TAMPA, Florida – The 95-degree heat outside Amalie Arena is a reminder of just how high the temperature has been turned up for the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Chicago Blackhawks as they get ready to battle in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final. This remains one of the tightest Final series in recent memory and at some point, something will have to be the break point, separating the winner from the loser.
The team that has won Game 5 after a split of the opening four contests of the Final has gone on to capture the Stanley Cup 16 of 23 times (69.6%) since the series adopted the best-of-seven format in 1939. However, the club that has lost Game 5 has rebounded to win the series in four of the past seven occasions (all since 2001).
In the most recent such occurrence, in 2013, the Blackhawks defeated the Boston Bruins, 3-1, in Game 5 before ultimately winning the series in six contests.
The four teams since 2001 that have rebounded to win the Stanley Cup after losing Game 5 in that scenario include the 2004 Lightning, who dropped Game 5 – 3-2 in OT (at home) – to the Calgary Flames before rallying for a seven-game series victory.
The other three clubs to overcome a Game 5 loss in that scenario (since 2001): the 2001 Colorado Avalanche (vs. New Jersey), 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins (vs. Detroit) and 2011 Boston Bruins (vs. Vancouver).
The Blackhawks have been tied 2-2 in eight previous series since the start of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs, including one other this year (Conference Final vs. Anaheim). They are 16-1 in Games 5-7 of those series, with their lone such loss in Game 5 of this year’s Western Conference Final at Anaheim (5-4 OT L).
The Lightning have been tied 2-2 in three of their four series this postseason (also in First Round vs. Detroit and Conference Final vs. NY Rangers); they are 4-2 in Games 5-7, with both series going the distance.
The Blackhawks are 41-14 in Games 4-7 since the start of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs, including a 7-2 record this year. Since 2012, they have won 17 of 21 contests in Games 5-7 (7-2 on the road). – 2 –
All four games in the Stanley Cup Final have been tied or within one goal entering the final five minutes of regulation, as have more than half of all contests this postseason (54 of 87, 62.1%).
The winning goal has been scored in the third period in each game thus far in the Stanley Cup Final, including two in the final five minutes of regulation (Chicago’s Antoine Vermette at 15:26 in Game 1 and Tampa Bay’s Cedric Paquette at 16:49 in Game 3).
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, only two other series in the Stanley Cup Final – since 1927 – have featured multiple games with tiebreaking goals scored in the final five minutes of regulation: in 1964 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings (by Toronto’s Bob Pulford in Game 1 and Detroit’s Alex Delvecchio in Game 3) and in 2006 between the Carolina Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers (by Carolina’s Rod Brind’Amour in Game 1 and Edmonton’s Ryan Smyth in Game 3).
Overall, 10 games have featured a go-ahead goal in the final five minutes of regulation this postseason, including one other by the Lightning. In Game 3 of the Second Round vs. Montreal, Tyler Johnson scored the tiebreaking goal with 1.1 seconds remaining in the third period to power the club to a 2-1 win (and 3-0 series lead).
The opening four games of the series each have been decided by one goal, just the third such occurrence in Stanley Cup Final history (also in 1951 and 1968). Only one Stanley Cup Final has featured five consecutive one-goal games to open the series – the 1951 affair between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens in which all five contests required overtime (Toronto, 4-1).
Overall, nine of the past 11 games between the Lightning and Blackhawks – including the regular season – have been decided by one goal dating to March 9, 2011 (TBL: 8-2-1, CHI: 3-4-4).
More than one-third of the games this postseason have featured a comeback win (32 of 87, 36.8%), including the first three games in the Stanley Cup Final.
The Lightning and Blackhawks have been tied or separated by one goal for the entire series. A closer look at the goals scored in the series: Total Goals: 18 Go-Ahead Goals: 7 Game-Tying Goals: 7 Game-Winning Goals: 4 Other Goals: 0 Making News in the Stanley Cup Final
Game 5 is set for Saturday night at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. Face-off is set for 8:00 PM ET and is being televised on NBC, CBC, TVA Sports. The schedule for the remaining games in the Stanley Cup Final are listed below.
Game 6 Mon., June 15th at 8 p.m. Tampa Bay at Chicago NBC, CBC, TVA Sports
*Game 7 Wed., June 17th at 8 p.m. Chicago at Tampa Bay NBC, CBC, TVA Sports
* if necessary
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