2015 Stanley Cup Finals

Amalie Arena before game 6

This was Tampa Bay's second Finals appearance after winning the Cup in 2004. Since their win in 2004, the Lightning had lost in the Conference Finals in 2011 in seven games to the Boston Bruins. The Lightning were eliminated in the first round in 2006, 2007, and 2014.

The Lightning entered the 2014–15 season with major re-signings during the offseason including centre Tyler Johnson, wingers Ryan Callahan and Ondrej Palat, and goalie Ben Bishop. In free agency, Tampa Bay picked up centre Brian Boyle and defenceman Anton Stralman from the New York Rangers and Brenden Morrow from the St. Louis Blues. The team made two trades to bolster the defence, picking up Jason Garrison at the 2014 draft and Braydon Coburn just before the 2015 trade deadline.

Tampa Bay compiled 108 points (50–24–8) during the regular season to finish in second place in the Atlantic Division. Centre and team captain Steven Stamkos finished second in goal-scoring during the regular season with 43 goals.[7] Earlier in the season, Head Coach Jon Cooper nicknamed the team's second line of Johnson, Palat and winger Nikita Kucherov as the "Triplets" because they were so in sync;[8] at the mid-season in January, the three players led the League in plus-minus.[9]

In the playoffs, the Lightning eliminated the Detroit Red Wings in seven games, the Montreal Canadiens in six games, and the New York Rangers in the Conference Finals in seven games. They became the first post-1967 expansion team to beat three Original Six teams on the way to the Stanley Cup Finals and the only team in NHL history to face an Original Six team at every stage of the playoffs.

The Finals marked Chicago's third Final appearance in six seasons; having won the Cup in both 2010 and 2013. This was the team's 13th appearance overall, and they were seeking their sixth overall Cup championship.

The Blackhawks entered the 2014 offseason after being eliminated in the Conference Finals in seven games by the eventual 2014 Cup champion Los Angeles Kings. Major free agent acquisitions during the offseason included centre Brad Richards and winger Daniel Carcillo from the Rangers.[10][11] Approaching the NHL trade deadline in early March, Chicago traded for defenceman Kimmo Timonen from the Philadelphia Flyers,[12] centre Antoine Vermette from the Arizona Coyotes,[13] and centre Andrew Desjardins from the San Jose Sharks.[14]

Chicago finished in third place in the Central Division, earning 102 points (48–28–6). Goalie Corey Crawford tied the Canadiens' Carey Price as the William M. Jennings Trophy recipient for allowing a League-low 189 goals during the regular season.

In the playoffs, the Blackhawks eliminated the Nashville Predators in six games, swept the Minnesota Wild, and defeated the Anaheim Ducks in the Conference Finals in seven games.

Teuvo Teräväinen scored two-points in Game 1, assisting on the game-winning goal.

In game one, Tampa Bay struck first with a deflected goal by Alex Killorn at 4:31 in the first period. The Lightning nursed the lead into the third period with a strong conservative defensive effort, but Teuvo Teravainen and Antoine Vermette scored 118 seconds apart to win the game 2–1 for the Blackhawks. By assisting on Vermette's goal, Teravainen became the second-youngest player (at 20 years and 265 days) in NHL history, after Jaromir Jagr had two assists in game one of the 1991 Finals (on May 15, 1991, at 19 years and 89 days), to have a multi-point game in the Stanley Cup final.

Jason Garrison scored the game-winning goal in Game 2.

Jason Garrison's power play goal at 8:49 of the third period proved to be the difference in Tampa Bay's victory in game two. Lightning starting goaltender Ben Bishop had left the game moments earlier for reasons that were undisclosed at the time, but was later revealed to be a torn groin. He was replaced with Andrei Vasilevskiy who was credited with his first playoff victory. He also became the first goalie to win a Stanley Cup Finals game in relief of an injured starter since Lester Patrick helped the New York Rangers defeat the Montreal Maroons in overtime of game two of the 1928 Stanley Cup Finals, 2–1.

Cedric Paquette scored the game-winning goal in Game 3.

The series switched to Chicago for game three. There was some debate who would start for Tampa Bay, but regular starter Ben Bishop started the game for Tampa Bay. For the third time in a row, Tampa Bay struck first, on Ryan Callahan's slapshot goal at 5:09 of the first. Brad Richards tied it up on a power-play goal and the teams were tied after the first period. The first period was dominated by Chicago, who outshot Tampa Bay 19–7. The second period was dominated by Tampa Bay, which outshot Chicago 17–7, but there was no scoring. In the third period, Brandon Saad gave Chicago its first lead at 4:14, but Tampa Bay countered on the next shift on a goal by Ondrej Palat to tie the score once again. Late in the third period, Victor Hedman led a rush down ice for Tampa Bay and passed to Cedric Paquette who scored to put the Lightning ahead again. The Lightning were able to defend their lead to win the game 3–2 and take a series lead two games to one.

Brandon Saad scored the game-winning goal in Game 4.

