2 quick strikes lift Blackhawks
TAMPA, Fla. — After 53 minutes of scoreless frustration, the Chicago Blackhawks needed less than two minutes more to roar back on top in the Stanley Cup Final opener.
Teuvo Teravainen and Antoine Vermette scored 1:58 apart late in the third period, and the Blackhawks rallied to stun the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on Wednesday night.
Corey Crawford made 22 saves for the Blackhawks, who opened the final series in their quest for their third NHL title in six seasons with more of the clutch offensive play on which they’ve built a championship team.
“You just learn not to panic and keep working hard,” Crawford said. “Stick to your game plan, and we’ll get our chances.”
Nothing worked for Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, but with their two biggest stars off the ice and the clock dwindling, the Blackhawks’ role players delivered to crush the Amalie Arena crowd celebrating Tampa Bay’s first trip to the Final since winning the 2004 title.
Teravainen scored through traffic with 6:32 to play, and the 20-year-old Finn forced the turnover that led to Vermette’s winner in the slot with 4:34 left.
“We got better as the game went on,” Chicago Coach Joel Quenneville said. “Huge goal through traffic, and then a nice shot by Vermy. Turned out to be a great third period. … Finding a way to win is what this team is all about.”
Game 2 is Saturday night in Tampa.
Ben Bishop stopped 19 shots and Alex Killorn scored in the opening minutes for Tampa Bay, which appeared to be closing in on a gritty shutout victory. Until Teravainen’s goal through a two-man screen, the youthful Lightning gave a stellar defensive effort against Chicago’s high-powered offense.
“We really didn’t give them much the entire game,” Tampa Bay Coach Jon Cooper said. “Could we have made a few more poised plays? I guess we could have. But we had chances to put them away, and that was letting them hang around.”
In fact, Tampa Bay appeared to frustrate the Blackhawks to the point of biting.
Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman believes Chicago’s Andrew Shaw bit him on the torso during a scrum after the whistle in the second period. Hedman lifted his jersey on the bench to show the bruise.
The 6-7 Bishop was a few minutes away from his third shutout in four games, including a 2-0 victory over the New York Rangers to win the Eastern Conference title last Friday night.
Instead, Chicago’s steady work and Tampa Bay’s excessive caution finally was rewarded in dramatic fashion.
Shortly after Crawford stopped Ryan Callahan on a breakaway, Marcus Kruger and Valtteri Filppula provided screens in front of Bishop, who never saw Teravainen’s shot for his third goal of the postseason.
Teravainen then forced a turnover by J.T. Brown in the Lightning zone moments later. Vermette collected the bouncing puck in the slot and beat Bishop in the top right corner for his third goal, providing a timely return on the Blackhawks’ much-debated decision to acquire him from Arizona at the trade deadline.
Teravainen is the youngest player to have a multipoint game in the Stanley Cup Final since 19-year-old Jaromir Jagr did it for Pittsburgh in 1991.
“It’s pretty amazing,” Teravainen said. “I know we have a great team. We have a lot of experience, but myself, I’m a young guy here, so I try to bring some energy. Tampa Bay is a really great team. It’s a fast game out there. You have to be ready.”