Lightning vs Blackhawks

CHICAGO -- For the third time in the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Tampa Bay Lightning will face elimination on the road in a game they'll enter as underdogs.

For a team that was relatively inexperienced when this postseason began, this situation is one they no longer feel uncomfortable in.

The Lightning trail the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 in the 2015 Stanley Cup Final, and Game 6 of the best-of-7 series is Monday at United Center (8 p.m., NBC, CBC, TVA Sports). Either Tampa Bay wins, or an offseason likely filled with disappointment and remorse about being so close to claiming the Stanley Cup begins.

These Lightning have faced this scenario before, though the stakes weren’t quite as high. Tampa Bay trailed the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in an Eastern Conference First Round series. The Red Wings had frustrated the high-powered Lightning with shutouts in two of the previous three games and had Game 6 at Joe Louis Arena.

CHICAGO -- Chicago Blackhawks forward Kris Versteeg met the media at United Center on Sunday, smirking and happy to play along with captain Jonathan Toews, who referred to him as "the new guy," at the press conference table.

There hasn't been a lot of face time for Versteeg at press conferences in the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs; a turbulent postseason has bounced him in and out of the lineup since playing in all six of Chicago's games in the Western Conference First Round against the Nashville Predators.

Despite his familiar name and face, Versteeg does seem like a new guy for the Blackhawks, who can win their third championship in six seasons with a victory in Game 6 of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning at United Center on Monday (8 p.m. ET, NBC, CBC, TVA Sports).

Thanks in part to Versteeg's effort on center Antoine Vermette's game-winning goal in Game 5 at Amalie Arena on Saturday, the Blackhawks have a 3-2 lead in the best-of-7 series. They have a chance to clinch a championship on their home ice for the first time since 1938, but the "new guy" is trying to take a measured approach.

CHICAGO -- If it were left up to history to decide which team will win the Stanley Cup this season, the Chicago Blackhawks would just have to show up Monday night at United Center and would be crowned champions.

It obviously doesn't work that way. The Tampa Bay Lightning are not history. Far from it.

The Lightning are down 3-2 in the best-of-7 series heading into Game 6 (8 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, TVA Sports), but they rallied from the same deficit against the Detroit Red Wings in the first round to advance. They also beat back the history stacked against them in the Conference Final to be the first team ever to defeat the New York Rangers in a Game 7 at Madison Square Garden.

For additional insight into the Tampa Bay Lightning and Chicago Blackhawks during the Stanley Cup Final, NHL.com has enlisted the help of Dave Farrish to break down the action. Farrish will be checking in throughout the series.

Farrish was an assistant coach for the Anaheim Ducks and Toronto Maple Leafs from 2005-14. He won the Stanley Cup with the Ducks in 2007. He also coached 1,027 games in the minor leagues, including the American Hockey League. In addition, Farrish, a former defenseman, played 430 games in seven seasons in the NHL.

Dave Farrish said he was curious to see how or if the extra day off between Games 4 and 5 in the Stanley Cup Final would benefit the Chicago Blackhawks' minute-heavy top-four group of defensemen.

He figured out quickly that they used the time wisely.

Whereas Farrish thought after Game 4 that defensemen Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Johnny Oduya were fatigued, he said he thought the opposite as he watched Game 5.

A big part of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final has been the battle between 2013 Cup winner Corey Crawford of the Chicago Blackhawks and Ben Bishop of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Bishop returned for Game 5 after missing Game 4 with an unspecified injury. NHL.com scouted the goalies before the series and is tracking their performances each game, identifying attack trends and shot quality. Kevin Woodley, managing editor of InGoal Magazine, uses Double Blue Sports Analytics software to chart goals and shots in each game. Here are his findings from Game 5, a 2-1 victory by the Blackhawks.

The Chicago Blackhawks didn’t get as many shots on Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Ben Bishop in Game 5 as they managed when he was clearly hobbled in Game 3, but they did a much better job of making the big goalie move laterally more often.

TAMPA -- Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jonathan Drouin has been an afterthought for much of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The third pick in the 2013 NHL Draft has played in five games and has a minus-6 rating.

But Drouin could be a major piece of the Lightning's lineup in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on Monday (8 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, TVA Sports) if forward Nikita Kucherov is unable to play.

Kucherov left Game 5 in the first period after he slammed into the goal post chasing after a loose puck. Chicago won 2-1 in Game 5 at Amalie Arena on Saturday and has a 3-2 lead in the best-of-7 series. Kucherov did not return and Lightning coach Jon Cooper had no further information on his status.

TAMPA -- Having one of the best goal-scorers on earth playing for your team can't be seen as anything but a blessing for a coach.

Until it isn't.

Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper has the luxury of having Steven Stamkos on his bench every game, but if he spends too much time on that bench, the spotlight turns to Cooper, not in a good way.

When the Lightning needed a goal in the third period of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday, Stamkos was just another player when you look at his ice time.

The Lightning did not get that goal, lost 2-1, and head back to Chicago down 3-2 in the best-of-7 series with Game 6 on Monday (8 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, TVA Sports).

TAMPA -- Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Ben Bishop played well in his return to the Stanley Cup Final, making 27 saves on 29 shots, but a costly mistake early in Game 5 helped the Chicago Blackhawks to a 2-1 win Saturday at Amalie Arena.

Bishop missed Game 4 because of an undisclosed injury after twice leaving Game 2 in the third period and gutting out a 3-2 win in Game 3 with 36 saves.

The Blackhawks tested Bishop early Saturday, outshooting the Lightning 9-1 in the first 4:50. Bishop stopped a slap shot from Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw from close range, then made a tough save against defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson through traffic off a faceoff.

But Bishop was overly aggressive a little more than a minute later, and his decision led to a goal by Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp.

TAMPA -- The Stanley Cup has long been considered the hardest trophy in all of sports to win. The Chicago Blackhawks are raising the bar on its degree of difficulty.

The fact that the Blackhawks have survived through every piece of adversity they've faced in the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs and are in position to win their third Stanley Cup championship in six seasons with a victory in Game 6 of the Final on Monday (8 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, TVA Sports) is a testament not only to their experience, but also to their conditioning, coaching and depth.

Consider what the Blackhawks have done to date in the playoffs. Take in its totality and try not to be impressed, and quite frankly, amazed that their 2-1 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena on Saturday has them on the brink of what may very well be looked at as a modern-day NHL dynasty.

TAMPA -- Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov did not return to Game 5 of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final on Saturday after he was injured crashing into the Chicago Blackhawks net early in the first period.

Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper did not have an update on Kucherov after the 2-1 loss.

"Actually I thought he was coming back [in the game]," Cooper said. "I just got word he wasn't going to come back. I don't know. He'll be evaluated probably tonight and tomorrow."

Kucherov is second on the Lightning in goals (10), assists (12), points (22), power-play goals (three) and game-winning goals (three) in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Game 6 is at United Center on Monday (8 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, TVA Sports). Tampa Bay trails the best-of-7 series 3-2.