The Stanley Cup playoffs make moments that players and fans will never forget. New stars are forged into our minds whom we might have never heard of before, and players who are goats today can be heroes tomorrow.
All of that was on display in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals when the Tampa Bay Lightning picked up a heroic effort from rookie Andrei Vasilevskiy to close out the game for his first career playoff win. The Chicago Blackhawks have to feel a little stunned at what they just went through on Saturday, and they will have little time to figure it out prior to Monday's Game 3.
FEELING OUT VASILEVSKIY
Rookies just don't belong in the Stanley Cup Finals, especially when they are rookie goalies. Vasilevskiy though, was clearly the exception to the rule on Saturday night. He was stuck coming into the game in the middle of the third period for Ben Bishop, who left the ice for seemingly no reason, and then he had to do so again after going back to the bench for a few minutes.
Jon Cooper offered up no hints as to why he made three goaltending changes in the third period, but clearly, he would rather have Bishop in net over Vasilevskiy.
For live betting purposes though, this really is a question mark. Was Bishop hurt? Was he sick? Did he have equipment problems? Was this really a matter of mind games by Cooper? Without knowing any of those answers, it would be tough to live bet this game if Bishop was in there.
However, if it's Vasilevskiy, this really is just a matter of feeling him out. He only had to face five shots in Game 2, and though he did look poised, there's a big difference between playing nine minutes of spot duty and preparing for a full 60 (or more) minutes as a starter.
What we do know is that we would want to get off of the Lightning bandwagon in live betting as quickly as possible on Monday night as soon as one goal hits the back of the net. The Blackhawks have this knack for scoring goals in bunches, and they seem to open up the floodgates once the opposing net springs even the slightest of leaks.
CALLING PATRICK KANE
Patrick Kane has been nowhere to be found in this series. Kane was paired with Jonathan Toews late in the series against Anaheim, and all of a sudden when that happened, both men really took off.
Now in this series, both men are without a goal in two games, and that's really concerning Blackhawks fans.
Heading back to Chicago might be the panacea. Joel Quenneville has now split these two up once again, putting Marian Hossa with Toews and Brandon Saad with Kane.
The benefit here though, might be getting the last change on the ice during stoppages. Quenneville is probably the best coach in hockey at making changes on the fly, and he is going to have his opportunities to get his two stars going.
It might take a while, but have faith every step of the way. The Blackhawks will get this figured out, and you want to be there on them in live betting once they do.
BookMaker sent out the NHL spread for Game 3 at Chicago -150 alongside a total of 5. Live wagering during the run of play offers an adjusted puck-line as well as moneyline and total prices. Log in and start gambling during the game now!
Need to fund your account before the big game but don’t have your computer? No problem! BookMaker Sportsbook now offers a mobile betting cashier so you can deposit money directly from your smartphone. Don’t miss out on getting paid because you couldn’t bet. Click here and deposit at BookMaker now! The matchup between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Tampa Bay Lightning will start at 8:00 p.m. ET on Monday, June 8, 2015 at the United Center in Chicago, IL. Game 3 of this series will be televised nationally on NBC Sports Network.