The Lightning chose to rest injured goaltender Ben Bishop for game four in favor of rookie Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Lightning protected Vasilevskiy with tight defensive play, allowing only two shots by the Blackhawks in the first period, which was scoreless. For the first time in the series, the Blackhawks scored the first goal, on a goal by Jonathan Toews at 6:40 of the second. Alex Killorn tied it for the Lightning at 11:47 and the game was tied 1–1 after two periods. In the third, the Blackhawks' Brandon Saad muscled his way to the goal and scored on a backhand past Vasilevskiy at 6:22 to put the Blackhawks ahead. The game's pace picked up as the Lightning tried to tie the score but the Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford made several outstanding saves to shut out Tampa Bay the rest of the way. The win tied the series at two games apiece. It was the first time since 1968 that the first four Stanley Cup Finals games were all decided by one goal.

Corey Crawford saved 28 of 29 shots faced in Game 5.

The series returned to Tampa for game five and Ben Bishop returned to the net for the Lightning. The Blackhawks scored first for the second consecutive game, this time on a miscue by Bishop and Lightning defenceman Victor Hedman. The two collided and Patrick Sharp skated to the empty net with the puck, scoring at 6:11 of the first, a lead they held until 10:53 of the second when Valtteri Filppula scored to tie the score 1–1. The teams were tied going into the third, but Antoine Vermette scored for the Blackhawks at 2:00 of third and the lead held up as the Blackhawks played tight defence the rest of the way. The Blackhawks took the lead in the series three games to two, to give themselves a chance to win the Cup at home, something the franchise has not done since 1938. For the second time in Finals history and the first since 1951, wherein all five games that had to be played went to overtime, all games of the series through game five have been decided by one goal, with neither team leading by more than one goal.

External video
Game 6 Full replay (NHL International's feed) on the NHL's official YouTube channel

Duncan Keith scored the Stanley Cup-clinching goal in Game 6.

In game six, the teams were scoreless after the first period. In the first period, Steven Stamkos put a shot off the crossbar and was stopped on a breakaway early in the second by Corey Crawford but it was the Blackhawks who scored first on a goal by Duncan Keith on a rebound of his own shot near the end of the second period to put Chicago ahead 1–0 after two periods. In the third period, the Blackhawks' Patrick Kane scored on a pass from Brad Richards and play by Brandon Saad to put the 'Hawks ahead 2–0, the first two-goal lead of the series. The Blackhawks then frustrated the Lightning the rest of the way to win the game 2–0, a shutout for Crawford and the Stanley Cup championship. It was revealed after the game that the Lightning's goaltender Ben Bishop had played with a torn groin muscle since game two and Tyler Johnson was playing with a fractured wrist, injured in game one. This was also the first time since 1938, when they beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fourth game of a best-of-five Finals at Chicago Stadium, and the first time at the United Center that the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup on home ice.[15]

• #80 Antoine Vermette played 63 games for Arizona, 13 for Chicago, and 20 of 23 playoff games and played in the Final (qualified for playing in the finals)
• #11 Andrew Desjardins played 56 games for San Jose, 13 for Chicago, and 21 of 23 playoff games, and played in the Final (qualified for playing in the finals)
• #57 Trevor van Riemsdyk – only played 18 games due to fractured patella, played eight games for Rockford (AHL), injured playing in the minors (Wrist) – played four games in the Final (qualified for playing in the finals)
• #86 Teuvo Teravainen – played 34 games for Chicago, and 39 games for Rockford (AHL), played 18 of 23 playoffs and played in the Final (qualified for playing in the finals)
• #44 Kimmo Timonen played 16 games for Chicago. Traded to Chicago from Philadelphia Feb 27, 2015. He did not play for Flyers this season due to a blood clot. Dressed for game six of the Final (qualified for playing in the finals)
• #26 Kyle Cumiskey – played seven games for Chicago, played nine playoff games (qualified for playing seven Conference Finals games and two games in the Finals).
• #13 Daniel Carcillo – included because of injuries, spent the whole season with Chicago only 39 games played, not dressed in the playoffs - with Chicago request.
• #42 Joakim Nordstrom – played 38 games for Chicago, 23 games for Rockford, played three playoff games, included for playing in one game in the Conference Final – with Chicago request.
• Scotty Bowman won his 14th Stanley Cup 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979 (Montreal), 1991, 1992 (Pittsburgh), 1997, 1998, 2002, 2008 (Detroit), 2010, 2013, 2015 (Chicago).

Left off the Stanley Cup

• #31 Antti Raanta – played 14 games, and was dressed in 51 games for Chicago. He also played 11 games for Rockford(AHL). Raanta was sent to the minors on February 22, 2015, when Scott Darling was recalled. Raanta rejoined Chicago on April 12 but did not dress in the playoffs. Chicago did not request his name, so it was not included on the Cup since Raanta had spent time playing in the minors after the trading deadline.
• D. J. Kogut (Equipment Asst.), Jeff Uyenko (Equipment Asst.) – all three were included in the team picture.
• Clinton Reif (Asst. Equipment Manager) who died on December 21 was also left off. Reif is on the Cup with Chicago in 2010 and 2013.