🔥 NHL LIVE 2025-26! Tampa Bay Lightning vs Chicago Blackhawks | Full Game Live | October 23, 2025
The Bolts take possession here on the opening draw and we are underway. Still using the stick to put the puck away and that’s intercepted by Vic. Picked up by Mard. Sends it into the offensive zone. Pedman’s got it in the defensive end. Oh, great move to sideep the check. Sends it out in front and he denies that. Great opportunity there. The Blackhawks have it now. Chicago’s moving it into the offensive end. Got it along the wing. Pokes it away at his own end. Basili is going to hang on to the puck for a whistle. Lots of hockey left to be played in this period. We’ve still got zeros on the board. Celli’s won the draw deep in the defensive zone. Quick pass across to Gonzalez. Great read in the offensive zone by Vertusi into the attacking area from the left side. Quick shot. Great save by Knight. You know the goal is dialed in when he redirects the puck to the corner. And he’s knocked off the puck there. That’s blocked. Shot stopped by the goender getting a piece of that one. Sometimes when you have no time to think and make these types of saves, I mean, there’s no hesitation here. Just simply reaction to be able to make it. Oh, excellent use of the stick as he knocks that one away. Oh, we’ll get some tired defenders as icing is the call. [Applause] The Blackhawks will go to work here in the offensive zone. center wings that one clean. Everyone’s ready for the puck. They know they’re attacking now with a tired group that they’re playing against off the draw. They take possession. Tampa Bay’s got it in their own zone along the half wall with the pop. Oh, juice up the body as he lays out for the block. What a selfless play. Sends it in on the attack. Tampa Bay’s got the puck along the boards. Penalty coming up. And here’s a pass to the York Strand. They’ve got numbers here. Extra attacker out to apply the pressure with the goender at the bench. Russell Blow stopping the play. The Blackhawks don’t like it, but they’ll serve two in the penalty box. When you elect to cross check, you’re sending a message to your opponent. But if the official is there, guess what? You’re going to march your way to the box. The BS will have a chance to get on the power play for the first time this evening. Oh, no score in this game. And the power play hop in the boards for their first opportunity. You know, they’re going to want to attack them. They dictate the pace of play. If they can convert on this one, you know, the momentum will certainly switch hands. Oh, you feel that one block is here getting to that shot and he really anticipates the greatest threat on the ice and he makes sure that he redirects that puck. Pop clear from the defensive end. The Lightning have gained possession off the wall. Gets the full use of his stick on the check. Works their cross to Laferty. They put the puck into the offensive end. Lafford is back in the play after grabbing a new stick from the bench. I man these things snap in half. And a strong physical collision on the play there and they managed to clear it from their own end as they get a fresh set of legs here for this man advantage. Heman’s got the puck. Let’s move to the middle and that’s stopped in front and a stoppage on the play as the goalender covers things up. Dickson’s gliding in for the face off as this penalty kill will continue. Tampa Bay’s won the draw and it goes off a stick. Taken by Dickinson. Chicago’s in transition. Throws it in. Tampa Bay’s got a hold of it against the wall. takes the pass through the open ice. They’re picking up steam. Pass out front and he shuts down. A great scoring chance there. Sends the feed in front and a new pass. Oh, he comes up with a stop through the neutral zone. Moving the puck along the side. The Bolts look to start the transition game. Oh, great play to use the wall handling the pass. standing call with the save. There’s the whistle as the puck stopper elects to hang on. Offensive zone face off for this power play group. And does it feel like this is opportunity knocking here, Cheryl? Oh, absolutely. Anytime you’re on the power play, there’s an opportunity, especially when there’s a fatigued goalender and you have the majority of the [Applause] applications of this power play. It’s all about tough movement and when you’re going to let a shot go, you want to make sure that there’s traffic net front and that’s exactly what happens. Goenders screen and they find the back of the net. The Bulls have come out very hungry in this one. And look at this. They get the one- nothing lead. The coach was talking to us at the pregame skate about how important it is to get off to a good start, not let anyone into the game to start it in your barn. And you couldn’t have drawn this one up any prettier. Chicago’s got the puck on the wall. The Blackhawks have played in their own end. Moves the puck into the attacking area. Moves it to the middle. Great defensive hits play to take it off. And a stick in the lane ends that threat. Here’s a short pass to Hitman. And the goender comes up with a piece of it to keep it out of the net. Slides it across. Huge steel in his own end. Too much congestion in front. Use of the body on the play. He knew exactly what he was doing with that kick this early in the game. He’s trying to send a message and dictate the pace. Takes the feed. And we’ll get a fresh set of legs for the defensive pairing as the puck is sent into the offensive zone. Can’t hang on to the puck after taking a knock. The BS have the puck now. Moves it to Lberg. Shot is ready for that save. Gets the puck in deep. The Lightning had possession along the boards. Quick feed to Littleberg. Great heads up play with the stick by Moore. Answered the call there. They go on the attack from the left side. The Lightning have taken control of the puck. Great defensive effort with the stick. Slides it diagonally to Slagger and Curts inside the slaughter with ease and the pucks kick free. Throws it in front and he denies that. Great opportunity there. The Blackhawks scoop it up along the boards. Chicago’s got possession here in the neutral zone. The Bulls take possession in the defensive end. Quick pass to Dickinson. Tough grab by Tur. Oh, a clutch save. It’s amazing to me how he always looks like he’s in the right position because he tracks and reads the play so well. And this time he gets in front of the pup that’s right in the middle of the ice as the shooter’s got a dangerous opportunity. And they’ll jump it in. Battling for along the boards. angles it over to Gore. Dumps it in. Chicago’s got the puck in the defensive end. The Bolts have it from their own end. Tries to feed it over to Borkstrap. Knight’s going to give everyone a chance to breathe and hang on to the puck. [Applause] Plenty of playing time left in this frame. We’ve got a one- nothing hockey game thus far. Chicago’s won the defensive zone draw. Slagger’s lugging the puck. Sends it over to Moore. Puck exits the zone and he takes the feed. P scooped up by Tack looking to make something happen at center and that’s off a stick and now it’s grabbed by Vloic. Poked away in the neutral zone. Here’s a chance and that’s denied by Vasilleski. Scores and we are tied. New game here pounder. Oh yeah, it’s a new game James but I really like the push back to get the equalizer. Now it’s what they do with that momentum. This next shift it’s critical. You can’t overstate the importance of being physical within the game and he knows how to do it, man. He separates body from puck here. The resulting turnover leads to a goal. [Applause] Chicago’s ability to counter strike on full display here in the first. Yeah, they really did. I feel like they’ve inserted some tempo to their game, right? They were flat, but they found a way to physically engage in do that. You’re you’re more into the game. The legs are firing and they’ve gotten some opportunity and they wind up getting the equalizer because of it. And the shot dies in the traffic jam. Here’s a slivering pass and that stops. That’s some good footwork to kick it away. Oh, and just like that, steals the puck and goes the other way. Oh, he’ll feel that one. Pulls the puck in the line. Long reach breaks up the momentum. The Blackhawks play it along the boards. Chicago’s got him along the wall. The Lightning have gained control of the puck in their own zone. Guessels taking it from his own end. Knocks the puck down with a stick. Stay in the line and on the attack and that one’s denied. Well, a nice save by the goender and even and he redirects the puck to the corner to safety and he’ll likely feel that one in the morning. The puck after that