* Since the Final went to the best-of-seven format in 1939, the team that has won Game 2 has gone on to capture the Stanley Cup 74.7% of the time (56 of 75 series), including in nine of the past 12 series.

* Forty-nine teams have taken a 2-0 series lead since the Final went to the best-of-seven format in 1939. Of those clubs, 44 (89.8%) have gone on to claim the Stanley Cup, including the Kings in each of the past two instances (2012 and 2014).

* Road clubs that have swept the first two games of the Final have won the Stanley Cup on 10 of 12 occasions. The lone exceptions: the 1942 Maple Leafs, who lost the first two games at Maple Leaf Gardens (and trailed 3-0) before rallying to defeat the Red Wings in seven games, and the 1966 Canadiens, who dropped the opening two games at the Forum but stormed back to eliminate the Red Wings in six games.

2-0 Series Lead by Road Teams in Stanley Cup Final
2012 – Kings at NJD (LAK won series 4-2)
1997 – Red Wings at PHI (DET won series 4-0)
1995 – Devils at DET (NJD won series 4-0)
1990 – Oilers at BOS (EDM won series 4-1)
1983 – Islanders at EDM (NYI won series 4-0)
1970 – Bruins at STL (BOS won series 4-0)
1968 – Canadiens at STL (MTL won series 4-0)
1966 – Red Wings at MTL (MTL won series 4-2)*
1952 – Red Wings at MTL (DET won series 4-0)
1949 – Maple Leafs at DET (TOR won series 4-0)
1945 – Maple Leafs at DET (TOR won series 4-3)
1942 – Red Wings at TOR (TOR won series 4-3)*
* Team that lost first two games at home ultimately won series

* In 2004, the Lightning’s lone other appearance in the Final, the club dropped Game 1 at home vs. CGY (4-1 L) before bouncing back with a win in Game 2 (4-1 W). Tampa Bay ultimately won the series in seven games.

* Since 2004, there only has been one split of the opening two games in the Stanley Cup Final. In 2013, the Blackhawks won Game 1 (in 3OT) and the Bruins won Game 2 (in OT) – Chicago ultimately won the series in six games.

* Dating to Game 6 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final – which also featured the Blackhawks – five of the past seven Stanley Cup Final games have seen the victorious team overcome a deficit at any point in the contest, including four in the third period.

Last Seven Stanley Cup Final Games, Dating to 2013
2015: Game 1 – CHI 2 at TBL 1 (CHI trailed 1-0 in 3rd period)
2014: Game 5 – NYR 2 at LAK 3 (2OT) (LAK trailed 2-1 in 3rd period)
2014: Game 4 – LAK 1 at NYR 2*
2014: Game 3 – LAK 3 at NYR 0*
2014: Game 2 – NYR 4 at LAK 5 (2OT) (LAK trailed 4-2 in 3rd period)
2014: Game 1 – NYR 2 at LAK 3 (OT) (LAK trailed 2-0 in 1st period)
2013: Game 6 – CHI 3 at BOS 2 (CHI trailed 2-1 in 3rd period)
* Winning team did not trail

>>> Including Game 6 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final, the Blackhawks have led for a combined 5:33 in their last two Stanley Cup Final games (out of 120:00 total) – both wins.

>>> The last two Stanley Cup winners have trailed for more time than they have led during the course of the series. The Blackhawks led for 21.0% of total playing time in 2013 (BOS: 23.1%) and the Kings led for 18.8% of total playing time in 2014 (NYR: 30.0%).

>>> The Kings, who won Games 1 and 2 of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final vs. NYR, did not hold the lead in either contest until scoring the decisive goal in overtime.

Other Trends:

* The Lightning are 3-0 in Game 2s during the playoffs; the Blackhawks are 2-1.

* Six of the past eight games between the Lightning and Blackhawks have been decided by one goal dating to March 9, 2011 (CHI: 2-2-4, TBL: 6-1-1), including Game 1.

* More than half of the games in the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs (51 of 84, 60.7%) have been tied or within one goal entering the final five minutes of regulation, including Game 1.

* More than one-third of the games this postseason have featured a comeback win (30 of 84, 35.7%). Fourteen of those comeback victories were staged in the third period, including Game 1.

* In Game 1, Antoine Vermette (at 15:26) scored the ninth go-ahead goal in the final five minutes of regulation during the playoffs – and second by the Blackhawks (alsoDuncan Keith in Game 6 of the FR vs. NSH: 16:12 of 3rd period).

* In Game 1, the Blackhawks earned their second victory of the postseason when trailing after two periods and first such win in regulation (2-4 overall). Their other such victory was in Game 4 of the First Round vs. NSH, when Brandon Saad scored the tying goal midway through the third period and Brent Seabrook recorded the winner at 1:00 of triple-overtime (in a 3-2 W).

* The Blackhawks also improved to 4-4 when allowing the first goal during the playoffs – their four such wins are tied for first in the NHL (w/ ANA: 4-5).

* In Game 1, the Lightning suffered their first loss of the postseason when leading after two periods (8-1). Including the regular season, they suffered their first regulation loss in that scenario (41-1-2).

* The Lightning also lost for the first time when scoring the first goal during the playoffs (9-1). They went 35-7-4 in that scenario during the regular season.

* Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith has 0-8—8 during a five-game assist/point streak, a career high during the postseason. He also leads all defensemen and has established career highs in assists (17) and points (19) during the playoffs.

* Keith’s 17 assists are the most by any defenseman in one playoff year since 1994, when Brian Leetch notched 23 for the Rangers. His 19 points also are the most by any defenseman in one postseason since 2006, when Chris Pronger collected 5-16—21 with the Oilers.

DID YOU KNOW?
Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final has required overtime in each of the past four seasons.

Game 2 of Stanley Cup Final, Since 2011
2014: NYR 4 at LAK 5 (Dustin Brown, 10:26 of 2OT)
2013: BOS 2 at CHI 1 (Daniel Paille, 13:48 of OT)
2012: LAK 2 at NJD 1 (Jeff Carter, 13:42 of OT)
2011: BOS 2 at VAN 3 (Alexandre Burrows, 0:11 of OT)*

* Burrows scored the second-fastest overtime goal in Stanley Cup Final history. The fastest: by Canadiens forward Brian Skrudland in Game 2 of the 1986 Stanley Cup Final at CGY (0:09 of OT) – that also is the fastest goal in Stanley Cup Playoffs history.

QUENNEVILLE REACHES MILESTONE
Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final marks the 200th playoff game behind the bench for Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville (112-87).

Only two other head coaches in NHL history have reached the milestone: Scotty Bowman (353) and Al Arbour (209).

Quenneville also ranks third behind Bowman (223) and Arbour (123) for the most playoff wins by a head coach in NHL history.

SPECIAL BIRTHDAY PRESENT?
Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson celebrates his 28th birthday today.

Per Elias, Oilers forward Jari Kurri was the last player to score a goal in the Stanley Cup Final while celebrating his birthday – he posted 3-2—5 on May 18, 1990, in Game 2 at BOS (7-2 W).

GARRISON, DESJARDINS BLOGS ON NHL.COM
Lightning defenseman Jason Garrison and Blackhawks forward Andrew Desjardinswill be blogging for NHL.com throughout the 2015 Stanley Cup Final, offering insight on what’s happening inside the locker room as well as within the confines of the rink.

Click here to view the latest entry by Desjardins.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Phil Pritchard, the Keeper of the Cup, provided a first-hand account of life with the Stanley Cup for The Players’ Tribune.

the above information was provided by the NHL PR department