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**StarDust Bum** · 06-12-2015, 02:45 AM

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Play AGAINST CHICAGO using the money line in All games after a non-conference game
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NHL > (9) CHICAGO@ (10) TAMPA BAY | 06/13/2015 - 08:05 PM
Play AGAINST CHICAGO using the in All games after a non-conference game
The record is 30 Wins and 37 Losses for the last two seasons (-28.6 units)

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NHL > (9) CHICAGO@ (10) TAMPA BAY | 06/13/2015 - 08:05 PM
Play OVER TAMPA BAY on the total in Home games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game
The record is 13 Overs and 2 Unders for the last two seasons (+11.05 units)

**StarDust Bum** · 06-12-2015, 02:47 AM

Blackhawks edge Lightning, even series

June 10, 2015

CHICAGO (AP) - Andrei Vasilevskiy's surprise start in the Stanley Cup Final went quite well for Tampa Bay.

Unfortunately for the Lightning, Corey Crawford was even better.

Tampa Bay got another big goal from Alex Killorn and Steven Stamkos secured his first point of the final, but Crawford had 24 saves while leading the Chicago Blackhawks to a series-tying 2-1 victory in Game 4 on Wednesday night.

The 20-year-old Vasilevskiy became the sixth goaltender in NHL history to make his first career playoff start in the final, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He had made just 19 appearances this season, counting the playoffs.

Vasilevskiy was barely tested early on, but he looked right at home while recording 17 saves, including 11 in the second period.

It was 1-1 before Brandon Saad backhanded a bouncing puck through Vasilevskiy's legs at 6:22 of the third period. Patrick Kane got an assist on the play for his first point of the series.

The Lightning then made a big push for the tying goal, but Crawford helped Chicago withstand the heavy pressure in the frantic final moments.

Tampa Bay said starting goaltender Ben Bishop is day to day with an undisclosed injury. He appeared to be dealing with some sort of groin or leg problem while making 36 saves in a gutsy performance in Tampa Bay's 3-2 victory on Monday night. He participated in the morning skate on Wednesday, but coach Jon Cooper said they were in a ''holding pattern'' in terms of Bishop's availability.

Vasilevskiy then led the team out of the tunnel for warmups before the game, signaling he was the starter.

Game 5 is Saturday in Florida.

Tampa Bay helped Vasilevskiy settle into the game by holding Chicago to just two shots on goal in the first period. Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville tried several different line combinations, but they struggled to put any sustained pressure on the speedy Lightning.

The pace of the game began to pick up in the second. Marcus Kruger and Patrick Sharp of the Blackhawks each hit the right post before captain Jonathan Toews swept in a loose puck from the left side for his career-best 10th goal of the playoffs.

It was the first time in the series Chicago scored first. Toews had just one assist in the final coming into the night.

The Lightning then got a power-play opportunity when Brent Seabrook was whistled for cross-checking, but the Blackhawks killed it off. Crawford had a glove save on Nikita Nesterov.

Tampa Bay kept pressuring Chicago, and it paid off when Valtteri Filppula made a slick pass from behind the net to Killorn for his ninth goal of the playoffs. Crawford lost track of the puck and Killorn was all alone in front for the easy score at 11:47 of the second period.

Stamkos also got an assist on the play. It was the captain's first point since Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals against the New York Rangers.

NOTES: Toews has 39 career postseason goals. ... Actor Vince Vaughn, Chicago Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg, and Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte attended the game.

---

**StarDust Bum** · 06-12-2015, 02:48 AM

Quenneville finds right formula for 'Hawks

June 11, 2015

CHICAGO (AP) - Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville's postgame news conferences are generally dry affairs. He usually displays about as much emotion as a puck.

Even he couldn't stifle a smile at the end of this one.

Chicago goalkeeper Corey Crawford had just turned back a handful shots in the final, furious two minutes - triggered when Tampa Bay pulled goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, a surprise starter in goal in place of front-liner Ben Bishop - to preserve a 2-1 victory and even the Stanley Cup series at 2-2. Quenneville didn't need reminding that for all his mad-scientist maneuvering behind the bench, he'd just gotten away with one.

