The Lightning have a chance to clinch their first Stanley Cup championship in 16 years Saturday night. All they have to do is defeat the Stars in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place in Edmonton.
Tampa Bay will be without captain Steven Stamkos yet again. He appeared in Game 3, scoring a goal while playing five shifts in the first period. He left the ice with 6:18 remaining in that opening period, did not return to the game, and was not in the lineup for Tampa Bay’s 5-4 overtime win in Game 4 on Friday night.
Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk was the overtime hero in Game 4, scoring the winning goal after Dallas tied the game late in the third period on a shot that ricocheted off Shattenkirk and into the Tampa net. Shattenkirk, a free agent signing by Tampa last offseason, now has three goals and 10 assists in 23 postseason games.
After some speculation that there could be a change in the Stars net, coach Rick Bowness announced Anton Khudobin will be the Game 5 starter. In the last three games — all Dallas losses — Khudobin has a 4.73 goals-against average and .863 save percentage. Those numbers are high on the list of things that must change for the Stars if they hope to extend their season beyond Saturday night.
Saturday, Sept. 26
Dallas at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m. (NBC, CBC, TVAS, SN/NBC Sports Live)
*Central time