hit along the board and he pops it up with a pass and that pass goes off a stick and not much on that one. The Bulls gain control the puck against the wall with the steel. Quick pass across to Felino. He carries the puck up along the wing. The Lightning have taken possession along the wall. Homeberg’s got on the offensive end. Shot turned aside with the glove by Knight. [Applause] [Music] Oh, that’s an absolutely massive hit, James. These are the types of hits that can change the landscape of the game. The power of the legs right through the body. Lack of awareness there on the puck carrier. inching closer to the midway mark of the period. You can feel the energy in this crowd. It’s a tie game. The Bulls win it. Looks to set up at the now steps inside the attacking zone down the left wing. Denise in front. I love that he swallowed this one up with his glove. It’s a real threat coming from the slot area. No rebound to boot. The officials are in position and both teams are getting ready as they get set for another face off here. Celli’s gained possession and is great work inside the faceoff circle. Face off again. Blocked in traffic. The Bolts gain possession along the wall. Pushes it across to Gonzalez. The Bolts are across the line and into the offensive end. feeds it over and will play on as that gets a piece of the block. The Blackhawks take it along the wall. Tampa Bay’s got control of it now from the road end. Moves it quickly over to Gonalves. Chicago’s gained possession along the boards. Oh, he knocked him on the play. Oh, you know that he felt that one, James. The body is reverberating after it. What a great hit. Chicago’s got control of the puck. Here’s a short pass to Hel and pushes it across to Dickson. The puck in deep. The Lightning have gained control of the puck along the wall. Grabbed along the board by Bjorkstrand’s moving the puck through his own zone. moves to New York James. Not much room available, but that one perfectly executed. Well, James, I just love this goal. It shows all the elements in the game of hockey. You have to have spatial awareness. You have to have your head up to know exactly where you want to move the puck before you do. And this is a perfect example as he is stumbling and recognizes that he’s got to get that stick to pump and move that pass right to the open player immediately does it and as a result it’s in the back of the net. The Lightning have taken a one-goal lead here in the latter half of the opening period. And nice job by them. Yeah, really nice job. And they generated a lot of offensive opportunities because they’ve owned the puck, James. They’ve been first to it to retrieve it and haven’t been afraid to put it to net. A lot of shots going forward here and they’ve been rewarded because of it. Knights opted to hang on to the puck for a faceoff. More than half the frame has been played here. Tampa Bay’s got the momentum with a onegoal lead. They’d love to add to that. Points got it. Now they’ll look to see what they can do with it offensively. And too much traffic in front. Blocks that one. Kicked off in the open ice. The Bullets have been stealing pucks all game. And when you intercept passes and you find ways to get your sticks in lanes, you typically find a way to possess the puck. Scor [Music] of a shot that keeps the bullender clean. And everyone knew it was coming, including the bullender. They just couldn’t catch up to it. The Bolts extend the lead by two here in period number one. Well, I really like their play up to this point in the first period here, James. I mean, they’ve got themselves a twogoal cushion because they’ve been relentless on the puck, but now it’s about continuing to be urgent, not getting complacent, and sitting back, continue to attack. Tampa Bay has got the puck in their own ends going to play it against the half wall and he shuts down. A great scoring chance there. Picked up along the boards by Dickinson. The Lightning have gained possession off the wall. Who’s the P? Taken by Cooper. Oh, what a save by Knight. Takes it behind the net. Works it across to McKay. Shot. The blocker save by Vasilleski. As a defender, you love when your goalender has this kind of rebound control. Makes your life so much easier. I don’t think anybody was hanging on to the puck after that hit. Quick feed. Oh, puts it off the iron. Had the side of the net, but doesn’t go. Tip of these players are starting to squeeze their sticks a little bit tight. Yeah, some bruised eagles are going to lead to a physical confrontation here. They didn’t like to hit James and the dropping of the gloves is a result of retribution. You know, you’re you’re going to tag our guy. We’re going to find a way to get back. Oh, and down he goes. And he goes down hard. Yeah, he does, Jamie. He gets clipped square. And you can see that he’s laboring to get up. You don’t often see fighting much anymore, James. And this is why there’s a real danger to it when you’re taking a risk of injury. [Applause] Both coaches seem to have settled down their benches and both teams are lining up here for the faceoff. Off the face off they take the puck and now he moves it to Terra Heiden. Chicago’s got the puck along the wall. The Blackhawks will play from the defensive zone. Can’t hang on after that hit. Feeds the puck across to Bourne. Great heads up play in the neutral zone by Nazar. Tampa Bay’s got it across the line. Looking to make something happen along the boards. Makes the save. There’s the whistle as the puck is frozen up. The Bulls have put a lot of pucks on net here in the first and they continue to lead. [Music] Chicago’s got it in the defensive zone. Gets the puck behind his net. Slides it across to Broski. Here’s a shot. Gives him nothing in front. Wait, wait. No, it’s in. It’s in the net. It’s in the net. [Applause] You know it’s a hard shot when the goalender gets a big piece of it, but it still trickles in. [Applause] Chicago’s counter punched here in the first period and they’re right back into it. Well, you can look at the game in different bunches and this one is certainly going to mean something. Resetting and finding a way to create some much needed offense. And now he angles it across to York. Scrum ensues along the boards. Scooped up along the wall by Barakovski. Quick pass to Turn. The Blackhawks gain possession. takes a shot. Gets in front of it. The Lightning have it in their own zone. Can’t get a hold of that pass from off the wall and onto a stick. Makes his presence known on the ice and he’s pulled over to the ice and loses the puck. Fires it on net. There’s a stop with the blocker by Knight and he lowers the boom. That’s a huge hit. It’s message sending, James. I mean, you want your opponent to hear footsteps, right? Be looking on either side and making sure that you’re wearing him down. He does exactly that with that huge hit. Oh, look at this. And that counts off one of his teammates in front. McKay of stick handling in his own zone. Tampa Bay’s got the puck here in the open ice. Littleberg’s got it against the boards. Here’s a shot. Oh, what a stop by Knight. McCabe has got the puck in his own zone. Gaining momentum up along the side. Puts it in deep. Tampa Bay has got a hold of it against the wall. Grabbed along the boards by Kiki into the offensive end right up the middle. Chicago’s looking to break out of their own end. The Blackhawks move the puck in the defensive zone. They dump it in and get out for a breather. The Bolts have it behind the net. Can’t keep a hold of him as he’s jostled off the puck. Tampa Bay’s got a hold of it along the wall. Tenacious battle for the puck along the wall. Great read in the offensive zone by Murphy and they’ll get a three as the goender covers it up. I always say to be great, you have to get uncomfortable. As you look at this last save, this looks uncomfortable. Stretching your body, finding a way to make yourself as big as possible to get to the save. That’s what he did. And that’s why the save was made. More than half the period has expired. The Bolts are giving their fans something to cheer about as they lead it 32. Points won it off the faceoff. Moves it quickly over to Cooerov. fires it puts him away. The Blackhawks get a hold of the puck along the boards. Smart defensive play here in the open ice. Can’t complete the pass as it goes off a stick. Chicago’s got it in their own zone. Right off Main Street and on the attack moves the puck over to Densel. Here’s a short pass to Turner. And the puck stopper jumps on top of it to get a stoppage in play. Here in the late goings of the period, Tampa Bay is hanging on to this 3-2 lead and they win the offensive zone faceoff. And here we