He's known for switching up lines at a moment's notice, a strategy designed to get favorable match-ups for his two biggest stars, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. But Wednesday night, Quenneville almost outsmarted his own team in search of the right combinations.

''We know who's left and right wing. We know what's kind of going on,'' Hawks center Andrew Desjardins said, then paused before revealing any state secrets.

''At this point,'' he added, ''we better know.''

Yet after both Toews and Kane finally got untracked - after combining for a single point in three game, Toews had the first goal in this one and Kane assisted on Brandon Saad's game-winner - Quenneville was asked whether all those moves had succeeded in securing ''the element of surprise.''

''Whether it's an element of surprise,'' he began with a straight face. ''I mean, we expected their other goalie in the net, too.

''So I guess it's 50/50 tonight,'' he added a moment later, cracking up the room.

As befits a man who spends plenty of his free time at racetracks, and who worked as stockbroker near the end of his playing career, Quenneville isn't shy about seeking out better odds.

In the first period of Game 7 of the Western Conference finals, playing on the road, where visiting teams have to send their players on the ice first, Quenneville countered Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau's 25 line changes with more than five times as many. He hasn't gone to those extremes against Tampa Bay - yet. But in a series where all four games have been decided by a goal, and neither team has led by more than one, Quenneville suggested he might not be done mixing and matching.

''At the end of the day, I think that getting the other team more concerned about different guys makes us a deeper team,'' he said.

Guys who played with or against Quenneville for parts of almost 14 NHL seasons remember a rock-solid defenseman who held his cards close and his emotions in check. The same was true during his first two stints as a head coach, in St. Louis and Colorado, where he relied mostly on good goalkeeping and solid defense. It wasn't until he arrived in Chicago, inheriting a roster with Toews, Kane and attacking defender Duncan Keith just four games into the 2008-09 season, that Quenneville, 56, unveiled his wild side.

In retrospect, some of his closest friends were surprised it didn't surface sooner.

''There's this thing about Joel that is totally amazing,'' Marc Crawford, a close friend who won the Stanley Cup in Colorado with Quenneville as an assistant, told the Toronto Sun recently.

''Something would happen on the ice and, when you're on the bench, you don't always see it. I'd turn to him and say, `What happened?' and he'd give you a total breakdown of what just happened. He's got an instant-replay brain and a photographic memory.

''Great players have great vision,'' Crawford added. ''He has great vision from the bench. He's got a video in his head.''

Quenneville has also amassed a library of coaching knowledge after internships with some of the best in the business. He worked for Toe Blake, Scotty Bowman and Al Arbour, and figures to have a bust alongside theirs in the Hall of Fame when he's done. He's the winningest active coach in the game, with two Stanley Cups in the bank and a third still within reach.

But it's Quenneville's rock-solid personality, as much all that success, that continues to earn his players trust. Someone asked Toews, Chicago's captain and the player his coach mixes and matches the most, to sum up Quenneville's ''evolution.''

Toews talked about the comfort that comes with experience, trying to buy himself some time, but said it was tough to remember whether Quenneville's approach was nearly as chaotic from the get-go.

''There's a level of understanding there between the guys that have been around him, played for him for a number of years,'' Toews said. ''We just kind of go with the flow.

''We all know how things are going to be handled from a player and coach standpoint,'' he said finally, ''win or lose.''

**StarDust Bum** · 06-12-2015, 02:50 AM

Crawford stifles Tampa Bay in Game 4

June 11, 2015

CHICAGO (AP) - The idea that he could be standing in net as the Chicago Blackhawks clinch a championship at home certainly occupies a corner of Corey Crawford's mind.

It hasn't happened since 1938, when they were known as the ''Black Hawks.'' But that could be about to change.

The Blackhawks and Lightning are tied 2-2 in the Stanley Cup Final heading into Game 5 at Tampa Bay on Saturday. Win that, and Chicago will have a chance to clinch at home on Monday.

''It's definitely motivation,'' Crawford said.

