2015 STANLEY CUP FINAL POST-GAME NOTES - GAME 5 CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS 2 at TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING 1 - JUNE 13, 2015 Our Coverage Sponsored by Cosmopolitan Dental, Official Dentist of Whom You Know
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CHICAGO'S VERMETTE REPEATS HEROICS FROM GAME 1
Chicago center Antoine Vermette tallied his second game-winning goal of the Stanley Cup Final, scoring at 2:00 of the third period to give the Blackhawks a 2-1 lead they did not relinquish. For Vermette, it marked his fourth goal of the playoffs and his third clutch goal since the start of the Conference Finals. His double-overtime tally gave the Blackhawks a 5-4 win over Anaheim in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final at United Center on May 23 and his goal with 4:34 left in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final was the difference in the series-opener. Prior to the three GWG in his past nine games, Vermette had one such goal in his first 68 career playoff games.
* Vermette is the first player to tally multiple game-winning goals in one Stanley Cup Final since Boston's Daniel Paille, who notched the decisive goal in the Bruins' 2-1 (OT) and 2-0 wins in Games 2 and 3 of the 2013 Final against Chicago.
* In addition to his goal-scoring heroics, Vermette maintained his record as an effective face-off performer. He won eight of 11 face-offs in Game 5, improving his series record to 42-22 (66%). He has won 59% of his face-offs overall during the 2015 postseason (155-109).
* Vermette was acquired by the Blackhawks from Arizona in exchange for D Klas Dahlbeck and a 1st-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft on Feb. 28, two days before March 2 NHL trade deadline.
TEAMS CONTINUE TO WAGE HISTORICALLY TIGHT SERIES
Five consecutive one-goal games
The Blackhawks and Lightning played their fifth one-goal game in as many contests in the 2015 Stanley Cup Final. Only one previous Final has featured five consecutive one-goal games to open the series – the 1951 affair between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens in which all five contests required overtime (Toronto, 4-1).
Overall, 10 of the past 12 games between the Lightning and Blackhawks – including the regular season – have been decided by one goal dating to March 9, 2011 (TBL: 8-3-1, CHI: 4-4-4).
No two-goal lead to date
The Blackhawks and Lightning have been tied or separated by one goal for the entire Stanley Cup Final (300 minutes). This marks the first Stanley Cup Final in which neither team has held a two goal lead in any of the first five games. Of the eight goals scored in the Stanley Cup Final with a team holding a one-goal lead, the trailing team has scored all eight times.
Close finish continues playoff trend
The winning goal has been scored in the third period in each game thus far in the Stanley Cup Final.
All five games in the Stanley Cup Final have been tied or within one goal entering the final five minutes of regulation, as have more than half of all contests this postseason (55 of 88, 62.5%).
TEAMS WINNING GAME 5 OF STANLEY CUP FINAL WITH SERIES TIED 2-2
* The team that has won Game 5 after a split of the opening four contests of the Final has gone on to capture the Stanley Cup 16 of 23 times (69.6%) since the series adopted the best-of-seven format in 1939. However, the club that has lost Game 5 has rebounded to win the series in four of the past seven occasions (all since 2001).
* In the most recent such occurrence, in 2013, the Blackhawks defeated the Boston Bruins, 3-1, in Game 5 before ultimately winning the series in six contests.
* The four teams since 2001 that have rebounded to win the Stanley Cup after losing Game 5 in that scenario include the 2004 Lightning, who dropped Game 5 – 3-2 in OT (at home) – to the Calgary Flames before rallying for a seven-game series victory.
* The other three clubs to overcome a Game 5 loss in that scenario (since 2001): the 2001 Colorado Avalanche (vs. New Jersey), 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins (vs. Detroit) and 2011 Boston Bruins (vs. Vancouver).
BLACKHAWKS COME OUT FLYING
After registering just two shots in the first period of Game 4 -- their lowest single-period total of the postseason -- the Blackhawks jumped out to a quick start in Game 5, matching their Game 4 first period total by the 1:10 mark; outshooting Tampa Bay 7-0 in the first 3:22; owning advantages of 11-2 in shots and 8-1 in face-offs by the time Patrick Sharp opened the scoring at 6:11; and finishing the opening frame with a 14-5 shots on goal advantage.
BLACKHAWKS CONTINUE LATE-SERIES SUCCESS
The Blackhawks improved to 17-1 in Games 5-7 of series they had been tied 2-2 since the start of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Their lone such loss came in Game 5 of this year’s Western Conference Final at Anaheim (5-4 OT L).
The Blackhawks also are 42-14 overall in Games 4-7 since the start of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs, including an 8-2 record this year. Since 2012, they have won 18 of 22 contests in Games 5-7 (8-2 on the road).
SHARP BREAKS DROUGHT IN TALLYING GAME'S OPENING GOAL
Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp scored the opening goal of the game at 6:11 of the first period, breaking a 13-game goal drought. Sharp had last scored in Game 2 of Chicago's Second Round series against Minnesota on May 3.
KEITH AGAIN SERVES AS BLACKHAWKS' WORKHORSE
Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith (29:23) again led all players in time on ice. Keith needs 14:42 to become the fourth player to log 700 minutes in one playoff year (since time on ice was introduced as an official statistic in 1998).
Most Ice Time, One Playoff Year (since 1998)
747:33 - Drew Doughty, Los Angeles, 2014
742:55 - Chris Pronger, Edmonton, 2006
717:01 - Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit, 2002
696:08 - Sergei Zubov, Dallas, 1999
690:49 - Dennis Seidenberg, Boston, 2011
687:40 - Robyn Regehr, Calgary, 2004
685:18 - Duncan Keith, Chicago, 2015
QUICK HITS
* Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford (31 saves, including all 15 shots he faced in the third period) collected his 44th career playoff win, one shy of Tony Esposito's franchise-record 45.
* The Blackhawks improved to 11-1 when scoring first in the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Lightning dropped to 3-10 when surrendering the first goal.
* The Blackhawks improved to 6-2 in the playoffs when tied after two periods. The Lightning fell to 4-2 in such a scenario, with both losses coming in the last two games of the Final.
* The Lightning loss dropped their home record in the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs to 6-7. They have been outscored 40-33 at Amalie Arena in the postseason after leading the NHL and setting club records during the regular season with 32 home wins and 65 home points.