go. Shots him down. The key to being a great goalender is not giving up second shot opportunities and it’s playing the rebounds to the corner. He does an excellent job here. Picked up by Donado. Tampa Bay’s game possession trying to clear. Kept in the zone after some force geometry there, Cheryl. It’s all about the angles, isn’t it, James? And this wasn’t executed very well. You have to be very aware of where the ice is, and it isn’t always on the perimeter. Sometimes you can go up the middle. Strong use of the body to force the puck loose. Loose it to Dano. Speeds to the crease. Oh, he gets off to a stop by Vasilleski. Quick feed to Moore. Dished on over to Felo. Takes a shot. Oh, misses the net. You know he want that one back, Cheryl. Well, he certainly will, James. That puck is following him around. And you can see he saw the opening but wasn’t able to put it on yet. Takes that pass back to the point. Oh, slick work with the glove by Knight. [Applause] The Bolts lead it here late in this first period. They win the draw and go on the attack. Oh, stops it on the redirect. The boards play the boards. The Blackhawks have it now. Quick pass to Chappie. They’ve got numbers. The Bulls take it from the side. Chicago’s got the puck along the boards. Play in the open ice. That one’s picked off. The Bets are doing a great job of anticipating the play and that’s why the puck is on their stick. They’re intercepting pucks all game long. They got to make good on them. They’ve got to transfer, head north, and start cashing in. Under siege and finally grabs that one and covers up for a whistle. A critical face off looming here. Let’s see if they can maintain that offensive momentum. Well, you know that the defensive side is vulnerable right now with a tired tender. And on the offensive side, you got to recognize that vulnerability and you have to attack the net. Good heads up defensive play as he extends the stick. Moves the puck along the half wall. Back to the blue line. Great reach for the P check by Blik. Locks it into the offensive zone. Tampa Bay’s got a hold of the puck now. The Bolts gain control of it. Tampa Bay’s got a hold of the puck. The Blackhawks take over on possession on the attack. They come down the right wing. Moves the puck across to point into the offensive end now. puts it on there and he makes the save in front of the net and the goalender covers up for a whistle on the play here in the late goings of the period. Tampa Bay’s got a 32 lead at this point. The Dar won the faceoff. Sends the pass over. Tampa Bay’s got the puck now. The Bolts looking against the half wall. Here’s a shot. Oh, and he gets a piece of that one to keep it out. Gonzalez dropped the mits earlier and spent five minutes in the box for fighting and he’s no good there. He’s got to find a way to generate opportunities and get himself back in this game. [Applause] The Bolts are holding down the lead here late in this first period. They have looked really good offensively so far and they win the defensive zone face off. Great face off win by the center. Now they can get out of their zone and get a change. And there’s a great head play by Kaiser. The Bulls have on the offensive end. Moves it quickly over to Gonalves. Redirected shot. [Applause] change how surprised you think the goalender is. He just spins around and tries to clear the puck and he fires it past the tender. Both teams ready here for the face off and they take control of the puck here in the neutral zone and now he tries to get it across to Kerov and that’s broken up by Laferty. Loose puck battle along the boards. Picked up along the wall by Headman. Here’s a front pass to Gensel. slides the puck over looking to make something happen in the offensive zone for point. Oh, he got puddled by Knight. He does a great job of having sound positional play based on where the puck is on that low inner slot. He makes himself big, takes away the holes and makes the save. Here in the later stages of this period, the Bolts now lead by two. Missar has won a big draw on their own end. Pass this over to Terrain. First period nearly in the books here. The Bolts are on the attack. Chicago’s got control of it now from their own end. Great hug check on the reach and he sidesteps the check there. P grab by Vloic. The Bolts gain possession in their own end. Quick shot and the traffic neutralizes that threat and the puck’s knocked loose. directed over to Cerelli. Tampa Bay’s on the attack. Oh, they telegraph the pass and he picks it off. Chicago’s got it now. Oh, what a close save there. Goender covers up and we’ll get a face off. Tampa Bay’s been playing in one direction all night and that’s towards the net and they lead here late in the first. Paul’s quick stick off the draw wins possession. Moose to Radish. Tampa Bay is looking to break out. Slides it across to Lilberg. Fans urging for a shot on goal. The 9 seconds. Knight’s got the puck and he’s going to hang on. Both teams gliding into position and the officials set to drop the puck. The Bulls win that offensive zone face off. [Music] There you go. Period number fans back in their seats. Teams are on the ice. They’re ready to drop the puck here for period number two. The second stanza is underway as the puck is dropped. Let’s go. All right, Pounder. How would you assess this game for the first 20 minutes played? The Blackhawks need to find a way to be urgent and pound pucks, but when they lose the puck in transition, they got to get above the option. They got to find a way to come back through the middle and help out their D. Lots of time left in this period. The Bolts lead 42. Chicago’s won the face off deep in their own end. slides it diagonally to Donado. The Lightning have gained control of the puck along the wall. Tampa Bay is working the transition through the middle of the ice. Turned aside by Knight. This is just great cut control to put the puck to the corner. No second shot opportunity. And he stopped that one. Knight save percentage has been excellent. is doing everything to stand tall in the crease. Now it’s time for his team to start playing for him. They got to get going north. But the first thing they need to do is retrieve the puck and stop chasing the game. Taken along the wall by Vloic and he passes it up ahead to Badard. Now over to Donado and that’s offside stopping the play. Tampa Bay’s got the lead here early in this second period. Their offense has been clicking on all cylinders thus far. Celli’s one possession and tries to make a diagonal pass to Mcdana. Sends a pass over. Oh, what a stop with the paddle. Cara Biden’s got it in the defensive end. Sends it in deep. The Lightning have taken possession along the wall. pass stolen in the open ice. Quick feed to Hegel. Celli’s carrying it ahead. Tampa Bay is going to play it from the corner. Oh, what a save in front. Knight’s aggressive and at the top of his crease and makes an outstanding save from the slot. to drop the puck again. The Blackhawks take possession off the faceoff. Moves it over to Laferty. Look at this. They’ve got some bodies here on the attack. Oh, that’s a great shot block there. Well, yeah. I mean, it’s great a scoring chance and you want to make sure that you get in front of that one and he did. He gets all of it. Here’s a chance. Makes a save. Puck is frozen and we’re going to face off. Lots of hockey left to be played in this period. Lots of offense here tonight. 