Stanley Cup Final 2015: Lightning vs. Blackhawks TV Schedule, Game 3 Live Stream

Game 3 of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final is scheduled for Monday night as the Chicago Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning clash to try to take a lead in the championship series.

The Blackhawks stole a Game 1 victory on the road before the Lightning evened the series at a game apiece in Game 2 on Saturday. Now the series shifts to Chicago, where the Blackhawks own a 40-12-5 record in the regular season and are 7-1 so far in the playoffs.

All of the Stanley Cup Final games can be viewed on national television on either NBC or NBCSN. All of the remaining games will start at 8 p.m. ET.

Game 3 TV Info:

Where: United Center, Chicago, Illinois

When: Monday, June 8, 8 p.m. ET

Watch: NBC

Live Steam: NBC Sports Live Extra

Game	Date	Location	Time	TV
3	Monday, June 8	Chicago	8 p.m. ET	NBCSN
4	Wednesday, June 10	Chicago	8 p.m. ET	NBCSN
5	Saturday, June 13	Tampa Bay	8 p.m. ET	NBC
6* (if necessary)	Monday, June 15	Chicago	8 p.m. ET	NBC
7* (if necessary)	Wednesday, June 17	Tampa Bay	8 p.m. ET	NBC

‘Hawks Remain the Favorite as Series Shifts to Chicago

Chicago opened the Stanley Cup Final as a -145 favorite, according to Odds Shark, which has since moved the line to -149 in favor of the Western Conference champions.

The two teams are tied at one game apiece in the series, with the location shifting to Chicago for the next two games. The Blackhawks are 7-1 in the postseason when playing at the United Center.

In contrast, the Lightning are 7-3 away from Tampa Bay, which includes the Game 7 triumph against the New York Rangers in Madison Square Garden to punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final.

Young Lightning Growing Up During the Final

The Lighting evened the series at 1-1 with a 4-3 victory at home Saturday to turn the 2015 Stanley Cup Final into a best-of-five battle. In doing so, Tampa Bay took one giant leap forward as the young, but talented squad grew up in Game 2.

This was the third time this postseason Tampa Bay has rebounded from a series-opening loss to take Game 2.

The Triplets Line stepped up to the challenge and produced a pair of goals. The Lightning also received some scoring from their secondary contributors, particularly Cedric Paquette.

For Tampa Bay, the biggest sign of growth was the way the team handled adversity. After it fell behind in the second period, Paquette was among the reasons it was able to stay afloat and answer right back.

Will Vasilevskiy Get the Nod in Net?

Lightning coach Jon Cooper inserted No. 2 goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy into the game in the third period. The move paid off, too, as Vasilevskiy made all five saves he needed to in the 9:13 he played to preserve the 4-3 lead.

After the Game 2 victory, Cooper did provide an explanation for making the move in goal. One has to wonder whether it will be Vasilevskiy or starter Ben Bishop who gets the nod for the all-important Game 3.

Bishop has been rocky throughout the playoffs. He’s surrendered 47 goals in 21 starts with a .918 save percentage.

His 20-year-old backup, Vasilevskiy, was rather impressive in his place. Vasilevskiy became the first rookie goalie to win a Stanley Cup Final game since Cam Ward did it in 2006, per ESPN Stats & Info.

Kane, Toews Looking to Break Out of Slump

Blackhawks stars Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews continued their offensive struggles in Game 2. The team’s top two goal scorers in both regular-season play and the postseason have still not found the back of the net despite 16 shot attempts through the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final.

Kane has provided a team-leading 10 goals in the playoffs but was rendered without a shot attempt in the Game 2 defeat. That marked the first time Kane didn’t attempt a shot on goal in the postseason in 100 games, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

Given the playoff history of Kane and Toews, it’s hard to imagine how much longer Tampa Bay can keep the tandem down.

The Blackhawks have totaled five goals through the two games of the series so far, and coach Joel Quenneville may have a plan in mind on how to get his stars going. Quenneville told NHL.com he could potentially put Kane and Toews on different lines for Game 3.

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"Certainly I think splitting those two up gives you a little bit more freedom as far as whether it's room or something for them (the Lightning) to be concerned with," Quenneville said. "We'll see how that progresses."

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Prediction: ‘Hawks Take Advantage of Home Ice in Game 3

It’s only a matter of time before seasoned postseason performers like Toews and Kane break free of their slump and rise up to the challenge. Game 3 at the United Center seems like a perfect time for that situation to play out. 

Tampa Bay may be dealing with a bit of controversy in goal, and it’s hard to completely trust a 20-year-old rookie in net for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. On the other hand, Cooper may not be so quick to turn back to Bishop, who has been shaky throughout these playoffs. 

The United Center has been kind to the Blackhawks this season, particularly in the playoffs, where they have dropped only one game so far—in the conference finals against the Anaheim Ducks.

The experienced Blackhawks knew what was in store against an ultra-talented Lightning squad, so they must have expected a split in the first two games in Tampa Bay. With the series shifting to Chicago, the Blackhawks are in a position to take a commanding lead in the series.

That momentum should begin Game 3 as the ‘Hawks offense comes alive against whomever Cooper decides to start in goal. It’s only a matter of time before Kane and the captain find their stride.