The Blackhawks are in this position because Chicago's favorite lightning rod withstood a late barrage from the Lightning, preserving a 2-1 victory on Wednesday night. Instead of falling into a 3-1 hole, the Blackhawks pulled even in the series and moved a step closer to their third Stanley Cup in six years.

''We've gone through these situations before, this team,'' Crawford said. ''I think maybe the experience helps a little bit with pressure. I think we were able to deal with it a little bit better than maybe if it's your first year, first time going through something like this.''

The two teams have basically played to a dead heat so far.

At no point has either team led by more than one goal. It's also the third time in NHL history and first since 1968 that the first four games in a final have all been decided by one goal.

The last minute or so in Game 4 was particularly tense, with Tampa Bay unleashing shot after shot. But Crawford dug in.

''We're impressed,'' said captain Jonathan Toews, who scored his first goal of the series. ''But we're definitely not surprised that Crow shows up and plays the way he did.''

That's the way it's been with Crawford ever since he became the regular goalie during the 2010-11 season.

He's been brilliant at times, and he helped Chicago win a championship two years ago. But there have also been some rough stretches.

That included a benching for poor play early in the playoffs. But there was no doubt Crawford was at his best in this game, particularly during the final minute or so, and the Blackhawks can look forward to two more games.

They can thank their goalie for standing his ground near the end.

''We saw in 2013 what he's capable of doing,'' coach Joel Quenneville said, referring to Chicago's Stanley Cup run. ''This season, regular season-wise, he was outstanding. So we're happy to have him. We know the way he prepares and likes the battle.''

They also know what a target he is for Blackhawks fans frustrated by the soft goals he has a tendency to let in. Quenneville even benched Crawford in favor of Scott Darling for part of the first-round series against Nashville, after he gave up three goals in the first period of the opener and again after a 6-2 loss in Game 2.

He eventually returned in that series and has been solid since then in the playoffs, helping the Blackhawks get past the Predators, Minnesota and Anaheim.

But he could not have been better near the end on Wednesday.

''He stayed calm and poised in the net, nothing new that we haven't seen from him,'' Patrick Kane said. ''He's a big part of our team. Obviously, we have a lot of confidence in him and he shows us night in and night out what he can do back there.''

Quenneville called it a ''goalie win,'' a far different cry then after Game 3 when he said Crawford's play was ''just OK''.

''Loved how he battled,'' the coach said. ''He's a battler. Great illustration how he stayed with it, how they swarmed us at the end. His movement, he was following the puck. He was big. Nice response.''

Crawford stopped 24 shots in the game and was fearless with time winding down and the Lightning firing away after pulling goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. He made some neat stops and Tampa Bay star Steven Stamkos missed wide from point blank range.

''It was pretty intense there,'' Crawford said.

Yet he came up big after two games that he felt were subpar. He also improved to 43-29-0 in 74 playoff games with a .919 save percentage.

''He's been a huge part of our success,'' Toews said. ''Every time things maybe don't quite go our way for a couple games, for some reason he's the one who takes the majority of the responsibility. I don't know why. I mean, at the end of the day he's a selfless player and a great teammate. He's ready for whatever.'

**StarDust Bum** · 06-12-2015, 02:51 AM

Chicago, Tampa Bay all even again

June 11, 2015

CHICAGO (AP) - Four games deep in the Stanley Cup Final, all that's clear is just how little separates the Chicago Blackhawks and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

These two conference champions have two victories, nine goals and 24 penalty minutes apiece, while Chicago has outshot Tampa Bay 107-104. Neither team has led by more than one goal at any point in the Final's first four games, which have all been decided by one goal apiece for the first time since 1968 and just the third time in NHL history.

The Lightning stayed overnight in Chicago after Wednesday's 2-1 loss before heading home to prepare for Game 5 on Saturday night at Amalie Arena. They traveled with the knowledge they missed early opportunities to get Chicago in serious trouble in this series - and they know the fate of other opponents who failed to put the Blackhawks away.

''We could have won every game so far,'' Tampa Bay defenseman Anton Stralman said.

The Blackhawks could accurately say the same thing, but Game 4 still stings for the Lightning, and they have an extra day off to ponder it before their 25th game of a grinding postseason.