42 is where we’re sitting. Tampa Bay’s won the draw. They go to work. Slides the puck over to Fino. And now he moves it to the table. Broken up in the neutral zone by Kiki. picked up along the boards by Paul and he makes the save on that play. These are the small play skills that some of these athletes have nowadays. They work on it continuously in practice, but to maintain possession while you’re being jostled and shoved around, it’s incredible to see the hand eye coordination and the balance in this sequence to take it to the net. And a nice takeaway in the defensive end by Littleberg. Quick pass to Oh, look at the pass and that’s put away. Chicago’s got it along the wall. The Blackhawks play it along the wing. Angles it over to Hegel. He carries the puck up along the wing. The Blackhawks have a hold of it in the defensive zone. Tries to feed it over to Donado. Scoops up the puck here. Takes the feed. Gains the zone from the right. Tampa Bay’s got the puck against the half wall. Oh, almost full of the season. Goender hangs on for the whistle. May’s got the lead on the score. Big reason for that has been the amount of passes they’ve been putting on. The take position on the bas [Applause] does a great job of playing these angles perfectly. So when the rebound comes out with great timing, he’s able to get a stick on the puck here, James. It’s dirty, it’s greasy, and it’s a hard-nosed goal. Tampa Bay’s had that magic touch tonight. Cheryl, sometimes when you get up in the game, James, it’s easy to get complacent and just hold the puck, stop attacking, but not tonight. They’re not. The entire bench, the lineup, such an offensive threat. Line one, right through line four. They’ve been a wave tonight. Chicago’s gain possession on the boards. Delayed penalty coming up here. Slides the puck to Slagger. There’s the whistle. And here’s the call. The Lightning have been handed a twominute penalty for crosschecking. Well, this is just a lack of discipline and emotional control. You can see his frustration. He extends the arms and he gets a cross-checking call. Both teams lining up for the face off and it’s a chance to see if there’s actually some power in this power play. Well, everyone’s fresh as they come out for their first power play of the game. and they’re going to have to find a way to really manipulate the defenders and move that puck around. But it will all start with winning the fing. Chicago’s got the puck along the wall from the left side. They enter the offensive zone. Frustrating for that first unit not to be able to capitalize on the power play. But here comes the second unit. There’s still time on the clock to be able to get one on the board. Knocks the puck loose after a solid hit. Big time stop there. A timely save is everything to your team. And this goalender, he bails his team out. Nice dish from the left wing. Net knocked off. It’s Mory. Will get a face off. Nazar is at the faceoff dot. Ready to win this draw on the man advantage. The Blackhawks take possession here inside the offensive zone. No quarters given here as they battle for the loose puck along the boards. Shot from the slot. Oh, what a stop on the play. Gets all of it with the paddle. Oh, how about that for sacrifice? Well, PK, you have to sacrifice. And I love the way that he gets out there aggressively and makes sure that that shot does not get to the net. Johnson for the puck. He loses control. Chicago’s got it in their own zone. P scooped up by Vusi. Scores a power play goal. Well, this is an unlucky bounce, James. I mean, when you’re a goalender, you play your angles, you know your set positions, but you can’t get set in a scramble like this, and it winds up in the back of the net. The Blackhawks desperately needed that. And Cheryl, I know I sound like Captain Obvious on that one. Well, two goal deficit is certainly better than a three-goal deficit. James, I know I’m Captain Obvious as well there, but finding a way to get it done. There’s a lot of time left in this game for them to claw their way back in. Just takes one to reset the sail and it’s kicked away. Tampa Bay’s got the puck and that’s intercepted by Bertusi. Carol Biden’s across the line now and on the attack in the offensive end. Close save. Basili is going to cover up and off for a whistle. Yeah, and I don’t mind this play here. I mean, he hasn’t been busy, right, James? And so sometimes you just want to physically engage, touch that puck, and make sure you’re staying in it. The Blackhawks win the face off. The Bolts will play it in their own end. Looking dangerous as they move along the boards. The Blackhawks gain control of the puck. Gets a hold of the puck here at his own end. Tiptoes around the puck checks it quickly over to Blossom and a strong effort on that play. Slides it over to Cooerov. Here’s a short pass to Point. Look out. Here they come on the attack. Oh, how did he keep it out? What a blocker stop by Knight. And the puck’s put it away. Scooped up along the wall by Blic. reads the play and forces the turnover. The Bolts all alone on the play. And this is a great play by the tender to anticipate and get across to make that save. Shot. Oh, how did he get a piece of that and make the save? Rebound control is critical in the game of hockey. Putting it to the corner and now the offensive player has to hound the puck. And now it’s grabbed by Chappie. Stompage in play as we get it offside. Vasilleski’s made a great save on that last play, taking away a high danger chance because of his ability to anticipate and know where the shooter is coming from. [Applause] The Bolts continue to lead it here in the second period. They have been very active in the offensive zone tonight. Practs out of the offensive zone. They’ll be forced to do it over from center. Reaches out and uses the stick. Blocked in front. Handles the pass. Coming down the left wing and into the zone. Storms up with the blocker. Feeds the puck up to Chappie into the offensive zone. Tampa Bay is playing it from the side. moves it to Chappie. Chicago’s got the puck in the defensive end. Quick feed to Bratovski and the puck leaves the zone. We got a whistle offside the call. Nearing the midway mark of the period, the Bolts lead by a pair. It’s 53. And play resumes as the puck is dropped. Great heads up play in the neutral zone by Verusi. The Lightning have gained control of the puck in their own zone. Gets it over to New York. Gaining steam inside the neutral zone and that’s picked off by Geeki. Tampa Bay has got the puck against the boards. Big time stop. I really like to save James because he challenges the shooter who’s all alone in the slot area. He turns aside a real dangerous opportunity around along the half wall. What a steal in his own end. Oh, look at this. Here they come. They’ve got numbers and a great save. Looks to make a play over to Moore. The board scooping up along the boards. passes it over to Paul. Morris’s stick explodes. He grabs another one from the bench and gets back into play right away. The Lightning have taken possession in their own end. Takes the pass to the offensive zone. Oh, you got to love the effort as he blocks that. Morris lunging the puck. carries it in and he totally whiffs on that one. Slip exploring options with the puck misses and will play on. Well, you spend so much time trying to create scoring chances and when you do, you got to find the back of the net at the very least. Hit it. James got it in the offensive zone. Dishes it off. Steps in front of that one. There’s the whistle. Icing the call. Big face off looming. I’ll tell you what, James, that ain’t incidental contact. That was intentional. Certainly trying to really drive that body and separate the player from puck. Still a lot of time left in the period as we approach the midway mark. While fans being treated to some offensive fireworks, it’s a 5-3 game. The Lightning have possession now and he takes the pass. Quick pass to Celli. Intercepts it at center and now it’s over to Gonzalez. Picked off in the open ice. Fires it into the offensive zone. Tables taking it from his own end. Grabs control of it at the foot. Makes the save. Good defensive effort to poke it away. Hard hit. frees up the puck, sends it deep inside the offensive zone. Quick pass across to Chappie, handles the puck. Passes it over. Oneonone with the goalender. Here we go. Scores. What a finish on the breakaway. Well, a nice play to pull away from the pack here, James. One-on-one battle against the goalender and he’s the victor. Well, this breakaway is perfectly executed, James. He knows his bread and butter is his great shot and he sees an opening and he takes it. [Applause] The Blackhawks have got one back. And does this change momentum now, Cheryl? It better. They started the second period absolutely flat, James. They’re getting outshot. They need to find a way to hound pucks and get some possession. Oh, great save by Vasilki. Tampa Bay’s message going into this one when we talked to them at the morning skate was to get a lot of pucks on net. They’ve done just that and they lead as a result. Off the face off they take the puck. Moves the puck into the attacking area. Here’s a shot and that’s blocked from someone in front. The Blackhawks have it now through center. There’s a great use of the stick right there to poke it away. Grabbed along the board by Dano. Musa quickly over to Gensel. Here they come on the attack. Takes the feed. Fantastic save. Goender covers it up and we’ll get a reset here. Well past the midway mark of this period. The Blackhawks still trail by a goal here, but they are back into this one. Only down by one. And they take possession here in the offensive zone. And time to go on the attack. The Blackhawks have it against the wall through the neutral zone now. Picking up steam. The Blackhawks are playing against the wall. Stores him in front. Score right on the doorstep. He pounces off the rebound and puts it