Lightning vs. Blackhawks: Game 3 Score and Reaction from 2015 Stanley Cup Final

The Tampa Bay Lightning wrested back control of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final on Monday at the United Center, notching a 3-2 road victory over the Chicago Blackhawks to grab a 2-1 series lead.

Late heroics arrived in the form of Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman, who skated into the Blackhawks' zone to create a beautiful setup for Cedric Paquette, who had a mostly open net to light the lamp with 3:11 left in the game.

Uproxx's Pete Blackburn provided footage of Paquette's tally:

Although Tampa Bay got on the board first for the third straight game when Ryan Callahan rifled a slap shot past Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford just 5:09 into the contest, Chicago dominated the first 20 minutes.

As has been a theme throughout this series, the Lightning backed off when they took the early lead, allowing the Blackhawks to outshoot them, 19-7, in the opening period. The visitors were fortunate to head to the locker room tied, 1-1, and not trailing based on their uninspiring effort following Callahan's goal.

Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times added more context to Tampa Bay's travails:

Blackhawks center Brad Richards capped a strong power play for Chicago by zooming a shot from the point past Ben Bishop at 14:22 in the first to even the score, per the NHL's official Twitter account:

The second period wound up being a different story, as the Lightning rediscovered their sense of urgency. They rattled off the first six shots in the 20-minute frame, tilting the ice back in their favor.

ESPN's Steve Levy commended the way the Lightning responded:

However, the likes of star forward Steven Stamkos and Co. couldn't convert a golden five-on-three opportunity for Tampa Bay.

After Bryan Bickell headed to the box for roughing, Brandon Saad was whistled for goaltender interference when he brushed Bishop on the head at 15:52. As disgusted as the home fans were by the questionable call, pandemonium ensued when Chicago killed the penalties to regain the momentum before the final period.

Just like his counterpart, Crawford was stellar between the pipes, as WREX 13's Dan Cohen observed:

Sportsnet Stats provided an anecdote about Bishop prior to the puck dropping in the third, made all the more impressive because of how he looked to be struggling health-wise:

The tremendous streak by Bishop mentioned above would only last four minutes and 14 seconds longer. Bishop's usually reliable glove wasn't quite quick enough to deny a magnificent roofer by Saad off of some beautiful puck movement.

The Bolts made sure Chicago's lead was short-lived, however. Just 13 seconds later, they scrapped to an equalizer by Ondrej Palat, who smashed home a rebound from point-blank range:

ESPN Stats & Info alluded to how productive Palat's line has been in the playoffs and put the time that elapsed between both sides' second goals in historical perspective:

That set the stage for an epic third period. It was relatively even with chances for both squads until Hedman's defining moment.

Afterward, ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun did well to describe where the Stanley Cup Final stands:

The following stat bodes well for the Lightning:

These championship-tested Blackhawks are often lauded for not panicking and being able to shake off just about anything. Tampa Bay's young nucleus looked overwhelmed in the first period, yet managed to outplay Chicago for much of the second and made the clutch play late.

The Lightning have been learning through every experience each entertaining Stanley Cup Final game has offered thus far. It's now evident that the moment is not too big and Tampa Bay is as ready as ever for its shot at capturing Lord Stanley's Cup—even against a more seasoned adversary that has been to the top before.

Wednesday's Game 4 puts considerable pressure on Chicago, which is in a virtual must-win situation. Experience is on the Blackhawks' side, but they can't afford another slip-up. Otherwise they'll head back to Tampa staring elimination in the face.