Stanley Cup Final 2015: Viewing Info, Preview and Predictions for Game 2

The Tampa Bay Lightning aren't necessarily in a do-or-die situation as they head into Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, but they also don't want to fall two games behind the Chicago Blackhawks as the series would shift to the United Center.

The Lightning went up 1-0 in the first period of Game 1 before Chicago scored twice in the third period to steal a win.

There's still a lot of hockey to be played, but the importance of Saturday's clash can't be overlooked.

Here's a quick look ahead to Game 2.

Viewing Info

Date	Time (ET)	Home	Away	TV Info	Live Stream
Sat., June 6	7:15 p.m.	Tampa Bay Lightning	Chicago Blackhawks	NBC	NBC Sports Live Extra

Preview

You can't take a one-goal lead into the third period and feel safe against the Blackhawks. Heck, even a two-goal lead doesn't offer that much security, not after Jonathan Toews scored twice in the final two minutes in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final, sending it into overtime.

To some, there was likely an inevitability with Teuvo Teravainen's game-tying goal with six-and-a-half minutes remaining in the game. And once Chicago tied the game, the Blackhawks were of course going to seal the victory sooner or later.

As if Chicago's penchant for late heroics weren't enough to make you think the Blackhawks were going to somehow win, the tide of Game 1 had swung strongly in their favor in the third period leading up to Teravainen's goal.

After a great start to the game, the Lightning seemed to shrink more and more by the minute. Normally such a proactive, fast-paced side, Tampa Bay reverted into a defensive shell, especially in the final frame. That played right into the Blackhawks' hands, who prefer a slower, more methodical pace.

Here's a look at how Chicago and Tampa Bay's fortunes differed as the game went on, per war-on-ice.com:

	Scoring Chances	High-Danger Scoring Chances
1st	12	7
2nd	3	2
3rd	2	1

	Scoring Chances	High-Danger Scoring Chances
1st	5	1
2nd	9	3
3rd	6	1

The Chicago Sun-Times' Mark Lazerus summed Game 1 up well earlier today.

"The Lightning had Game 1. Then they gave it away," he wrote. "They showed that speed can kill, but safe is indeed death. It’s a costly lesson against a team that doesn't offer many second chances."

Despite his team's somewhat lackluster performance beyond the first period, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper isn't going to panic already, per Lazerus:

Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos alluded to the fact that his team is still a newcomer to the Stanley Cup Final and that growing pains are natural, per Puck Daddy's Greg Wyshynski:

Stamkos' point about Tampa Bay's lack of Stanley Cup Final experience was one of the questions coming into the series. Would Chicago's two recent titles provide any sort of mental edge over the Lightning, who as a whole have remain untested at this stage?

You could argue that it's still a long series, but Lazerus made a cogent point about only getting so many shots against the Blackhawks. To have Chicago on the ropes but then hand it a reprieve might come back to haunt the Lightning in a big way.

By the time the Lightning finally find their bearings, will they already be too far out of the series to mount a comeback?

One thing that will unquestionably have to improve for them are the contributions from their "Triplets" line. Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov combined for just two shots in Game 1. The three had accounted for just over half of Tampa Bay's postseason goals entering the Stanley Cup Final.

The Lightning's chances of winning a title don't rest solely on Johnson, Palat and Kucherov, but the Blackhawks will have a much easier time if the trio are completely quiet on the ice.

Tampa Bay should have a strong response in Game 2. It was the better team for long stretches in Game 1, and Cooper will have learned better than to sit back and simply protect a lead for an entire period if his team gets to that point.

Plus, Johnson, Palat and Kucherov have been too good to expect them to be ineffective for another 60 minutes.

The Blackhawks are very good, but they might lack the speed to contend with the Tampa Bay attack when the Lightning are running and controlling the puck like they did in the first period of Game 1. In Game 2, Tampa Bay will make the most of its chances in the attacking zone.

Prediction: Tampa Bay 3, Chicago 1

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