Stanley Cup Final 2015: Lightning vs. Blackhawks Game 6 TV Schedule, Live Stream

There is a light at the end of the tunnel in this year's Stanley Cup Final, as the Chicago Blackhawks find themselves one win away from the franchise's third championship since 2010. 

Even though momentum would seem to be in Chicago's favor, having won the last two games, the Tampa Bay Lightning are right where they want to be. The Eastern Conference champions ended New York's six-game winning streak in Game 7s in the previous round, and they did it at Madison Square Garden. 

Now, the Lightning need to force a winner-take-all battle back in Tampa Bay on June 17 to have a shot at winning the franchise's second Stanley Cup title. 

In other words, things are set up for a dramatic night of hockey in Chicago when the Lightning and Blackhawks take the ice at the United Center on Monday. Here's all the information to get prepared for the action. 

Matchup	Date	Start Time (ET)	Network	Live Stream
Tampa Bay Lightning at Chicago Blackhawks	Monday, June 15	8 p.m.	NBC	NBC Sports Live Extra

How Tampa Bay Wins

Dave Sandford/Getty Images

There is so much analysis about every sport that it's easy to overthink things. Sometimes, though, a team's success or failure is simple to figure out. 

In the Lightning's case, Steven Stamkos' disappearance in the Stanley Cup Final has been alarming. He was one of the postseason's stars prior to this series, with 17 points in 20 games, but he has just one in five games against Chicago. 

If there is a silver lining for Stamkos, as Stephen Whyno of The Canadian Press (via Yahoo Sports) pointed out, it's that he has gotten good looks as recently as Game 4:

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The league's second-leading scorer during the regular season has gone through streaks and droughts in the playoffs and does look due for a goal or two.

The end of Game 4 Wednesday night was the best example. Stamkos was denied by Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford on an A-plus chance from the doorstep, and his shot that Seabrook deflected would have hit a wide-open net.

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Eventually, a star player has to figure out a way to create more chances, as Stamkos had just one shot on goal in Game 5. 

Stamkos' struggles wouldn't be so glaring if Tyler Johnson hadn't been held scoreless in the last two games, both Tampa Bay losses. 

Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times did note on June 12 that Johnson seems to be nursing an undisclosed injury that's certainly hindering his performance. The 24-year-old has only spent more than 18 minutes on the ice once in the previous four games. 

The Lightning also need the "good" version of goalie Ben Bishop to show up on Monday. He's been solid in four games, stopping 92 percent of Chicago's shot attempts and recording a 2.25 goals-against average, but there are lapses in concentration. 

For instance, there was this Bishop moment from Game 5 that put Chicago on the board, via NBC Sports on Twitter:

That's just terrible decision-making on every level by Bishop. The Lightning defense, along with Bishop, have done a great job of keeping Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith at bay in this series. He's capable of stepping up in the big moment, but those momentary lapses need to be fixed quickly. 

How Chicago Wins

Scott Iskowitz/Getty Images

What's making the Blackhawks' success so surprising is how limited Kane, Toews and Keith have been through five games. That dynamic trio has combined for six points in six games, with Toews registering half of that total. 

Keith has been the NHL's version of LeBron James in the playoffs, racking up minutes at a historic rate, per Ryan Lambert of Yahoo Sports:

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Wednesday night's contest got him up to more than 500 minutes of 5-on-5 time, making him one of just three guys in the last 10 seasons to clear that milestone. The other two are Dennis Seidenberg with Boston in 2011 (500:59) and Drew Doughty last season (528:59). They required 25 and 26 games, respectively, to get there. Keith got to 506:58 in just 21.

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Unlike James, who has been running on fumes as the NBA Finals moves along, Keith looks like he's getting stronger, as Lambert also noted. 

"By just about any measure," Lambert wrote, "Chicago dominates its opponents when Keith is on the ice versus when he's off — possession, high-quality chances, goals, etc. — and this is despite the fact that, were Keith any sort of actual human being and not a well-conditioned robot, fatigue ought to get to him far more than it has."

Now, with both teams facing a sense of urgency to win, the Blackhawks need Kane and Toews to up their game. They need to win to avoid going back to Tampa Bay in front of a hostile crowd in a must-win situation. 

The Blackhawks won't necessarily be intimidated by that environment because this team has been through many playoff battles in the past, but it's not an ideal scenario to finish a series. 

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

There's also the underrated brilliance of goalie Corey Crawford in this series. Scott Powers of ESPN.com noted the Blackhawks are 32-0 when leading after two periods this season and have held the Lightning scoreless in the final period three times thus far.

"Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford has had a major hand -- and a glove, a stick and a pad -- in that third-period series success," Powers wrote. "He stopped all 15 shots he faced in Saturday's third period and has made 35 saves on 38 shots in series' five third periods."

Crawford was easy to criticize when the playoffs began, allowing nine goals in two games against Nashville, but he's been fantastic with three goals allowed in Chicago's three wins against Tampa Bay thus far. 

The Blackhawks have been the aggressors lately, and it's given them a chance to close this series out at home. 

Prediction

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

At this point, how do you bet against the Blackhawks? They were against a wall after losing two of the first three games in the series, but their experience and dominance on both sides of the puck shone through in winning Games 4 and 5. 

Of course, the Lightning may be right where they want to be. They trailed Detroit 3-2 in the first round before winning the final two games, including Game 6 on the road, and their triumph in the conference finals. 

Yet, the Lightning seem to be playing on borrowed time. They are beaten up and struggling to break through against the Blackhawks defense. Johnson and Stamkos haven't been a threat on offense most of the series, and Chicago has been superior closing out games. 

The Blackhawks will be able to celebrate a Stanley Cup title win in front of their home fans for the first time since 1938, having closed out the previous three championships on the road. 

Blackhawks 3, Lightning 2