home. Well, this is a great defensive effort that leads to offense, James. And he’s going to get an assist on. I love that he does because these plays are often missed. I mean, it’s a poke check, anticipating where that play is going to be and the puck goes the other way. I just love it because I’m a former defender and we love when we got apples on this one. [Applause] The Setters will glide into the dot coming down. The Blackhawks win possession here in the open ice and he takes the feed. The Bolts have it from their own end. Here’s a short pass to point. Genel’s a true sniper, James, and he’s already got two in the game and you know he’s looking for his third. Nice zone injury from the middle. Slides it across. Oh, a clutch save. Well, these are the saves when you know that your goalender is dialed in, James. The ability to get to the top of the crease and be square to the shooter. That’s a great save. And offside, we’ll get a reset here. Well, that’s how you get a puck, James. I mean, you recognize the timing it takes to meet your opponent right at the right time. And I mean, that’s just an explosive hit. Gets the job done. [Applause] past the midway mark of the frame. You can feel the energy in this crowd. It’s a tie game and he takes the dish. The Bolts take it along the wall. Sends it to the middle. Oh, and he comes up with a stop and he moves it up for Bernard and that off a player in front. Moves the puck to Donado. Good use of the body on the play through the neutral zone. It goes to the middle. Picked up along the wall by Headman. Takes the feed at center and moves up ahead along the half wall with the puck. Just a little too much contact and couldn’t hang on to the puck. That’s moved up ahead. Tampa Bay’s got possession of the puck and now he angles it across to Celli. takes it to the net. Hands it over on the attack. Denies that opportunity. Knight’s going to hang on for a whistle. Been on point tonight. I mean, literally multiple points in this game right now. Puck’s been on his stick and he’s been making things happen. James, you know a player has it. They’re feeling it when they have confidence with the puck. When they’ve got patience and they’ve got composure. He’s got all of it right now. [Applause] Puck ready to drop here any moment to get things underway again. Chicago’s got it in the defensive zone and they continue to apply pressure here. Here he is with a backhander. Shuts him down. receives the pass taken by Jac, takes the shot on the go and he shuts the door again. That’s a fantastic sequence of saves there of James. He was so dialed in. He tracked it perfectly. Taking along the wall pipe on Salvis. Setting up behind his own net now. Sent into the offensive zone. feeds it on over to Hegel and he feeds it down to Cucherovs it front. Oh, he fans on it. Takes the pass. Here we go. Pucks in deep now. He slides it up to Gore. Fires it on net and he makes the easy save. passes it over to more on the attack along the boards. Tenacious Donald for the puck along the wall. Picked up along the boards by Paul. Carries the puck through the neutral zone. Dumps the puck in. The Blackhawks gain control of the puck against the wall. Oh, what a stop with the blocker by Knight. Slip moving the puck through his own zone. directs it on over to Terra Biden. Fires it. Nice glove by Vaselki. Pass across to Paul. Tampa Bay’s got the puck in the corner. Takes the feed. Fires it into the offensive zone. The Lightning have taken possession along the wall. Trying to get the puck out of his own end. They get it done. Slides the puck across to Slagger. Tampa Bay is looking to break out of their own end. Into the offensive end now. Quick shot. Great stop by Knight. Basilleski’s found his rhythm here as we look at that last save. I I mean he has to be so on the mark right now. Two position to be able to make it. His read is perfect. He’s tracking well. You have to be quick and athletic to make that one past the halfway mark of this period. The next goal could be a big one as we are tied. Smart play to take possession. Sneaking in off the wing. Oh, great play to sidestep the check. Takes a shot. Nice block and he slides it quickly to Gensel. And now he tries to get it across to point. Takes it into the slot. Puts it on. Oh, how did he stop that? What a save by Knight. And he tossed it up with the pass. Big time stop there. The Blackhawks gain possession. H moved over to the K. the Gold to start the transition game. Here we go. Rush here. Coach frees the puck up. Made the save on the play and that pass is redirected here in the corner. He grabs the puck and he takes a shot. That’s a beautiful pass save on the goalie there. Late going for this period. We got a tie game. Chicago’s got possession here in their own end. Scooped up along the well by Bernard and he takes the feed. The Lightning have it in their own zone. Pumped in. Chicago’s got a hold of the puck now. Moves it to Murphy. Pinsky got it across the line. The Lightning has the puck in the defensive zone. Here they come on the rush to his teammate. Beautiful read in the defensive end by Barakovski. Here’s a shot and not much on that one. We’ll get a face off after the puck stays covered up. And both centers glide into the dot as a faceoff set to resume. And they win the draw. Now, let’s see what they can do with it. And a nice takeaway in the defensive end by Bjorkstrand. Great heads up play in the neutral zone by Barakovski. Good feed and that’s intercepted by Kiki. Takes a shot. Denies him. The guards got control of the puck in the corner and he’s able to handle that one. The Bolts are in transition. Quick feed to Paul. Drive to the sweet spot. Stop. That’s right. I really like their game today. They always have to manage the empty mind. They continue to trust the process to get opportunity and they converted on it. What a beautiful play as they catch their opponent flatfooted on transition and they create the numerical advantage. Oddman rush perfectly executed speed movement and of course finish. The Lightning have to be feeling good after that goal here late in the period. Number two, they’ve got the lead now, Cheryl, trying to take that momentum into the intermission. Yeah, you always want to play out front, but timing is everything. Now it’s about game managing, but not being too conservative, staying aggressive, but holding that lead into the intermission. jumps it into the ozone. The Lightning had possession along the boards. Oh, and he tracks it perfectly in the offensive end. Works it across to Moore. Battling for it along the boards. [Applause] Lebert’s got the puck. And that’s a great head up play by Homer. Again, when you’re losing, James, that you want to get something going. You want to spark your team. You have the puck on your stick, but sometimes you can try and do too much. And I think that’s a product of that as he loses the puck. They’ve got the defense outnumbered. Tampa Bay’s got the puck in their own end. Moves it to Chappie. Dishes it for Wberg. Slides the puck into the offensive zone. Quick shot. Just slide to the net. The Blackhawks scoop it up along the boards. Dumps it in. The Bolts get a hold of the puck in their own end. And now it’s grabbed by Willberg. Passes on over to Celli and down he goes as the puck goes free. Quick pass to Buzzi. Picks off the pass. The Dar into the offensive zone now on the attack. The Lightning have gained control of the puck in their own zone. Moves it quickly over to Celli. Here’s the pass. A game of inches and he puts it off the outside of the post. Gonzalez with multiple opportunities around the net tonight but unable to cash in or convert. He cannot get discouraged James as he’s at the right place at the right time. The Blackhawks gain possession along the wall. They try to maintain possession inside the defensive zone. That’s just a great heads up read at center ice. Shot easily turned away by the goalender with the glove. slides it diagonally to Badard. The Bolts get a hold of it. Chicago’s got control of it now from their own end. And he sends it across to Badard. He got all that one. The P. Oh, and it stays out. He got a piece of that one. Well, the shooters coming on the ice right in the middle run with a good look and he makes an incredible save by getting split of the puck and turning it aside. Nearing the 40minute mark of the game, get the hole of the puck behind the net. Chicago’s got it along the wall. Shot scores. They tie it up and we are back to evens. Well, working hard, sticking to the game plan with good habits and they’re back to evens. They bend, but they don’t break here, James. This is a 200 foot play. When you take care of business in