Tampa Bay held the Blackhawks to just two shots in the first period of Game 4 and didn't let up significantly in the final two periods, dominating the puck and forcing Chicago into one of its worst performances in recent weeks. Yet the Blackhawks got goals of pure persistence from Jonathan Toews and Brandon Saad, while the Lightning lamented numerous missed chances to beat Corey Crawford.

That frustration has been epitomized by Steven Stamkos, who twice came ever so close to tying Game 4 in the final 90 seconds. The Lightning captain still doesn't have a goal in the series - matching the total of Chicago star Patrick Kane.

''When you have teams of this caliber, it's bound to be a tight series,'' Stamkos said. ''We're disappointed about the squandered chance, (but) if you'd have given us a best two-out-of-three at home at the beginning of the year to win the Stanley Cup, I think any team in their right mind would take that opportunity.''

The series is so even because these teams' similarities have largely canceled each other out, from the flying forwards up front to the uncertain goalie situations in back.

The Lightning still have the impressive team speed that seemed to be a key factor before this series began, but Tampa Bay has recommitted to the improved defensive game that allowed it to get out of the Eastern Conference bracket in 20 grueling games. Neither of these speedy teams is flying down the ice, instead focusing on responsible hockey.

''I think we got caught up thinking it would be run-and-gun,'' Blackhawks forward Brad Richards said. ''And if we do that, we just feed them. We've got to be more patient than them.''

Goaltending also hasn't been a deciding factor in this series, even with ample reason to think it might be.

The Lightning don't know yet whether Andrei Vasilevskiy will get another start in net after the 20-year-old Russian rookie played Game 4 in place of Ben Bishop, who has an undisclosed injury. Vasilevskiy won Game 2 in relief, and he played well Wednesday in his first playoff start, giving Tampa Bay little reason to worry about the potentially precarious position.

Chicago also got a strong Game 4 from Crawford, the veteran that many Blackhawks fans love to hate until he comes up big in another postseason series. Crawford was benched in favor of Scott Darling in the first round, but has bounced back to win 11 playoff games while chasing his second Stanley Cup ring.

Crawford covered for several lapses by his teammates, who have only held the lead for roughly 10 percent of clock time in this series - nearly all of it in Game 4 despite their relatively mediocre performance.

''That was probably our worst game in a while, for whatever reason,'' Richards said. ''We really wanted it, but we just kept getting in each other's way. These guys are way better than anybody imagined at checking and trying to frustrate you, so we're learning that mentality that it might be 2-1 games the rest of the way.''

Although fatigue hardly seems relevant in a series with such high stakes, the Lightning are near the tail end of an historic playoff grind.

In Game 6 back in Chicago on Monday, Tampa Bay will play its 26th postseason game to tie the NHL record held by the 2014 Los Angeles Kings and two other teams. If the series goes seven games - and you'd have trouble finding many people who think it won't - the Lightning will set a new record with 27 playoff games in one year.

And the Lightning won't be surprised if the final three are all as close as the first four.

''Two good teams playing some good hockey and creating chances,'' Stralman said. ''I have nothing that I didn't really like about our game. I'm sure they feel the same way.''

**StarDust Bum** · 06-12-2015, 02:55 AM

Gamesmanship in full bloom in Stanley Cup Final

June 11, 2015

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.

''We could have won every game so far, and that's what you want to give yourself the chance to do,'' Lightning defenseman Anton Stralman said. ''You don't want to come back into the dressing room and say `Man, we let this one slip.' We don't have that feeling right now. We played some good hockey. Sometimes you play well and you don't get the results you want.''

Alex Killorn scored for Tampa Bay in Game 4, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 17 saves while subbing for the banged-up Bishop. Captain Steven Stamkos had an assist for his first point since Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals against the New York Rangers.

Tampa Bay said Bishop is day to day with an undisclosed injury. He appeared to be dealing with some sort of groin or leg problem while making 36 saves in a gutsy performance in Tampa Bay's 3-2 victory on Monday night. Game 5 is Saturday in Florida and Game 6 is in Chicago on Monday.

