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Tropical storm won't postpone Game 5 of Stanley Cup Final?
Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) controls the puck as Montreal Canadiens center Jake Evans (71) defends during the second period in game four of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final. Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports

'Zero chance' Game 5 of Stanley Cup Final to be postponed despite tropical storm?

Legitimate and understandable concerns arose earlier in the day that Wednesday's Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning could be postponed because of Tropical Storm Elsa that is set to affect portions of Florida. 

It appears such worries have quieted heading into the evening hours. 

According to Greg Wyshynski of ESPN, personnel from both teams and the league have safely arrived to Tampa after the Canadiens avoided a four-game sweep by winning in Montreal on Monday. Additionally, an NHL source told ESPN there was "zero chance" Wednesday's contest will be postponed assuming the forecast claiming the worst of the storm will be over hours before the matchup's start time is accurate. 

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Associated Press the league does "have an amount of flexibility" as it pertains to playing Game 5. As things stood late Tuesday afternoon, Game 6 is scheduled for Friday back in Montreal. 

The NHL did encounter weather-related postponements due to harsh winter conditions that impacted multiple states in February. 

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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