I continue to be surprised by the oddsmaker and marketplace's lack of respect for Tampa Bay. The Lightning have beaten the Penguins six of the past eight times, including the last two and four of the past five at home. Tampa Bay is 7-2 in its last nine overall games.

Yet the Lightning have opened underdogs like they have in each of the past five games in this Eastern Conference Finals.

Tampa Bay is home - where it is 67-32 the past 99 times - confident to close out the series rather than return to Pittsburgh and catches the Penguins in somewhat disarray.

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan made the boneheaded decision of the entire playoffs by benching hot goalie Matt Murray for Marc-Andre Fleury this past Sunday in Game 5. Fleury had played just 20 minutes during the past 52 days and was predictably horrible giving up four goals on 25 shots. He could have given up at least three more goals, too, as three Tampa Bay shots hit the goalpost.

So now Sullivan is either stuck with an ineffective Fleury or go back to the youngster Murray, whose confidence has to be shook up. Don't forget, too, the Penguins are without defenseman Trevor Daley, lost for the season with a broken ankle.

The Lightning are likely still to be without Vezina finalist Ben Bishop, but they are the stronger defensive team and backup goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has been brilliant in the series. Bishop could not have played better than Vasilevskiy. The return of star defenseman Anton Stralman has been a lift also for the Lightning.