Blackhawks a win away from third NHL crown

chicago — While Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane have struggled to find any room in the Stanley Cup Final against Tampa Bay, the Chicago Blackhawks have used their depth to move within one victory of their third NHL title in six seasons.

Playing alongside two other players who have been a healthy scratch this postseason, veteran Kris Versteeg assisted on Antoine Vermette’s winning goal in Chicago’s 2-1 victory on Saturday.

“I think it’s always about staying ready,” Versteeg said Sunday. “I guess that starts in practice. Whether it be myself or (Bryan Bickell) or Vermy or whoever is not in the lineup on any given night, we all feel we’re good players, we all feel we’re players that can contribute. I don’t think that confidence is lost in us.”

The Blackhawks’ third and fourth lines are a big reason why they can clinch the Stanley Cup at home for the first time since 1938 with a victory in Game 6.

But the Lightning won Game 3 in Chicago and are confident they can do it again. “We’ll find a way,” captain Steven Stamkos said. “There’s really no choice that we have.”

Stamkos and Kane are still looking for their first goal of the series, and Toews has contributed one goal and two assists. But Vermette has two game-winning goals in the final, Teuvo Teravainen scored in each of the first two games, and Andrew Shaw has a goal and two assists.

In an incredibly tight battle for the Stanley Cup — only the second final to begin with five one-goal games — the contributions from Chicago’s role players are making a difference.

“We know that one of our strengths as a team and organization is our depth,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “Sometimes you use it,” he said.