WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Game 5 of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals will air tonight on NBC live from Amalie Arena as the Tampa Bay Lightning will match-up with the Chicago Blackhawks. Jonathan Toews led all skaters with shots on goal in Game 4 Wednesday night to help the Blackhawks in their harassment of Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevsky and tie the series up at 2-2. The experience of the Blackhawks kept them feisty on the offensive side as Game 4 progressed. The Blackhawks won 38 of the games 58 face-offs and showed good puck possession to get things done at the United Center and avoid a 3-1 deficit. In a pivotal Game 5 tonight they'll need to maintain this type of intensity so they can steal one on the road and head back to Chicago with a chance to close it all out and get the Stanley Cup trophy for 2015.

Lightning goalie Ben Bishop was a hobbling horror in Tampa Bay's game 3 win Monday night. The injury (still undisclosed) has him questionable for tonights match-up which means the Lightning will need to turn it up a notch if they are to prevail. The Lightning were able to out shoot the Blackhawks with a 25-19 shots on goal comparison in game 4 but Vasilevsky showed vulnerable just one too many times in the 2-1 loss. There's nothing slight about the attack of the veteran collaborative over in the Blackhawks locker room but certainly the Lightning would like to have a seasoned Ben Bishop in the line-up rather than the younger Vasilevsky. Nevertheless, if he is absent, the short-coming will need to be overcame as they look to get the Stanley Cup series lead tonight in game 5. Lightning fans are thrilled at the opportunity to get a 3-2 series lead and put themselves just one game shy of a Stanley Cup Finals NHL championship. This hope will require the work and it'll be against the Western Conference adversary Chicago Blackhawks. When Lightening strikes.

Which team wants it more in Game 5? Watch the Stanley Cup Finals game 5 contest between the Chicago Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning live at 8:00 p.m. E.T on NBC. Though the 2015 NHL season has come to a crashing end, we encourage fans to stay tuned with the Stanley Cup Finals as we prepare to crown the league best this month. THE BIRTH LLC supports the NHL.