your own end, it ends up going the other way. It is something that coaches look for. How you defend, how you can turn pucks over and get going north. They capitalize, they execute, and they wind up on the score sheet. [Applause] Chicago’s push in the offensive end gets them the equalizer they needed. Yeah. And with impeccable timing, too, James, you know, the end of the period, you always know you want to maintain your composure, but you also want to create a ton of energy. You don’t want to be scored on, but you certainly want to score a goal. They did just that. They got themselves back at evens in this game. The Blackhawks will play it from the defensive zone. Shot and he makes a save there. Here’s a short pass to Turn. The Blackhawks get a hold of the puck along the boards. Hisar is going to play it against the half wall. Takes the bump and loses control of the puck. And now he moves it quickly to Gensel. Scrum along the boards as they battle for the puck. Taken by Tack looking to make something happen along the boards. Here’s a chance. Oh, he got all of that. What a save by Knight. The shots come to the middle of the ice and hit has some heat on it, but he’s ready and waiting for it. He’s to position and he makes the save. They’re having a great night. Two periods down, one more to go and they’re ready to drop the puck here on period number three. They’re underway here in the third and this could come down the last shot. Wins. Can’t keep a hold of it. Takes the feed in the middle of the neutral zone. Feeds the puck over to Barakovski. Great defensive effort with the strip. They got numbers here. What a steal at his own end. Cucharov’s got it against the boards and he makes the save with ease. Moves it to points him again. The Blackhawks gain control of the puck against the wall. Long pass across the ice. The Blackhawks carried along the wall and now he passes up to Headman. Skates across the blue line. Handles the puck at the point. Huge steal on his own end. Chicago’s moving it up the ice. Grabbed along the board by Nazar. Denied by Vasilki. Rest arms in the air. We got a penalty coming up. Whistle blow stopping the play. The Lightning have to kill off this penalty. Crossing is the call. That’ll always be a call. If you extend your arms and cross check, you’re serving two. With this faceoff’s one, James, they’re going to set up in the umbrella. You know that they want to pull the coverage up high, work that puck down low. They’ll have someone in front to be able to screen, but they’ll also be looking for crossing passes to attack the net. Brings the puck into the offensive end now. Shot. And there’s a glove save on the play. Tries to get the puck over to Terrain. Quick pass to Moore. Quick feed to Barakovski and he gets in front of that one. Well, he didn’t flamingo there. And if you want to be on a PK, you got to make sure that you get to those shooting lanes hard and fast and a successful clearing attempt from their own end trying to kickstart this power play. Angles it over to McKay. Right through center and into the offensive zone. Pump picked up by Mave. Scores. putting the special and special teams. They take the lead. And often when you’re on special teams, James, it can go either way in terms of the momentum. It generate anything, it goes the other way. If you generate something, it’s all in your favor. I’ll tell you what, that was execution. The goalenders are just so good in this league, James. If they see the shot, they are going to stop it. And so, you got to get traffic in front of the net on this power play. They do an excellent job of getting bodies in front of the paint. The Blackhawks have to be feeling good about themselves after taking the lead with that goal here in the third. Yeah, and it’s not much of a cushion the way this game has gone back and forth, James, but it’s something. You’re in the lead, so now you want to continue with that tempo. Find a way to push your opponent back. Continue to punch and press. Good use of the pocket to knock him off the pocket. And that’s poked away by Cusherov. Quick pass to point. Tampa Bay’s got the puck along the wall. Comes up with the stop off the post that goes up the inside of the iron and we play on. Paul’s done a great job of staying the course in this game here. James, you know, he could let the multiple opportunities that he hasn’t cashed in on really get to him, but he doesn’t. He continues with his persistence and his relentlessness to the net here, and it pays off in dividends as he gets on the board. [Applause] Tampa Bay has been the better team, but not necessarily boasting the better goalender trailing early in the third. The Bolts win it. Comes up with a stop and that misses. The Lightning have it on the attack and it’s blocked in traffic. And look at this. They’ve really ratcheted up the intensity here. Gaining speed through center and here they come on the attack. Oh, how did he get a glove on that? What a stop by Vaselki. Knight really had the pulse of his team this game, James. I mean, making some huge saves at the right time. And that’s what you need from your goalender to sort of weather the storm when they have to and make the timely save when they need to. You garner momentum from it. It’s uplifting and it provides energy. And the Centers glide towards the dot here as we got a face off set to go. The Bolts win it in the defensive zone. Tampa Bay’s got a hold of the puck. Here’s an off man rush. A little dipsy doodle and he loses possession of the puck. Sometimes when you lose the puck, it’s a product of trying to do two. Here we go, Cheryl. They’re going to go. This is the challenge to that big hit. I thought it was clean, but nonetheless, the gloves are being dropped. crowd on its feet for this one. But just you hope that nobody’s hurt here, Cheryl. Well, that’s the biggest thing for me, James. I mean, he went down and he went down hard. He got that punch square and real tough to watch him as he labors to get up. The Colts clearly win that fight and now they have to build on the momentum that it’s created. You can play physical, you can play fast, but what you do after a fight is really important. They’ve got the debris all cleared up off the ice and both teams step in for the faceoff. Tampa Bay’s got the puck inside the offensive zone. This is the call big time. What a stop by Nick and he was dialed in and able to redirect that puck to the corner. picked off by moves it quickly over to Wber and that was read perfectly. Well played by Wolf and he’s written off the puck. Picked up along the way by W. Oh, what a hit along the wall. And those boards are when you’re along those boards with the puck, you know it’s coming and you can’t do anything when the spacing and alignment is done perfectly. And that’s what happens here, James. This is how you gain the puck. and you separate the body from it. The Blackhawks move the puck in the defensive zone. Here’s a short pass from Bard. Stopped by the goalender getting a scores and they’re cooking now. Wow. The opponent has no answer for them right now because they’re relentless on the puck. They’ve garnered some momentum after multiple back-to- back goals, James. They don’t want to leave any breathing room and let their opponent get some life back. So much of the goalending position is tracking the puck and trying to get the sightelines, James. And with only one player in front, you might lose it for a second, but if you out battle and out will the person in front, you’re going to find it. Unfortunately, this puck, it beats him clean. Chicago sending a quick message here early in this third period with that goal. Cheryl, we are not slowing down. It’s not slowing down and it’s entertaining when you provide offense right off the hop. We love to see it. And you know who doesn’t? Their opponent. Slides the puck across to Gensel. The Bolts move it in. Tremendous block on the play. Well, and the bench really erupts on that one because otherwise it would have been in the back of the net. Nice zone entry from the right side. Here’s a shot. Oh, what a save in front. The Blackhawks have it now. And that was stopped. Tries to feed it over to Paul through the neutral zone up along the wing. Chicago’s got the puck along the boards and a smart heads up play with the bank. The Bulls take possession in the defensive end and now he passes it to Gonalves and they’ll go on the attack. Great pressure by Donado. Great defensive play to come up with the puck. Dishes it to Donado. And here’s the pass to Kiki. Can’t keep a hold of the puck after that play. Great extension on his part to put it away. Gonzalez moves the puck. Sends it over to Bjorkstrand with