TAMPA, Fla. — It looked for all the world that the Tampa Bay Lightning, known for their offensive prowess, had concocted the perfect defensive recipe for preserving a one-goal lead in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Just as they did in blanking the New York Rangers in Games 5 and 7 of the Eastern Conference Final, the Lightning were clogging shooting lanes against the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night. It was a carbon copy of those two performances against the Rangers, as the Blackhawks were helpless to find anything resembling a dangerous scoring chance.
Yet there was a difference, a subtle one with painful consequences for the youthful Lightning.
Chicago's Teuvo Teravainen and Antoine Vermette scored less than two minutes apart late in the third period, transforming what seemed to be an inevitable a 1-0 Lightning win into a stunning 2-1 series-opening loss at Tampa's Amalie Arena.
After playing so confidently on this stage for 40 minutes, the Lightning employed a strategy that proved too conservative against a loaded team looking for its thi ...
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Article written by Dave Lozo
Lack of Aggression in Final Period Causes Tampa Bay to Blow Lead, Lose Game 1
June 3rd, 2015 by Dave Lozo Leave a reply »
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