''Bish is going to play again in this series, there's no question,'' Cooper said. ''I just don't know which game.''

Here are a couple more things to watch as the series shifts back to Florida:

KIMMO RETURNS: Veteran defenseman Kimmo Timonen played six minutes for the Blackhawks in his first appearance since Game 5 of the Western Conference finals against Anaheim. The 40-year-old Timonen, who was acquired in a February trade with Philadelphia, missed most of the season while recovering from blood clots in his leg and lungs.

Timonen, who plans to retire after the playoffs, hit the crossbar with a shot in the third period.

''I liked him. He's safe, simple, smart, hard in the puck area,'' Quenneville said. ''He knows how to play in his own end. I like that predictability in his game. The crossbar in the end of the third, would have been a nice treat. We didn't mind his game.''

SAFE IN GOAL: The Lightning have said all along that they feel comfortable with Vasilevskiy in net, and he showed why in his first start since March 31 in Toronto. He had 11 saves in the second period.

''I thought he was great,'' Cooper said. ''And as I've said, I've said this during the series, it doesn't matter which guy we put in there, we've got full confidence in both guys. He showed the pinnacle of the sport, that he can play. That's a pretty big achievement for a 20-year-old.''

BIG BAD SAAD: Saad has scored in each of the last two games and has eight goals in the playoffs. The rugged winger, who is eligible for restricted free agency in the offseason, had seven career postseason goals coming into the year.

WATCHING THE STARS: It was Toews' first goal of the final. Patrick Kane assisted on Saad's goal for his first point of the series, but the dynamic winger is still looking for his first goal since Game 6 against the Ducks.

Stamkos, who had a couple of golden opportunities in the final minutes of Game 4, hasn't scored since Game 5 against the Rangers.

''It just seemed to be one of those nights where it just wasn't going in for us,'' he said. ''No one said this was going to be easy.''

**StarDust Bum** · 06-12-2015, 02:56 AM

Game 4 - Stanley Cup Final

June 10, 2015

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (64-33-8) at CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (61-34-7)

Stanley Cup Final Game 4: Wednesday, 8:05 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line Tampa Bay +145, Chicago -165, Total: 5.5

The Blackhawks look to even up the series when they host the Lightning in Game 4 on Wednesday.

Chicago put a lot of pressure on Tampa Bay in Game 3, outshooting the lightning 38-32 but it was not enough to earn a victory. The Lightning won the game 3-2 on a late goal in the third period and the team will now be looking to take a 3-1 series lead heading back to Game 5 in Tampa Bay. With the win in Chicago on Monday, the Lightning have now won three of their past four games at United Center. Four of the past five games played between these teams have gone Under the total.

Tampa Bay is 8-3 ATS in road games in the playoffs this season. It also faces a Chicago team that is just 12-19 ATS after two consecutive non-conference games over the past two seasons. The Blackhawks, however, get to face a Tampa team that is just 10-15 ATS off a road win this season. G Ben Bishop (Lower Body) didn’t suffer any setbacks in Game 3, so he’ll be in net for Tampa Bay on Wednesday. D Johnny Oduya (Upper Body) got injured on Monday, but he should be able to give it a go for the Blackhawks in this must-win Game 4.

The Lightning picked up a huge road victory in Game 3 and it was a goal from C Cedric Paquette (3 G in playoffs) on a pass from D Victor Hedman (1 G, 13 A, 14 PTS in playoffs) that won the game for Tampa Bay in the third period. Hedman has been one of the best players in the entire league during this postseason run and he’ll need to continue to play solid defense and also generate pressure in the offensive end this series. Hedman also assisted on a goal from RW Ryan Callahan (2 G, 6 A, 8 PTS in playoffs) in the first period. Callahan had not scored since Game 6 of the series against the Rangers and is a guy that can really boost his team when producing offensively.

