8pm - Chicago +110 at Tampa Bay -120 O/U 5
The 2015 Stanley Cup Finals opens up Wednesday evening at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL.
This will be the Blackhawks 3rd Finals appearance since 2010, winning that year as well as in 2013. The Lightning won in 2004 but haven't been back since.
The teams split the 2 regular season contests with Chicago winning a 3-2 SO at home on Nov. 11 and Tampa Bay taking a 4-0 home decision on Feb. 27.
The Lightning have perhaps the best crop of offensive players in the NHL with Stamkos, Johnson, Palat, Kucherov and Callahan and goalie Ben Bishop has proven his ability in playoff hockey.
The Blackhawks can find the back of the net, too, but it's their D that has shined. Keith, Hjarmalsson, Seabrook and Oduya form a top blue line corps that has gotten the team to this point.
I think this series goes 6 or 7 but I believe the Lightning take game 1. Chicago G Corey Crawford has been excellent and is proven, but he'll face top multi-faceted scoring lines that he hasn't seen in these playoffs. Bishop has struggled a bit at home, but I think he settles in and plays well enough for the Lightning to take the opener.
Tampa Bay 5 Chicago 2
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