possession along the wall. The Blackhawks have it now. Carol Biden stick handling in his own zone. Hot grab by moves it to Hegel. Passes the puck over to Gonzalez. Goes right to the crease. Turns it away. He not only wins this foot race, but he also wins the strength battle on the puck here, James. The way he shields, he just powers it right to the net and gets control of the puck once again here in the open ice. Chicago’s got a hold of it against the wall. Quick pass across to Lberg and that’s intercepted by Slider. Sends it into the offensive zone. The Lightning have taken possession along the wall. He says, “Let’s get physical on that play. Takes a shot.” Oh, fantastic save by Knight. And he loses control of the puck. Intercepts the pass at center. Oh, love the defensive stick work there to poke that one away along the boards. They battle for the puck. Taken along the wall by Paul back to the point. They set it up and that one’s turned away. Oh, save. He does a great job being such a position here. Otherwise, he’s not going to be able to make that second save, James. But it’s pure athleticism that gets the job done. And he passes it up ahead to Chappie. Pucks down the ice. We’ll get an icing. Well, I love what he’s trying to do here, James. He wants to separate the body from puck. And that’s exactly what you got to do. You got to play with a competitive edge and an intensity. The Bolts need to find a way to break on through here. They’ve had plenty of shots on net, but they’ve got to convert here in order to even things out. Fors won the draw deep in the defensive zone. Moves the puck to the attacking area from your strong net. Big time save on a big time stop. Oh, just a textbook hit. Oh, look at this chance. Oh, and he whiffs. And that’s a great heads up play by Chappie. Fires it. Routine save made by Knight. You know the goal is dialed in when he redirects the puck to the corner. Puck scooped up by Kaiser. Moves it up through the middle from the right. Hangs the shot. Oh, what a great save by Vasilleski. The Blackhawks gain control of the T. Oh, what a save by Vasilleski. [Applause] Both teams are set. We’ll drop the puck here. [Applause] Tampa Bay’s got a hold of the puck. sends the pass over, works it across to Cucherov and that’s broken up by Ma and he makes the save. The Lightning have gained possession off the wall. Quick feed to point. Chicago’s looking to break out at their own end. Steps inside. Chicago’s got a hold of it along the wall. Slides the puck over. McKay has got it deep in the offensive end. Stopped by the blocker. Big save. No, he he scores. He thought he had it, but it must have gone off him. It’s in the net and that’s a goal. I love the way the shooter gets lost in the coverage and really quiet in the weeds of the ice here, James, as the puck’s below the goal line. can see him moving to make himself available. And the right when the time is right, that distribution comes right to him. Puck on his stick. He lets it go for the tally. The Blackhawks are sending a clear message that they are not taking their foot off the gas in this third period here, Cheryl. Well, you can certainly tell that they bought into the game plan and the coach is certainly ecstatic with the performance of the entire bench. I mean, look at the way they’re moving and holding the puck, attacking the net at the right times. It has been a seamless effort. Gets in front of it. Knight’s going to opt for the whistle. I don’t mind this call here in the third. Neither do I. Listen, he has been so dialed in all night, James. He has been excellent. Arguably their best player, and he’s trying to preserve the lead here by holding on to this one to get the face off. Kazar won it in their own end. Sends a pass over on the attack into the offensive end right up the gut. Slides it diagonally to Kiki. Nice stick work to knock the puck loose. Chicago’s gained possession along the boards. Tampa Bay’s got control of it now here in the offensive end. Quick pass to Bertusi. Chicago’s got it in their own zone. Tough battle along the boards. Tampa Bay is ready to go on the attack. The Blackhawks have it from their own end. Chicago’s got the puck and he uses his reach to disrupt the play. Slides the puck across to Hitman. Carries it across the line. Feeds it to Laferty. Can’t connect on the shot. Here they are on the attack. Puts it on net. The Bolts get a hold of the puck. Great use of the twig as he puts that one away. Can it maintain possession and the puck departs the zone? Oh, the thievery coming up with the puck on the play. The Blackhawks will play it in their own end. They gain the offense on zone from the middle. Good solid check and he loses control there. sends it in on the attack. Camp’s got it behind the net. The Bolts work it through center. Oddman rush. There’s a shot. That’s glove by night. [Applause] Let’s have another look at that monster of a hit there, James. You got to love it. You have to have great timing and you got to know when your opponent’s vulnerable. The Bolts have the advantage in shots tonight, but they still find themselves trailing here in the third period. Gains possession with both centers all tied up in the draw. Handles the pass. Quick shot. Well save made by Vaselvki. We got a whistle as the puck’s frozen. Teams are ready to go and we’re about moments away from puck drop. Swoops in and grabs the puck with the centers tied up in the scrum on the draw. [Applause] off the draw. He ties up his opponent. The Lightning have gained control of the puck along the wall and he takes the pass and he comes up with the glove save. [Applause] Chicago’s won the face off deep in their own end. Tosses it to Barakovski. Slides the pass over to Donado from the point. They take control of it. The Lightning have possession along the boards and that battle along the wall comes to an end. Chaffy slided along the wing turned aside with the glove by Knight. Covers it up and we’ll get a stoppage in play. Donuts. Chicago’s won the draw. Exploring options here inside the defensive zone. Passes it to Gore. Gordon up in the neutral zone by Bernard. The Bolts take possession in the defensive end. Chaffy’s got it into offensive territory. Chicago’s got a hold of the puck now. Handles the puck. Sneaks by the puck check. [Applause] There’s the whistle. And here’s the call. You’re going to take a penalty. You might as well take your opponent with you as they both march to the box. As we get set for the face off, a chance to see both teams in a little fouron four action here. Well, fouron four is similar to threeon three. There’s more ice available. And you can’t just dump it in. You want to possess the puck and try and create numbers around the ice. That’s twoon ones all over. The easy glove save by Knight in front of the net and the goalender covers up for a whistle on the play. [Applause] Tampa Bay’s had countless shots throughout the night, but they still find themselves behind the eightball here in period number three. The Bolts win the draw and they go on the attack here in the offensive zone. Camp possession here in the offensive zone. takes a shot [Applause] on the rebound and tucks it in. He’s going to get name record on this goal, James. No question about it. He retrieves his noses in on it and then he has a knack for the net to finish it off. The Lightning have got one back and they’ve made it a twogoal game now. Well, the puck moves quicker than them. They’re going to have to transition very quickly and look to counter and get some opportunities on net. A little busted on the hip and off the puck loose. Chicago’s got control of it now from the road end. Moves it quickly over to Nazar. The Blackhawks play along the boards. Stoked up along the wall by Slagger. Taken here by Kinsky. Takes the feed. Tosses it on to point. Takes it to the front. Knight’s got the puck and he’s going to hang on for a whistle. Well, there’s only one reason that this game is tight, James. It’s the guy between the crease. He elects to hold on to that one. He has been dynamite. The officials are in position and both teams are getting ready as they get set for another face off here. Offenses don’t face off and he wins the draw. And that shot goes nowhere as the lane was filled. Looking to make something happen along the boards. Tampa Bay’s got the puck along the wall. And now they look to make something happen from the neutral zone. Throw it over to Ino across the line from center, coughs up possession of the puck. Slides it to Headman. Tampa Bay is looking to break out and uses the length of his stick to knock that puck away. Here’s a chance behind the net. Takes a shot and he’s got that one. Angles on the