Cs Steven Stamkos (7 G, 10 A, 17 PTS in playoffs) and Tyler Johnson (13 G, 10 A, 23 PTS in playoffs) did not find the back of the net in Game 3. Johnson, however, had an assist and continues to be a dominant force offensively in these playoffs. Stamkos, meanwhile, has really struggled and must break out of his slump soon. The Lightning are winning the series, but they can really use a jolt of offense from their captain on Wednesday. G Ben Bishop (13-9, 2.19 GAA, 91.9% SV% in playoffs) did not seem bothered by a knee injury he suffered in Game 2. Bishop stopped 36 of the 38 shots the Blackhawks sent his way and will need to continue to send shots away the remainder of the series.

The Blackhawks were unable to earn a big win in Game 3 on Monday and they will need C Jonathan Toews (9 G, 10 A, 19 PTS in playoffs) and RW Patrick Kane (10 G, 10 A, 20 PTS in playoffs) to step it up offensively in this series. Both guys have failed to score a goal and that absolutely must change if Chicago is going to claw its way back in the series. The rest of the Blackhawks have had to step it up with the stars struggling and a few guys who did so in Game 3 were RW Marian Hossa (4 G, 12 A, 16 PTS in playoffs) and LW Brandon Saad (7 G, 2 A, 9 PTS in playoffs).

Hossa had two assists in the game and Saad scored his seventh goal of the playoffs. They’ll need to continue to produce until Toews and Kane snap out of their funks. G Corey Crawford (10-6, 2.59 GAA, 91.6% SV% in playoffs) will also have to play even better the rest of the way. He saved 29 of the 32 shots he faced in Game 3, but he has now allowed 3.5 goals per game over the past two contest and that will not be good enough with the Blackhawks struggling offensively.

**StarDust Bum** · 06-12-2015, 02:58 AM

Vasilevskiy starts in net for Lightning

June 10, 2015

CHICAGO (AP) - Andrei Vasilevskiy is the surprise starter in goal for the Tampa Bay Lightning for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks.

The 20-year-old Vasilevskiy is making his first career playoff start. He had made just 19 appearances this season, counting the postseason.

Ben Bishop appeared to dealing with some sort of groin or leg injury while making 36 saves in a gutsy performance in Tampa Bay's 3-2 victory on Monday night. He participated in the morning skate on Wednesday, but coach Jon Cooper said they were in a ''holding pattern'' in terms of if he could play.

Vasilevskiy then led the team out of the tunnel for warmups before the game, signaling he was the starter.

As for Chicago, 16-year NHL veteran Kimmo Timonen was in the lineup.. The 40-year-old Timonen, who was acquired in a February trade with Philadelphia, missed most of the season while recovering from blood clots in his leg and lungs. He plans to retire after the playoffs.

''I'm really excited,'' he said after Chicago's morning skate. ''It's been a long couple weeks here and you know, I've been working out hard just to hope I get this chance to play one more, or more games, and looks like that moment came today.''

Timonen has four goals and 31 assists in 102 postseason games. He hasn't played since Game 5 of the Western Conference finals against Anaheim.

The one missing piece from Timonen's career is a Stanley Cup title. He made it to the 2010 final with Philadelphia and was on the ice when Patrick Kane scored in overtime in Game 6 to clinch the series for Chicago.

The appearance in Game 4 means Timonen's name would go on the Cup if the Blackhawks win the title. They trail the Lightning 2-1 in the series.

''He's smart, experienced,'' coach Joel Quenneville said. ''I think he did a good job for us throughout the playoffs. Gives him a chance to get in here in a good moment, a big moment. His reads and his position awareness and coverage in his own end will help him.''

Quenneville also said defenseman Johnny Oduya ''likely'' will play Wednesday night. Oduya was hampered by an upper-body injury in the last part of Game 3.

Timonen is expected to replace Kyle Cumiskey, and Kris Versteeg is coming in for Bryan Bickell on Chicago's second line. Versteeg played in each of the first two games against the Lightning, but he was scratched for Monday night's 3-2 loss.

The mindset is ''just to go out there and play my game,'' Versteeg said. ''I thought the first two games there was glimpses of it, but I really look forward to trying to get my entire game back to where it should be.''

The final has been a busy time for Versteeg, who has 16 goals and 25 assists in 81 career playoff appearances. Versteeg and his wife, Brittany, welcomed their first child, son Jaxson James Versteeg, before the start of the series.

