TAMPA, Fla. — It's hardly a surprise that the Stanley Cup Final is tied at two games apiece with Game 5 slated for Saturday night, as the Chicago Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning are about as evenly matched as it gets.
"Both teams respect one another," Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith said Friday. "They play a team game with speed and skill. It's going to be close the whole way here."
It's how we've reached this point that's somewhat surprising.
The Lightning blew a third-period lead for the first time in 10 games to drop Game 1; Steven Stamkos and Patrick Kane have yet to make even a minuscule impact, and Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop missed Game 4 with an injury after playing on one leg to win Game 3 and may miss Game 5 as well.
So what does this all mean for the rest of this series, which is now a best-of-three? Let's break down what's happened and look at what we can expect in this matchup full of the unexpected.
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Article written by Dave Lozo