The Tampa Bay Lightning have held an answer to all the tests the Chicago Blackhawks have thrown their way in the Stanley Cup Final.
Most goals have been met with a response. Chicago’s championship mettle has been countered by Tampa’s own steely-like persona.
The Lightning quickly overcame a Chicago third period lead and poured it on to pick up a 3-2 Game 3 win at United Center.
The victory put Tampa up 2-1 in their best-of-7 series with the Blackhawks. Game 4 is Wednesday evening at United Center.
Tampa forward Cedric Paquette fired the game-winner with 3:11 left in the third period, deflecting a pass by defenseman Victor Hedman. *


Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop started after some coy mind games by Tampa as to who would play in the contest. He exited Game 2 in the third period, re-entered and left again. No explanation was given why.
"We're not going to put anybody*in a game that is going to be in harm's way of hurting himself," Tampa coach Jon Cooper said. "We talked*long and hard if he could play*tonight. There wasn't a doubt in his eyes.*You can read when guys are sitting there saying, 'Coach, I'll go for*you'. Or you can say, give me the net. That kid said, give me the net. I*knew we were going to be okay."
The third period saw two quick goals by both teams. At the 4:14 mark of the frame, Brandon Saad put the game at 2-1 in favor of Chicago. Then 13 seconds later the Lightning responded when Ondrej Palat knotted it at 2-2.
"It's a great play, a great goal," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "All of a sudden you get momentum. Two games we had the lead, but short-lived both times. Two tough losses in a row."

Oh, The Triplets -- You can’t keep them down for too long.*
The second period was tilted toward Tampa with the shots on goal at 17-7 in favor of the Lightning.
In that frame, Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford stopped a Nikita Kucherov breakaway and a protracted Tampa 5-on-3 that lasted 1:26.


*Chicago outshot Tampa 19-7 in the first period.
At the 14:22 mark of the first period Brad Richards fired a shot that Bishop just flubbed with his glove. It was one of those 'sure he'd love to have that one back' type plays. Still, it was the only mis-step for Bishop, who stopped 36 of 38 Chicago shots on goal.*
"I felt good. The first period, probably a few too many rebounds there. As the game went on, the guys did a great job of clearing those out," Bishop said. "As the game went on, I felt better, more comfortable. Some big blocked shots there at the end. Just a good team win all around. Obviously probably wasn't our best first, but I thought we got better as the game went on."


Lightning forward Ryan Callahan opened the scoring 5:09 into the game after pumping a blast past Crawford: *



Callahan was led perfectly by a Hedman pass and fired the puck over Crawford’s glove.*
Hedman was absolutely electric in the contest, notching two assists in over 26 minutes of action. His last two games he has four points and is a plus-2 for Tampa. *
"Victor Hedman, what he's doing, I mean, this is clearly his coming-out party," Cooper said. "He sets that one up and then makes a big-time play on the winner."
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