''That's the most difficult part, is not seeing him,'' Versteeg said. ''I think FaceTime's really helped out with that.''

**StarDust Bum** · 06-12-2015, 03:00 AM

Lightning have silght edge in pivotal Game 5

With the Stanley Cup Final tied at two games apiece, the Tampa Bay Lightning have opened as -120 home favorites for Saturday night's pivotal Game 5.

The Chicago Blackhawks are on the board at +109, while the total has opened at 5.5 goals.

The big factor for Game 5 will be whether or not Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop will be available to play in the game. Coach Jon Cooper said Bishop would return to the series, but would not give a specific date.

**StarDust Bum** · 06-12-2015, 03:01 AM

Blackhawks are almost unbeatable late in series

According to a tweet from ESPN Stats & Info, the Chicago Blackhawks are 17-4 in games 5 through 7 of a series dating back to the 2012 postseason.

The Blackhawks clawed back from a 2-1 series deficit to the Tampa Bay Lightning with a 2-1 victory in Game 4 Wednesday evening.

The series now shifts to Florida for Game 5 Saturday with the Lightning as -120 home favorites. Once again, oddsmakers have a total of 5.5 on the board.

**StarDust Bum** · 06-12-2015, 03:02 AM

Ben Bishop, Tampa Bay - Ques Sat

Bishop missed the last game due to a lingering lower-body injury. He is questionable for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Blackhawks.

**StarDust Bum** · 06-12-2015, 03:04 AM

Bolts' Bishop is a brick wall on the road

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop proved to be a road warrior once again in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday, stopping 36 of 38 Chicago Blackhawks shots sent his way en route to a 3-2 victory.

Bishop improved to 8-3 on the road in the postseason. The hulking netminder owns a microscopic 1.50 GAA and .947 save percentage in games outside of Florida.

Tampa can take a 3-1 stranglehold on the series Wednesday in the Windy City. Sportsbooks are presently offering the Bolts as +140 pups for the tilt.

**StarDust Bum** · 06-12-2015, 03:07 AM

If bettors liked the Blackhawks heading into the Stanley Cup final, they must love them now

There was a big trend kicking around before and after Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals that was creating a bit of a stir in the hockey world, especially among those who like to lay a bet.

The trend said that the Cup finals series had been tied 1-1 a total 26 times in history and of those 26 times, the away team won Game 3 13 times and the home team won Game 3 13 times. When the away team won Game 3, it went on to win the Stanley Cup all 13 times. (Wowza.) The home team, meanwhile, went on to win the Cup just eight times after winning Game 3.

So if you’re a believer in trends, logic says to take Tampa Bay after the Lightning stormed into Chicago and claimed the third game of the series , 4-3.

Ten-star lock of the millennium to take the Bolts to hoist the silver, right?

The trouble is, every time you look at the Chicago Blackhawks bench, they are throwing another line full of multi-Cup winning snipers over the boards. Plus, the Lightning were looking at -165 odds to win the series before Game 4. Put those two factors together and it made it tough for anyone to pull the trigger.

It got even tougher to make that bet after the Hawks won Game 4, 2-1.

So now the two teams head back to Florida tied two games apiece and the Stanley Cup odds are like this: Blackhawks -130, Lightning +110.

It’s a considerable drop in odds since before the series began where the Blackhawks were in the -160 range or so and Tampa Bay was somewhere around +130 to +140. When you think about it, the series is basically in the same spot it was before it began: it’s tied and the Lightning have a one-game home ice advantage.

So if you liked the Hawks then, you should really love them now and if you took Tampa Bay, you may want to sit tight and be happy you probably got the best line.

Line changes help Chicago

If you’re Tampa Bay, you had to be both a little a happy and a little terrified that you held Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane to a combined one assist through the first three games.

That lack of production typically doesn’t last long in the playoffs with those two guys and they were big factors in Game 4 to even up the series. Head coach Joel Quenneville moved his top two lines around so that Patrick Sharp, Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa made up one unit while Brad Richards, Patrick Kane and Brandon Saad made up the other.

