Mishkin's Musings: The 2015 Stanley Cup Final

Over the past several weeks, local station 620 WDAE has been re-airing Lightning wins from each of their 2015 playoff series. In the first three, 620 had four games to rebroadcast. This week, we've reached the Stanley Cup Final. As we all know, there are only two, not four, games on the schedule. Game Two is tonight and Game Three will be Thursday. Here's a look back at a series that, if not for a few key moments, could have ended much more happily for the Lightning.

The 'Hawks, of course, entered the 2015 Final having won two Cups in the previous five seasons. Through the first three rounds, they faced their stiffest test in the Western Conference Final. But there had been some intrigue in the opening round. The 'Hawks finished the regular season two points behind Nashville in the Central Division, so the Preds had home ice advantage in their first round matchup. Chicago goalie Corey Crawford had been pulled after surrendering three first period goals in Game One, which the Blackhawks rallied to win in double OT. Following a Game Two defeat, Crawford lost his starting job to Scott Darling, who had recorded the win in Game One. Darling was in net for Chicago's Game Three and Four wins. A loss in Game Five and two early goals allowed in Game Six ended Darling's run, however. Crawford came back in to win the deciding Game Six. From that point on, Crawford played every minute during Chicago's postseason run. That included a four-game sweep of Minnesota in the second round and a tough seven-game series triumph over Anaheim in the Western Final. In the Conference Final, the 'Hawks trailed the entire way. They needed a triple OT win in Game Two and a double OT victory in Game Four to twice tie the series. They lost Game Five in overtime before winning Games Six and Seven. Like the Lightning, their Game Seven victory in the Conference Final came on the road.

The Lightning had finished the regular season with 108 points - six more than Chicago - and that gave them home ice advantage in the series. And at the start of Game One, buoyed by the home crowd, the Lightning came out flying. Alex Killorn opened the scoring with a highlight-reel deflection goal at 4:31. But despite a big possession advantage in the first, the Lightning couldn't add to the lead. That proved to be significant when the 'Hawks began methodically pushing back in the second. By the third, Chicago was consistently controlling play. Still, the Lightning maintained their 1-0 lead as the clock ticked down to under seven minutes. Then suddenly, the complexion of the game completely changed. Teuvo Teravainen and Antoine Vermette scored in a 1:58 span and the 'Hawks stunned the Lightning with a Game One win. Afterwards, the Lightning bemoaned the fact that they hadn't kept up the pressure that had brought them success early in the game. Still, even with the change in momentum over the course of Game One, they were less than seven minutes away from victory. This was also a tough game for the Lightning in another way. Tyler Johnson, who had scored 12 goals through the first three rounds, sustained an injury to his wrist. Though he didn't miss a game in the Final, the broken wrist certainly affected his play - and the Lightning's fortunes.

Game Two featured more offense from both teams, but was equally tight. The Lightning, as they did in Game One, scored the only goal in the first period. But the 'Hawks answered with two of their own early in the second, including another Teravainen goal. The Lightning responded 1:32 later, getting a Nikita Kucherov deflection goal. Johnson tucked in a shot from the side of the net before the period ended, re-establishing a 3-2 Lightning lead. Brent Seabrook's goal early in the third knotted things briefly. But Jason Garrison ripped home a power play goal at 8:49 to make it 4-3. The final 10 minutes were angst-ridden for Lightning fans. Just past the halfway point, Ben Bishop suddenly left the game. (We would find out after the series that Bishop had torn his groin). Then-rookie Andrei Vasilevskiy entered the game cold off the bench. Less than two minutes later, the 'Hawks received a power play and applied heavy pressure. But the Lightning killed it off to preserve their lead. Vasilevskiy provided his team with five saves in relief and the Lightning had evened the series.

