TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Victor Hedman whacked the sideboard with his stick in frustration before retreating to a disappointed locker room.
The Tampa Bay Lightning let Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final slip away — 2-1 to the Chicago Blackhawks — with a bad third period Wednesday night.
After playing solid defense in front of goalie Ben Bishop and keeping Chicago stars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane from getting open looks on the net most of the night, the Eastern Conference champions saw a 1-0 lead disappear in less than two minutes.
The quick turnaround was particularly startling because Chicago’s top offensive players were not involved in either goal. Toews didn’t get off a shot in the first two periods and finished with one. Kane took three shots, none in the third period as the high-scoring Lightning stuck with the defensive-minded game plan they used to shut out the New York Rangers twice to close out the Eastern Conference finals.
The Lightning lost for the first time this postseason after scoring first. They were 9-0 through the first three rounds of the playoffs
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