One thing that has characterized the Tampa Bay Lightning throughout this post-season is their ability to bounce back after losing. They did it again in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals, and, truth be told, it was a situation where they absolutely had to. After going through a bit of a nightmare in Game 1, as their strategy of laying back and playing a defensive style backfired on them, the Lightning, at the urging of coach Jon Cooper, got more aggressive and played a faster brand of hockey, like they are used to, and it obviously made the Chicago Blackhawks rather uncomfortable. BetAnySports customers saw players other than the "usual suspects" put the puck in the net, as Tampa Bay even the series up at 1-1.

Now it is time for Game 3, which will take place at the United Center, starting at 8 PM ET. NBC will carry the action live in the United States.

There was much second-guessing after the series opener, and even the Tampa Bay players realized, in retrospect, that they had sat back in their own zone a little too much. That is the kind of thing that allows a savvy club like the Blackhawks to put the pressure on, and even though Ben Bishop has done a commendable job in goal during the playoffs, there was very little he could do when Chicago scored two goals in a span of just two minutes to change things around dramatically in a hurry. From there, the Lightning just couldn't recover.

But in Game 2, it was Corey Crawford who faced most of the pressure, and he was kicking himself after the game, for, in his own words, "giving them" at least a couple of goals that made the difference. One of those came on a power play, which we will talk about in a moment.

In the Stanley Cup betting odds that have been posted on this game by the people at BetAnySports, Chicago is the solid favorite at home:

Chicago Blackhawks -155
Tampa Bay Lightning +135

Over 5 goals -150
Under 5 goals +130

Patrick Sharp is another player who took some blame in this one, and it was entirely appropriate. Sharp got sent off for slashing, and the Blackhawks successfully killed the penalty, but as soon as he got out of the box, Sharp put Chicago into another precarious position by committing yet another infraction. This time, the Lightning capitalized. You just can't keep a good offensive team down for very long, and if their resolve is to exert pressure, you can't afford to give them a man advantage.

Now, as BetAnySports patrons who follow these playoffs are aware, Crawford has allowed four goals or more in three of his last six games. His pledge that "I can't let that happen again" was met with a lot of shrugs of shoulders, one of them coming from coach Joel Quenneville, who described his performance as "just okay."

Tampa Bay is used to getting its goal scoring from the top six forwards, but this time, the bottom six contributed with two of the four tallies. That's refreshing, and it also gives Chicago something to think about. With the "Triplets" line and Bishop having pitched shutouts in each of his last two road games, the Lightning is going to be a "tough out" in Game 3.

BetAnySports is chock-full of wagering options for the Stanley Cup finals, and if you join up, with your Visa card or with Bitcoin, you will enjoy a great free play bonus offer. Time's a wastin'; get on board right now!