Heading into Game Three, there was much speculation about Bishop's status. He would play in Game Three, a come-from-behind 3-2 Lightning win. Despite the outcome, it was Chicago's most dangerous offensive game in the series. The 'Hawks finished with 38 shots and applied heavy pressure over long stretches. This included the final 10 minutes of the first, when they pushed to tie the game after Ryan Callahan's early goal had given the Lightning a 1-0 lead. They did even the score before the period ended, but if not for Bishop, they could have taken the lead. The 'Hawks finished the period with 19 shots on goal - most of those came in the second half of the period. The middle stanza was scoreless, although the Lightning squandered a long five-on-three power play. Early in the third, Brandan Saad scored at 4:14 to make it 2-1. But as they had done in Game Two, the Lightning were able to answer Chicago's go-ahead goal quickly. Just 13 seconds after Saad's tally, Ondrej Palat tied the game, stuffing in a rebound from the crease. The game-winner came from Cedric Paquette, who finished a Victor Hedman centering feed with 3:11 remaining. Just as the Blackhawks had shocked the Lightning in Game One, the Lightning returned the favor in Game Three. It was a game in which the Lightning made a few key plays at critical times and leaned heavily on their goalie. Knowing what we now know about Bishop's injury, his 36-save performance was one for the ages.

In terms of zone time, shots, and scoring chances generated, Game Three was Chicago's most dynamic offensive contest in the series. Bishop negated that advantage. In Game Four, the roles reversed. With an opportunity to take a 3-1 series lead, the Lightning delivered their best offensive game in the series. But Corey Crawford helped his team even things up. The other big development from Game Four was Bishop's absence. His injury prevented him from playing (although he would return for Games Five and Six). Instead, Vasilevskiy got his first postseason start. He played well, allowing just two goals. But the story was Crawford. He made several key saves on Grade-A chances and never allowed the Lightning to get a lead. That was especially true in the first period, when the Lightning outshot the 'Hawks, 9-2. Following the 2-1 loss that knotted the series, the Lightning left Game Four feeling frustrated that they hadn't gotten rewarded for their good work. That was summed up in the final seconds - Crawford was out of position to defend Steven Stamkos' shot from the slot, but Seabrook lunged with his stick and was able to deflect the puck just wide of the net.

That sense of frustration also might aptly describe up how the Lightning felt about the series as a whole at that point. They could have won all four games. In Game One, they blew a late lead. In Game Four, they had outplayed the 'Hawks. But these hypotheticals can work both ways. Maybe after escaping Game Four, the Blackhawks didn't feel "frustrated" about the series being tied, but they also knew that they had played very well in Game Three and also had enjoyed strong moments during their Game Two loss.

Which leads to Games Five and Six. The script for both contests turned out to be somewhat similar. With an opportunity to first, grab an edge in the series and second, wrap it up at home, the 'Hawks put both their best defensive games in the Final. Crawford had to be excellent in Game Four, but in the final two contests, the 'Hawks effectively limited the number of scoring chances he faced. There was an important break that went Chicago's way too. Early in Game Five, Bishop and Hedman collided while both were trying to play a puck. That led to Patrick Sharp's open net goal that gave Chicago the lead. Two minutes into the third, Vermette recorded his second game-winner of the Final, breaking a 1-1 tie. In Game Six, the Blackhawks continued to lock things down defensively. For the third straight game, they netted the first goal - Duncan Keith's rebound tally with 2:47 left in the second made it 1-0. Patrick Kane's two-on-one goal with 5:14 left in the third was the dagger.

As in any series, there are many elements that contribute to the outcome. For the first time in the postseason, the Lightning had to deal with significant injuries. Not only were Bishop and Johnson affected, Kucherov crashed into the post early in Game Five and only played 1:17 in that game. (He did return for Game Six). The Lightning had a legitimate chance to win both Games One and Four. There was the Bishop-Hedman collision early in Game Five. And after going up 2-1 in the series, the Lightning didn't get a lead in any of the final three games. So in Games Four, Five, and Six, the 'Hawks never had to play catch-up.

But ultimately, with the series on the line, the 'Hawks flexed their championship muscle. Their team "D" in Games Five and Six was outstanding. Joel Quenneville relied heavily on his top four defensemen throughout the postseason and especially in the Final. Their ability to play big minutes at a high level was significant. Crawford was a difference-maker in the series. His play in the first period of Game One and throughout Game Four was a factor in both of those outcomes. Then he was rock solid in the final two games, holding the Lightning to just one total goal. To think that he lost his starting job at the beginning of the postseason is mind-boggling.

It was a tightly-contested series. Until Kane's final goal in Game Six, neither team had built more than a one-goal lead at any point in the Final. So the Lightning came close. But even five years later, that's little solace to those players who were a part of the franchise's memorable postseason run in 2015.