Toews scored the first goal and Kane assisted the winner and we’re seeing the difference that coaching experience can make over a long series in the finals.

One goal games

Last week, I wrote that you might want to look at one-goal outcomes for this series because I expect to be so tightly contested. Not the puckline, which will throw big juice at you in the -200’s or even -300’s, but the one-goal finish prop.

If you’d taken each side to win by exactly one goal at +250 odds for each of the last three games, you’d be up $450 if you’d been risking $100 a bet.

I expect this series to continue to play tight as the series goes on and I like that prop to continue to hold value. You may also want to take a look at the ‘will there be overtime?’ prop, which always gives you plus money.

**StarDust Bum** · 06-12-2015, 03:11 AM

Preview: Reds (27-31) at Cubs (31-26)
Game: 2
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: June 12, 2015 4:05 PM EDT

Cincinnati Reds manager Bryce Price feels All-Star Johnny Cueto is ready to pitch without restrictions.

Chicago Cubs skipper Joe Maddon thinks Jason Hammel should start to be considered for the Midsummer Classic.

Cueto and Hammel meet in a matchup of dominant hurlers when the host Cubs try for their fifth win in six games Friday.

Cueto went 1-2 with a 4.45 ERA in four May starts before missing one due to inflammation in his right elbow, but he appears to be all the way back after allowing one earned run over 13 innings in two June outings.

The right-hander gave up four hits in seven innings with nine strikeouts in a 4-0 home win over San Diego on Sunday. He threw 103 pitches, though Price hinted that Cueto might have continued had he not dealt with the elbow issue recently.

"I don't think there's going to be a lot of great limitations in his next start," Price told MLB's official website. "But it made sense. He had thrown beautifully. It definitely put to rest the thought that we might be overextending him and creating a setback by kind of work overload."

Cueto (4-4, 2.64 ERA) had been 7-1 with a 1.80 ERA in his previous 12 starts against the Cubs (32-26) before dropping his last two matchups. He gave up six runs and walked five over 5 2-3 innings in a 7-0 loss at Wrigley Field on Sept. 16.

Chris Coghlan went 4 for 8 with a home run and a double against Cueto last season. Miguel Montero is 2 for 16 lifetime off him and Anthony Rizzo is 2 for 18 with a homer in the matchup.

Montero was 2 for 3 with his eighth home run in Thursday's series-opening 6-3 victory. The catcher has gone 5 for 8 with two homers and six RBIs over his past two games.

Dexter Fowler is hitting .367 in a seven-game hitting streak after going 2 for 4 with a home run.

After totaling 18 runs and 23 hits in two straight wins, the Cubs will try to stay hot for Hammel (5-2, 2.76), who's gone 4-1 with a 2.03 ERA in his last eight outings.

The right-hander can win three straight starts for the first time since 2013 after limiting Washington to two runs over eight innings of a 4-2 road win Saturday.

"You talk about pitching at an All-Star quality or level, he has," Maddon said. "He's been unbelievably good, consistent, deep into the game, strike thrower. Just outstanding."

Hammel hasn't had much success against Cincinnati (27-32), going 0-1 with a 5.68 ERA in four career starts. However, he hasn't faced the Reds since 2011 while with Colorado.

Brandon Phillips is 4 for 11 against Hammel, but he's day to day after missing the past two games with a groin injury. Joey Votto is 2 for 12 with a home run in the matchup.

Billy Hamilton will likely be a game-time decision after missing the past three games with a wrist injury. Zack Cozart went down with a season-ending knee injury Wednesday.

The banged-up Reds, losers of 10 of 11 on the road, have totaled 17 runs in losing five of six against the Cubs this season.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Reds at Cubs
Thu, Jun 11 Final 3 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Reds at Cubs
Fri, Jun 12 - 4:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Reds at Cubs
Sat, Jun 13 - 7:15PM EDT

GAME 4
Reds at Cubs
Sun, Jun 14 - 8:05PM EDT

Announcement

The Bum's Best Bets For Friday June 12th - MLB - NBA -NHL !

The Bum's Best Bets For Friday June 12th - MLB - NBA -NHL !

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