Blackhawks beat Lightning, lead Stanley Cup Final 3-2

TAMPA, Fla. – The Chicago Blackhawks had barely filed up the tunnel to the visitors’ dressing room after their 2-1 victory over Tampa Bay in the Stanley Cup Final when their thoughts turned to home. With another tenacious road victory in this close series, the Blackhawks realized they had just earned an opportunity to raise that silver trophy in front of their Chicago faithful on Monday night. “We try not to think too far ahead,” Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson said. “But obviously you’re just human.” Antoine Vermette scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period, and the Blackhawks moved to the brink of their third NHL championship in six years with the victory in Game 5 on Saturday night. Corey Crawford made 31 saves and Patrick Sharp scored an early goal into an accidentally unguarded net for the Blackhawks, who took a 3-2 series lead by surviving another night teetering on the smallest margins and mistakes. Ben Bishop stopped 27 shots after missing Game 4 with an undisclosed injury, but the goalie’s ill-advised venture outside the crease led to Sharp’s goal. The first five games all have been decided by one goal for just the second time in Stanley Cup Final history, and the first time in 64 years. “We’re going to carry this momentum,” Crawford said. “We’re pretty excited about this right now, and (we want to) carry this over to the next game. We don’t want to get ahead of us, but it’s going to be real exciting going home.” Chicago as a franchise hasn’t won a Cup on home ice since April 1938. Valtteri Filppula scored for the Lightning, who have scored just two goals while losing two straight games for only the second time in their 25-game postseason. Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos’ goal drought reached seven games, while playoff scoring leader Tyler Johnson has one goal in nine games. The Lightning also lost second-leading scorer Nikita Kucherov to a first-period injury when he crashed into the Chicago net. Chicago and Tampa Bay started the third period in a tie for the third straight game, but Vermette cashed in on a loose puck in the slot just two minutes in. Bishop kicked the puck straight onto Vermette’s tape after stopping a rush by Kris Versteeg. Crawford delivered another outstanding night in Chicago’s crease right when he was most needed. He capped the performance with 16 saves in the third period. Bishop gave a goal to the Blackhawks in the first period when he roamed almost halfway to the blue line to play a puck and collided with star defenseman Victor Hedman. Sharp ended his 13-game goal drought by skating around the pair and chipping in the open-net gift in front of Tampa Bay’s stunned fans.