A lot of people felt that, the way the goaltenders were playing during the overtime periods in Game 1 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final, we could still be playing the game right now if they had their druthers. Tuukka Rask of the Boston Bruins and Corey Crawford of the Chicago Blackhawks played one of the most incredible 4-3 games you'll ever see, both stopping shot after shot after shot. Only a crazy, double deflection to get by Rask could end the game, and give the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead in the series.
Bruins vs. Blackhawks, Stanley Cup Final Game 2: Boston looks to rebound after triple-OT loss
How will the momentum of a triple-overtime victory shape Game 2 for the Blackhawks?
Bruce Bennett
After the customary two days off (the NHL traditionally plays its Final on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays), the two teams return for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final at United Center on Saturday night. They will, hopefully, be fresh and ready to go after nearly playing the equivalent of two consecutive games on Wednesday. Boston and Chicago both took Thursday off and held practices on Friday.
This is an important game in the Stanley Cup Final, statistically. Teams winning Game 2 of the Final have gone on to win the Stanley Cup in 55 of 73 years since the best-of-seven format began in 1939 (75.3 percent), including eight of the past 10 seasons. Also, the all-time record of home clubs sweeping Games 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup Final is 32-3 (.914). However, two of those three losses happened in the last four years, when Pittsburgh (2009) and Boston (2011) lost the first two games of their series but rebounded to win a Stanley Cup.
Stanley Cup Final, Game 2
Boston Bruins at Chicago BlackhawksTime: 8 p.m. ET
United Center; Chicago, Ill.
Chicago leads, 1-0
TV: NBCSN, CBC, RDS
Bruins blog: Stanley Cup of Chowder
Blackhawks blog: Second City Hockey
The Blackhawks have won eight of their last nine games, and haven't lost at home since Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinal against the Detroit Red Wings. They also have a bit of statistical history on their side. There has not been a split of the first two games in the Stanley Cup Final since 2004, when Calgary took a game from Tampa Bay, though the Lightning still won the series. Bryan Bickell remains the hottest Blackhawk, with five goals and nine points in his last nine games.
Boston will likely have Nathan Horton -- who left Game 1 in the midst of overtime with an upper-body injury -- in the lineup for Game 2. You could tell the team started to tire a little quicker than Chicago did without their full complement of forwards on Wednesday. The hottest Bruin right now is Patrice Bergeron, who has five points in his last four games. Milan Lucic has six points in his last five.
See More:
