CHICAGO — Tampa Bay's Victor Hedman had two assists while playing stout defense on Chicago's top forwards as the Lightning beat the Blackhawks 3-2 in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final Monday. Ryan Callahan, Ondrej Palat and Cedric Paquette scored as Tampa Bay used its second straight win to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Goaltender Ben Bishop made 36 saves in a gutsy performance after he was under an injury cloud coming into the game. Game 4 is Wednesday. Brad Richards and Brandon Saad scored for Chicago, and Corey Crawford finished with 29 stops. The third consecutive one-goal game in the Finals was tied 1-1 after two periods, and then tied again after the teams exchanged goals in a 13-second burst in the third. But Hedman helped the Lightning take the lead for good when he skated into the corner and made a perfect pass to Paquette in the middle for his third goal of the playoffs with 3:11 remaining, silencing the United Center crowd. Bishop and company held up in the closing minutes as the Lightning improved to 8-3 on the road in this season's playoffs. The Lightning got the first goal when Hedman made a terrific stretch pass to an open Callahan for a big drive over Crawford's left shoulder at 5:09 of the first. Hedman has four assists in the series while hounding Chicago's talented group of scorers, establishing himself as an elite defenseman on the NHL's biggest stage. The Blackhawks dominated the rest of the period. Marian Hossa wasted a prime opportunity when his shot on an open net was wide left as he tumbled to the ice. Teuvo Teravainen also shot it wide on a good look while Bishop struggled to move around the goal. Tampa Bay defenseman Braydon Coburn was sent off for hooking with 7:18 left, and the Blackhawks capitalized on their first power-play opportunity. With Andrew Shaw lurking in front of the goal, Richards' big slap shot went off the top of Bishop's glove and into the net for his third goal of the playoffs. Tampa Bay wasted a chance to go in front in the second after Saad was whistled for goaltender's interference, creating a 5-on-3 opportunity. Bishop was shaken up by the collision, but stayed in the net. Crawford then made a couple of big saves to help the Blackhawks kill off the power-play time. Hossa made a slick pass to set up Saad's seventh goal at 4:14 of the third, giving the Blackhawks a 2-1 lead. But the Lightning replied immediately when Palat netted a rebound for his eighth of the playoffs. — AP
