Exciting battle in Stanley Cup Final

tampa — Four games into the Stanley Cup Final, all that’s clear is just how little separates the Chicago Blackhawks and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

These two NHL conference champions have two victories, nine goals and 24 penalty minutes apiece, while Chicago has outshot Tampa Bay 107-104.

Neither team has led by more than one goal at any point in the Final’s first four games, which have all been decided by one goal apiece for the first time since 1968 and just the third time in NHL history.

The Lightning return home for Game 5 on Saturday at Amalie Arena knowing they missed early opportunities to get Chicago in serious trouble in this series — and they know the fate of other opponents who failed to put the Blackhawks away.

“For either one of us to think we’re going to go out there and control 60 minutes of the game ... I just don’t see it happening,” Lightning associated coach Rick Bowness said. “There are moments in each of the four games that we were in control of it, and there are moments, like the second period last night, that they were in control of it.”

Tampa Bay could very well have won all four games but the Blackhawks could say the same thing. Still Game 4 will still be stinging the Lightning and the one they will look back on with regret if they don’t manage to win the Cup.

Tampa Bay held the Blackhawks to just two shots in the first period and didn’t let up significantly in the final two periods, dominating the puck. Yet the Blackhawks got goals of pure persistence from Jonathan Toews and Brandon Saad, while the Lightning lamented numerous missed scoring chances.

Steven Stamkos twice came close to tying Game 4 in the final 90 seconds but the Lightning captain still doesn’t have a goal in the series.