attack of the offensive zone. Made the stop on the play. Angles it over to Hitman. Huge play in his own end to come up with the P. When you’re trailing in the game, sometimes you try and do too much. You’re overly aggressive and you try and do a high risk, high reward play. And that’s exactly what happens here. Unfortunately, he goes the other way. And that’s broken up. Great reach with the Pope. Tries to feed it over to Hegel. Here’s a shot picked up along the boards by Paul and he takes the feed. Slides the puck ahead to Bertusi. Puck clears the zone and they’ll be forced to regroup. Pass to Badard. Well, this game is wild, James. End to end action. Let’s just forget the defense, shall we? And just go with the goal calls with the stop. Tries to get it over to Slagger. carries the puck inside the neutral zone. The Bolts gain control of the puck. Slides it up front. Here we go. One man rush and that skips away on a nice defensive deflection. The Blackhawks look to start the transition game. Shot attempt completely fails on that. The Blackhawks have it against the wall. moves him ahead after a nice pass from the right wing. They put the puck into the offensive end. Tampa Bay’s got the puck inside the defensive zone. Here’s a short pass to Paul. Picked up by Bard and he takes the disher. He got all of it. The Bolts take it along the wing. Here’s the chance on the attack. The Lightning have the puck in the open ice. Chicago’s got it from behind the net. Lafy’s taking it from his own end. Throws it in. Tampa Bay’s gained possession along the boards. Moves it to Slice. The Bolts gain possession in their own end right up and cut into the attacking zone. Can’t connect as it goes off a stick from the left side. They enter the attacking zone from the point. Looks to make something happen. Quick feed to Laferty. Broken up by Celli inside the defensive zone. Moving the puck. Grabbed along the board by Charelli. Puck sent over to Laferty. Quick pass to Bernard. The Bolts get a hold of the puck in their own end. And now it’s taken by Bernard. Picked up along the wall by Celli. Radish has got it in the defensive zone. Feeds it over to Celli. Streaking through center. They go on the attack. The Bolts carry it along the wall. takes the feet at the back end. Taken along the wall by Laferty. Moves it quickly over to Terrain. Back to the point it goes. Tampa Bay is looking to break out of their own end. They’re picking up steam through the neutral zone. Shot. Oh, how did he get a piece of that? Again, the denial by the goalender. That’s an incredible sequence of saves. He is so dialed in. But I got to say, where are the D boxing out? Tampa Bay’s had more shots on goal, but yet they’ve run into a hot goalie. They trail late in this third period. And they’ll start with possession. Makes a save. Here’s a shot pass to Gensel and a great save and tries to make a diagonal pass to Donado. Here’s a chance. Oh my goodness, it’s Tina. What a save. It was all the James and that athleticism and the will to get to that was on display. Fight continues here, but this crowd still buzzing after what we saw. What a stop that was. Oh, yeah. And they’re saying thank you to the goalender right now, James. They’re still on their feet. They’re electric right now. And really, it’s a nice feeling. Why? that puts it over the iron here just [Applause] sense the momentum shift James is all about swinging and seeing if they can string a couple of good shifts together and get the equalizer they’ve nailed it within one and he look any further than the leader on this team who buries it home I mean he has got ice in his veins and he knows the timing when his team needs something They look to him and he answers. The Bolts desperately needed something and they finally made it happen. Now they’re in the final frame here, but they got one back and you know what that’s like as an opponent when you know that that team is coming and they’re away. There’s a lot of scores and that one going off to the defender. [Applause] You don’t see that very often when you shoot it into your own net trying to clear the puck. That’s ugly. The Colts have jumped right back into this one and not a moment too soon in the third. Oh, we have ourselves a game here, don’t we, James? And this is what everyone wants. They love these nailbiters. Right to the finish. Good reach to the stick to knock the puck away. Tries to get it to Mcdana around the J. Big time stop. Chicago’s got a hold of it against the wall. has some nice footwork to free the puck up to his teammate. Moves it on over to Kiki and that puck leaves the zone and now he moves it to Kiki. Takes the feed at center for the right wing. Scrum along the boards as they battle for the puck. Oh, they telegraph the pass and he picks it off. Receives the pass. Carries it into the offensive end up the middle. moves it to Donado. The Bolts take it along the wall. Picked up along the boards by Paul. Chicago’s moving it along the wing. Shot and that goes off someone in front and doesn’t reach the net. Takes the pass. Cuts to the front. Nothing to it. Oh, he’s hot after that one. You can see the frustration in the body language. He knows how important of an opportunity that was. And it’s a miss as he misses the net completely and doesn’t get anything out of that possession. And that goes off a player. Both sides mixed up for that battle for the puck along the wall. Here’s an offensive chance. The Blackhawks get a hold of the puck along the boards. Oh, here we go. This team knows how to turn it up another gear and they have done that here. And the goalender grabs that one for a whistle to try to slow things down here. Well, the emotion elevates after a save like that, James. And even on replay, it’s happening again for me. I mean, that was absolutely unbelievable. Everyone standing on their feet. They cannot believe that he made that save. A critical draw here and we are still tied as we approach the final minute of the third. The Bolts have a hold of it in the defensive zone. Solid hit on the play. Chicago’s got the puck along the boards. Quick feed to Kaiser and now it’s to Bertusi. Dropped over the open ice. Here’s a pass to the middle and he denies that. Great opportunity there. Scores. Rips it off the pipe and into the net. Wow. He almost needed a double take there, James. When you hear that sound, sometimes you think it’s out, but this one goes in. Well, I love the goal on this play, but I think I even like the assist better. I mean, the contact that is initiated to be able to get possession of the puck is the reason why the whole play starts. Just love that initiator. [Applause] The Blackhawks now have the lead here in period number three. And it’s crunch time now. It is crunch time. And it’s crunch time, James. I mean, it’s been back and forth all game. Now you find yourself in the lead. So you have the momentum. You’ve killed your opponents. So continue to hold it. Continue to apply the pressure. Tampa Bay is called scores into the empty net. Hand. I feel like you must have had a few empty nets in your day. Oh yeah. Listen, I was on the back end. I didn’t have hands. So when I scored one, listen, I celebrated. I was down and out, fist pumping everywhere, even when it was the empty net. Chicago’s got time and after that empty netter, uh, quite a significant lead on their side now here, Cheryl. Yeah, James, it’s all but over, isn’t it? And that’s a great play to be able to get that puck 200 feet down the ice when you’re under pressure with the extra attacker. Takes it over. Holy misses on a great scoring chance there. Well, he’s right exactly where he wants to be. He’s got the puck on his stick, just unable to put it in the mesh. The Bolts continue to trail here late in this third period despite several scoring chances tonight. Tampa Bay’s run the attack. Shuts him down and they’ll go on the attack. Great pressure by Hornberg and he makes the save on that play. And that’ll do it for ringside here. Chicago’s offense came out like gang busters.
The Tampa Bay Lightning face off against the Chicago Blackhawks in another electrifying NHL 2025-26 regular season battle! Watch Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov lead Tampa Bay’s explosive offense against Connor Bedard and the rebuilding Chicago squad. Expect fast-paced hockey, power plays, and highlight-reel moments in this must-watch game!
📅 Date: October 23, 2025
🏟️ Venue: Amalie Arena, Tampa Bay
⏰ Puck Drop: 6:45 pm
👉 This is a simulated matchup created for entertainment and for hockey fans who love the thrill of full game-style broadcasts and realistic gameplay excitement.
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