Game 2 will be serious business for Blackhawks, Lightning

Troy Murray answers questions as the Blackhawks and Lightning prepare for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Q: Tampa Bay wants to say Game 2 isn't a must-win because there's no such thing as a 'must-win' until you've lost three games. But it kind of feels like a must-win because you don't want to go down 2-0. Agree?

A: It was a little bit surprising for them to say that. I mean, it's not a 'must-win' in the (true) sense of it. But you understand the magnitude of going down 2-0 on home ice with the series going back to Chicago. So even though they're saying that, their belief and their understanding is they know that this is a critical game.

The terms of how you say a 'must-win' really isn't until you have an elimination game. But everybody understands how hard it is to come back if you lose your first two games on home ice. Don't be fooled that they're not taking this game seriously, or any lighter than they would - they are very well aware that this is a huge game in this series.

Q: What are your impressions of Teuvo Teravainen as a player and how the Hawks have brought him along?

A: Because of the position that the Blackhawks are in - when they have a real strong group of guys that can score goals - they didn't have to (tell) Teravainen into 'Kid, you're a goal-scorer. You better go score goals. We're gonna put you on our top two lines and you better score goals.'

He's a 20-year-old kid. What happens if he loses confidence by not scoring goals right off the bat? Mentally, he becomes a different type of player. The Blackhawks put him in a position where they said, 'Listen, learn how to play the game. Learn what you need to do in your own end of the ice. You're playing with two guys (Marcus Kruger and Joakim Nordstrom) that are very responsible.'

So he learned what he had to do in his own end of the ice, playing on a fourth line. He's not penciled into a fourth line and that's not where he'll play (for the) rest of his career. ...

And now you look at it and Joel can put him in any situation in his own end of the ice and feel comfortable. He gained Joel's trust. ...

So now you have a player who has confidence in his game because he learned to play the 200-foot game. You know he's got the skill. Now he's playing at a high level with more confidence, and the offensive side is starting to come out.

• Murray is in his 15th year as a member of the Blackhawks broadcast team and his eighth as the color analyst for the team's radio broadcasts. The Selke Award winner was a five-time 20-goal scorer who played 15 years in the NHL. Follow him on Twitter @muzz19.