CHICAGO (AP) – Goaltender Ben Bishop participated in Tampa Bay’s morning skate, and was missing when the Lightning warmed up for Game 4. The Chicago Blackhawks hid their completely different lines until the game started.
The race is on between coaches Jon Cooper of the Lightning and Joel Quenneville of the Blackhawks for every little inch in one of the tightest Stanley Cup Finals in decades.
“Whether it’s the element of surprise, I mean, we expected the other goalie in the net tonight, too,” Quenneville said with a grin. “So I guess it’s 50-50.”
The Blackhawks used 24 saves from Corey Crawford to edge the Lightning 2-1 for a series-tying victory in Game 4 on Wednesday night. Jonathan Toews and Brandon Saad scored, and Chicago survived a big push by Tampa Bay in the final moments while improving 8-2 at home in the playoffs.
Slugging away at each other for 12 periods, the Blackhawks and Lightning have been tied or separated by one goal for the entire series. The first four games of the final have been decided by one goal for the first time since Montreal swept St. Louis in 1968.