chicago entered the game averaging nearly 33 shots per game thanks to the likes of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa and Co., it was on pace for a much smaller number with the game half over, per ESPN's Steve Levy:

The Lightning maintained their 1-0 lead through two periods of play and held an 18-13 advantage in shots. However, they were unable to solve Crawford for a second time.

Chicago deserved to be behind by more than one goal, but it entered the third with a fighting chance due to the dominance of its unpredictable netminder.

While the Blackhawks certainly had hope, the numbers were in favor of the Lightning, as they entered the contest with a nearly perfect record in games in which they led after two periods:

Perhaps the biggest reason for Tampa's lead was the fact that it shut down the Blackhawks' big guns, namely Toews and Kane. There was plenty of speculation about whether Toews and Kane would play together on the same line in Game 1, but Lightning head coach Jon Cooper wasn't concerned about his team's ability to handle them, according to NHL.com's Corey Long:

"

Sometimes we got to be best on best. You're not going to pull a rabbit out of your hat and say we have some magic scheme. Just be better than the next guy. That's what you have to do. You have to challenge yourself. And Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane are two of the best players this League has seen in a long time. But we feel Steven Stamkos, Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, we go down our list and think, 'Maybe we're not too bad ourselves.' Let's prove to everybody you can play against these guys.

"

The Bolts managed to keep Toews and Kane in check even in the third period, but they were far from safe with a one-goal lead.

Rather than attempting to put the game away with an insurance goal, the Lightning went into a defensive shell for much of the third period and allowed the Blackhawks to dictate play.

While the bulk of Chicago's shots were routine saves for Bishop, even a seemingly harmless attempt at the net can become dangerous.

That was the case with just 6:32 remaining in regulation, as a long shot from Teravainen found its way through several bodies and past Bishop to tie the game at 1-1.

As ESPN's Pierre LeBrun pointed out, the Lightning goaltender didn't have a chance due to multiple screens:

The Tampa faithful were clearly deflated after the goal, and Chicago used that to its advantage. The Blackhawks continued to apply pressure to the reeling Bolts, and it paid off less than two minutes after Teravainen tied it, as Vermette put the Blackhawks on top 2-1.

While Vermette netted the goal, Teravainen was once again a key part of it, stealing the puck and setting Vermette up in front of the net.

According to NBC Sports PR, play-by-play announcer Mike Emrick mentioned how quickly the youngster changed the complexion of the game and the series:

The biggest question mark surrounding the Lightning entering Game 1 was how they would perform under pressure. Most of the players on the roster had never played in the Stanley Cup Final before, while the opposite is true of the Blackhawks.

It didn't look like the moment was too big for the Bolts in the early going, but Chicago's experience most definitely came into play during the third period.

Losing a game at home in the playoffs is always tough on the psyche, but the manner in which Tampa Bay lost was particularly demoralizing since it was mere minutes away from taking a 1-0 lead in the series.

The Blackhawks now have all the momentum on their side as well as the knowledge that they have already won the Stanley Cup twice since 2010.

That will be a tough obstacle for the Lightning to overcome. However, they already came back to win two series in these playoffs after losing Game 1, and they can hang their hat on playing well defensively against Chicago's top scorers.

The manner in which Tampa answers in Game 2 will be crucial, but based on how the Bolts have played all season long, they aren't likely to fold just because they fell behind in the series Wednesday.

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