Andrew Shaw Chicago Blackhawks
Andrew Shaw's fifth goal of the playoffs gave the Blackhawks a Game One victory against the Bruins. Reuters

The Boston Bruins host the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday night in Game Three of the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals. The puck is scheduled to drop at 8 p.m. ET on the NBC Sports Network. The series sits at 1-1 after the teams split the first two games in Chicago. The series shifts to Boston for two straight games where the Bruins have won six straight.

Preview

Through two contests, the goalies have dominated the series. Corey Crawford and Tuukka Rask came into the Finals as the best goaltenders in the 2013 NHL Playoffs, and Games One and Two have been no different. Crawford has stopped 93.9 percent of shots that have come his way, while the Bruins netminder has a 94.8 save percentage.

Despite the poor play on offense, both teams have been resilient when falling behind. In Game One, the Blackhawks scored two late goals to force overtime. On Saturday night, the Bruins recovered from taking 15 fewer shots in the opening period to get an overtime victory of their own.

The officials have let both teams play and that should continue in Game Three. As a result, players like David Krejci and Marian Hossa could remain without a goal by the end of the night. Power plays will be key, a part of the game in which Chicago has looked lost all series.

Series Stats

Chicago: 2.5 goals per game, 48.5 shots per game, 0/6 power play, 89 face-offs won

Boston: 2.5 goals per game, 41 shots per game, 1/5 power play, 97 face-offs won

Betting Odds

Boston-130, Chicago+110

Where To Watch Online Stream

NBC Sports Live Extra (free)

Prediction

Boston will have a slight advantage by playing at home, but Chicago has proven that they are unfazed when playing on the road. In a series where the teams have played each other evenly, though, home-ice and special teams give the Bruins a slight advantage. Chicago’s inability to get on the same page during power plays and Boston’s terrific penalty kill isn’t a good combination for the team that had the best regular season in the NHL.

Boston 3, Chicago 2