CHICAGO (AP) — The latest from Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final between Tampa Bay and Chicago:
7:05 p.m.
Something to look out for tonight — slow pucks and tricky bounces.
That could be an issue on a humid day when temperatures hit the 90s. They had dropped to the mid-70s by game time.
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6:55 p.m.
Injured Blackhawks defenseman Michal Rozsival just pulled up at the United Center in a nice set of wheels — a brand new yellow Bentley. He had a walking cast on his left leg and walked up the stairs from the loading dock on crutches.
Rozsival broke his ankle in Game 4 of the second-round series against Minnesota.
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6:50 p.m.
Andrei Vasilevskiy is the surprise starter in goal for the Tampa Bay Lightning for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks.
The 20-year-old Vasilevskiy is making his first career playoff start. He had made just 19 appearances this season, counting the postseason.
Ben Bishop appeared to dealing with some sort of groin or leg injury while making 36 saves in a gutsy performance in Tampa Bay’s 3-2 victory on Monday night. He participated in the morning skate on Wednesday, but coach Jon Cooper said they were in a “holding pattern” in terms of if he could play.
Vasilevskiy then led the team out of the tunnel for warmups before the game, signaling he was the starter.
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6:40 p.m.
The Lightning have been playing well on the road, and the Blackhawks have a history of playing better as series progress.
For Tampa Bay, it’s been a remarkable turnaround after a subpar regular season in that area. The Lightning came into Wednesday’s game with an 8-3 road record in the playoffs after going 18-16-7. They had won four straight away from home, beating the Blackhawks 3-2 in Game 3 on a late goal by Cedric Paquette to go up 2-1 in the series.
The Lightning are two wins shy of the Los Angeles Kings’ NHL-record 10 road victories during their 2012 Stanley Cup run
But the Blackhawks also have an impressive trend going.
Since coach Joel Quenneville took over in October 2008, the Blackhawks are 30-30 in Games 1-3 of playoff series. But they have a 40-14 record in Games 4-7, according to STATS.
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6:25 p.m.
Star watch: Actor Vince Vaughn and rock guitarist Tom Morello joined the NBCSN set outside the United Center before Game 4 to talk a little Blackhawks with former Chicago star Jeremy Roenick.
Vaughn was raised in Libertyville and Morello in Buffalo Grove — a pair of suburbs north of Chicago that are less than 10 miles apart.
On Monday night, NASCAR driver Danica Patrick and Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan were on hand for Game 3. Both are also from Illinois.
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6 p.m.
With his career winding down, Blackhawks defenseman Kimmo Timonen is getting another chance to play in a Stanley Cup Final.
The 16-year veteran was in the lineup for Wednesday night’s Game 4 between Chicago and Tampa Bay for the first time since Game 5 of the Western Conference finals against Anaheim.
“Once you miss the last seven games and two weeks of hockey, it is not the perfect situation to jump in there,” Timonen said. “But I’ve been around a long time and I know what to expect. I’m going to enjoy the moment. It is the best thing you can take. Keep it simple, but I want to be aggressive in my play and maybe I can help the team with making plays and play my own game.”
Chicago acquired the 40-year-old Timonen in a trade with Philadelphia in February. But he missed much of the season while recovering from blood clots discovered in his leg and lungs last summer. He plans to retire after the postseason.
Timonen has played in five Olympics for Finland and will be appearing in his 103rd playoff game. One thing he has not done: Win the Stanley Cup.
He made it to the final in 2010 with Philadelphia and was on the ice when Chicago’s Patrick Kane scored in overtime in Game 6, clinching the championship for Chicago.
Tampa Bay leads the best-of-seven series 2-1.
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5:34 p.m.
Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper has apparently been eating well in Chicago — and on the cheap, too.
NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley picked up the tab for Cooper, his assistants and front office staff at Chicago Cut Steakhouse on Sunday, according to the Chicago Tribune. And actor Vince Vaughn did the same on Tuesday.
“They’re all just random,” Cooper said. “We’ve added a little tradition. We’ve gone out as a staff. Other people in the restaurant that we see, those are just random meetings. But we’ve gone out as a staff together in every single series. Maybe there’s a little more notoriety because we’re in the finals. Those are all just staff dinners.”
The Tribune reported Barkley recommended the restaurant to Cooper and called to make the reservation. He had them bill the meal to his credit card. Vaughn, a Blackhawks fan, is apparently friends with Cooper and picked up the tab after spotting him at the restaurant.
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