It shouldn't be all that surprising that the Chicago Blackhawks (62-34-4-3) and the Tampa Bay Lightning (64-34-3-5) are knotted at two games apiece through four games of the Stanley Cup Finals.
What might be surprising though, is the determination of which team to bet on in live betting.
NO BISHOP, NO PROBLEM FOR TAMPA BAY
The fact of the matter is that the Ben Bishop injury isn't the reason why the Lightning were beaten in Game 4 of this series. Bishop didn't play, and rookie Andrei Vasilevsky allowed just two goals in his place. Granted, we really wonder whether the rookie is going to end up being under more pressure in this game, as he only faced 19 shots. Then again, the extra day off to get back to Tampa on Saturday could get Bishop recovered from his undisclosed injury.
The issue we have from a live betting standpoint is how Vasilevsky is dealing with the shots which he has to face. He actually looked worse in the first and third periods of Game 5 than he did in the second period for our money, and he faced a total of just seven shots in the first and third against 12 shots in the second period.
The Blackhawks might not have gotten a ton of shots on goal, but they did get a lot of really quality shots when they had their attempts. If they get a lot more opportunities in Game 5 and Vasilevsky is forced into the pipes, there could be some real problems.
POWER OUTAGE
There were seven power play chances in totality in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals, yet there wasn't a goal in the bunch.
What's notable here is how the penalties sort of went back and forth between the two teams. The referees have tried to do what they can in this series to keep the two teams on level terms on the power play, and in the first period, there was more or less a tit for tat situation with the infractions.
Granted, it should be noted that power plays haven't meant a ton in this series in terms of goals produced, and in fact, the team which has had the man down has often times grabbed momentum after a kill. That said, there is still an obvious danger to allowing so many power plays, and eventually, that pressure is going to tell, especially in a series which has been so darn close every step of the way.
NOT ALL GREAT THINGS COME IN THREES
We talked about this after Game 3, and we are going to bring it up again in preparation for Game 5.
This has been a remarkably level series from start to finish. No team has scored more than two goals in a row at any point in this series, and there has never been a situation where one team has jumped two goals in front of the other.
The difference in Game 4 was that Chicago really kept its foot on the gas pedal throughout the third period. It didn't have the best shots on goal over the course of the final 20 minutes, managing just a total of five in the third, but there was a lot of pressure on Vasilevsky.
Late on in the game, if Chicago has a lead and doesn't back off of the pressure, the Lightning could be in a lot of trouble.
BookMaker will send out the NHL playoff spread for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals before anyone else on the internet. 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 Tampa Bay Lightning and the Chicago Blackhawks will start at 8:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 13, 2015 at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay, FL. Game 5 of this series will be televised nationally on NBC.
