The Chicago Blackhawks (63-34-4-3) might have a pair of Stanley Cups in the last five years, but they haven't clinched up a title on their home ice since 1938.
They'll have a chance to break that seven-decade hex on Monday night when they try to finish off the Tampa Bay Lightning (64-35-3-5).
YOUTH NOT BEING SERVED
The Lightning are just making too many mental mistakes right now, and that's why they are getting in trouble in live betting. Their skill is fantastic, but they clearly aren't able to handle this moment.
Just take the goal which Antoine Vermette scored in the third period on Saturday night. Vermette didn't do anything spectacular, as he merely knocked the puck into an empty net when Ben Bishop made a miserable play by abandoning his crease to try to play a puck.
Corey Crawford hasn't had the best postseason in the world, but at least he hasn't made mistakes like that. In fact, Crawford has largely been in great position this entire series, and the goals which Tampa Bay has gotten have really been tremendous goals.
Keep an eye on this in Game 6 for live betting purposes, knowing that the Tampa Bay youthful mistake is going to probably come at some point.
TRIPLETS IN TROUBLE
When Nikita Kucherov went down with a shoulder injury in Game 5, the Lightning were officially in a lot of trouble. That line with Kucherov, Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat has dominated here in the postseason, and the line dubbed "The Triplets" has easily been the best on the ice no matter who the Bolts have been playing against.
However, with Kucherov not playing most of Game 5, the Lightning really lacked explosiveness. Jonathan Drouin is a fine fourth line player, but he isn't a man capable of stepping into a "Top 6" skating role on a team playing in the Stanley Cup Finals.
The end result is going to be a lot of mixing and matching by Jon Cooper in all likelihood. It's entirely possible to see the Steven Stamkos line broken up to put some energy into the team.
The lesson for live bettors here is to keep a close eye on the line changes. If Cooper is too stubborn to put someone aside from Drouin on that Triplets line, the Lightning are very likely going to basically become a one-line team with Stamkos heading up the entire offensive effort.
There's just one problem for Tampa Bay: Stamkos hasn't scored a goal in eight games.
THE FACEOFF FACTOR
The Blackhawks won 36 of the 62 faceoffs in Game 5, and they turned a lot of those faceoffs into crucial breaks up the ice in a hurry.
Jonathan Toews has won 55 percent of his draws this postseason, while the aforementioned Vermette has won 59 percent.
Keep a really close eye on these two in the circle. If they are winning draws, Chicago will have better control of the puck. Yes, Tampa Bay is a fantastic team in terms of counterattacking and breaking up the ice, but many of the goal-scoring chances in this series have come from extended, organized possession, not the breakaway type of opportunities. We just don't see that changing in Game 6, especially with the Blackhawks hoping to dominate the run of play once again on home ice.
BookMaker opened the odds for Game 6stan before anyone else on the internet. The Blackhawks opened up at -170, while the total made its debut at 5 (over -145). Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly interface on your smartphone or tablet provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! Game 6 of this series between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Tampa Bay Lightning will commence on Monday, June 15, 2015 at 8:00 p.m. ET at the United Center in Chicago, IL. The contest will be broadcast nationally on NBC.
