CHICAGO (AP) — The latest from Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final between Tampa Bay and Chicago:
7:50 p.m.
The Blackhawks are finally rewarded for 10 minutes of dominance when Brad Richards’ shot on the power play escapes the web of Tampa Bay goalie Ben Bishop’s glove and drops in the net, tying Game 3. Chicago has outshot Tampa Bay 17-1 since the opening four minutes.
Bishop is playing, but is he healthy? The goalie appears to be moving gingerly at times in his crease after making difficult sliding saves. The Lightning have refused to say why Bishop left Game 2 twice in the third period.
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7:39 p.m.
Four-on-four hockey after coincidental minors in Game 3 has led to numerous chances for the Blackhawks, but they can’t score. Teuvo Teravainen had a shot at a nearly open net, but couldn’t get it in for his third goal of the series. Moments later, a close chance by Andrew Shaw is denied by Ben Bishop. The Blackhawks are outshooting Tampa Bay 12-5 after getting outshot 4-0 in the first 4 minutes.
And Marian Hossa will see that open net in his dreams for a long time. After a strange deflection left Ben Bishop out of Tampa Bay’s net and the puck on Hossa’s stick, he leaned forward and swept a shot at the open net — and it just missed. Braydon Coburn helped out by tripping Hossa, but the veteran forward likely won’t use that as an excuse.
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7:30 p.m.
The Tampa Bay Lightning weren’t exactly intimidated by the United Center. They’ve taken a 1-0 lead just 5:09 into the first period on a beautiful goal by Ryan Callahan, who beat Corey Crawford’s glove cleanly on a shot that rang in off the post. Callahan was set up by a beautiful pass from Victor Hedman.
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7:25 p.m.
The Chicago fans have cheered through the anthem, and Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final is underway. Tampa Bay is controlling possession early, but a huge shot by Steven Stamkos was saved by Corey Crawford, the goalie whose play in Game 2 was “Just OK,” according to Hawks coach Joel Quenneville.
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7:15 p.m.
Ben Bishop is listed as Tampa Bay’s starting goalie on the official lineup sheet, so the Lightning’s single-season victories record-holder will play in Game 3 after leaving Game 2 twice in the final minutes.
Coach Jon Cooper made one swerve after warmups, activating defenseman Nikita Nesterov and scratching forward Jonathan Drouin. That means Tampa Bay will dress seven defensemen against an opponent that basically uses four.
Trevor Van Riemsdyk hasn’t played an NHL game since he broke his kneecap in November, but the defenseman is in the Chicago Blackhawks’ lineup.
Van Riemsdyk has been practicing with the Hawks lately, and coach Joel Quenneville is trying another solution to his depth problem on defense. Kimmo Timonen, David Rundblad and Kyle Cumiskey have all struggled while playing scant minutes behind Chicago’s top four defensemen. Rundblad is scratched Wednesday night in favor of Van Riemsdyk.
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6:59 p.m.
The Blackhawks appear to be breaking up captain Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane to start Game 3. They’re skating on different lines during warmups after starting Game 2 in Tampa together. Coach Joel Quenneville broke them up in the third period of Game 2, and Toews swiftly set up a goal. Neither star has a goal in the Final, and Kane didn’t record a shot in Game 2.
Jonathan Drouin appears to be in the Lightning’s lineup for the second straight game, if warmups are an indication. The 20-year-old forward got his first playoff action since the second round in Game 2.
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6:55 p.m.
Six of the top prospects in the upcoming NHL draft spent the day in Chicago to soak up the atmosphere around Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. After the pregame skate on Wednesday morning, likely top-two picks Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel exchanged phone numbers with Blackhawks and spoke to everyone about their bright futures.
“It’s a much different game at this level,” said McDavid, widely expected to be headed to the Edmonton Oilers with the No. 1 pick. “It’s going to be a lot harder, but it’s a dream come true.”
McDavid and Eichel, the Buffalo Sabres’ likely pick at No. 2, had never met until the just-completed NHL scouting combine.
“We’ve been linked together for a while, so it’s nice to get to know him,” Eichel said.
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6:41 p.m.
Ben Bishop led the Lightning onto the ice for pregame warmups before Game 3, finally providing the answer to the biggest mystery of the past two days.
After Bishop left Game 2 twice during the third period for unclear reasons, Tampa Bay has been incredibly tight-lipped about the identity of its starting goalie for Game 3. Rookie Andrei Vasilevskiy finished up the victory, but Tampa Bay has refused to say what was wrong with Bishop.
The Lightning even added to the intrigue when third-string goalie Kristers Gudlevskis rode the team bus to the United Center, but Bishop appears to be back in net as usual.
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6:30 p.m.
Blackhawks fans haven’t seen their team at home since May 25, so they’re more than slightly hyped for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. Not even a few intense bursts of rain could dampen the spirits of these famously loyal fans, who filled the United Center’s halls with cheers and chants more than an hour before faceoff.
Chicago and Tampa Bay split the first two games of the series at Amalie Arena, with both contests decided on a third-period goal. Neither team took firm control of the series, but the Lightning have been an exceptionally good road team in the playoffs so far: 7-3.
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