Six months: that’s how long the NHL regular season lasts. Eighty-two: how many games it takes to move on to the finals. Two months: how long the playoffs last. Two weeks: how long the Stanley Cup finals last. Four: how many wins it takes in the finals for a team to be awarded the Stanley Cup. Fans and players all over the country wait all year for that moment, and it is finally here. Wednesday night, the finals begin, and two teams remain: the Chicago Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning.
A look back
The Conference Finals concluded last week in dramatic fashion. The Lightning knocked out the New York Rangers while the Blackhawks defeated the Anaheim Ducks, both in game sevens. This was the first time that both conference finals were decided in game sevens since 2000. Also, home advantage did not work in favor for those who had it, with both the Lightning and the Blackhawks winning as the away teams.
Recent success
For 49 years, the Blackhawks were in a cup drought. The team needed a change, and in 2008, the Blackhawks made Joel Quenneville their new head coach. Quenneville gave the team the success they so desperately needed. After losing in the Conference Finals that year, they bounced back and won the cup in 2010 and took it home again in 2013. The veteran players and coaches give them the experience in this year’s finals.
The new kids
In 1992, Tampa Bay won the bid for a new franchise in the NHL; thus, the Tampa Bay Lightning was born. They had some early struggles, but finally had their chance at the cup in 2004 where they won it in game seven. This year will only be the team’s second year to the finals. Head coach Jon Cooper got his job with a little less than a month left in the regular season of 2013, and they missed the playoffs that year. After losing in the first round last year, the Lightning will have the disadvantage of not having as much experience as Chicago has in recent years.
Goal tending battles
Ben Bishop and Corey Crawford, the goalies for Tampa Bay and Chicago respectively, have come up huge for their teams this postseason.
Bishop just came off of a monumental win, defeating the Rangers and the “King” Henrik Lundqvist. Bishop knew it would be a battle, with many considering Lundqvist the best goalie in the league. But two important 2-0 shutouts — both coming on the road in New York — Bishop showed he has what it takes to make it to the playoffs.
Crawford, on the other hand, has not faced the same caliber in the playoffs as Bishop has, but he still had his work cut out for him. But a sweep of the Minnesota Wild in round two gave him a confidence boost. Crawford also has the advantage as he backstopped Chicago’s two successful cup runs.
Key matchup
The two team captains, Blackhawk's Jonathan Toews and Lightning's Steven Stamkos, both bring the same skills to the table, as they are both centers. They possess the qualities that make them equal on the ice, which would prove to be a great faceoff. But with the help of teammate Patrick Kane to compliment Toews, the Blackhawks should have an extra spark.
What to expect
Both teams have shown to be high-scoring teams, with Chicago having very strong defense. But with the two going against each other, there will be a lot of scoring chances, but most likely not a lot of goals scored. There will also not be a lot of hitting and penalties throughout the series. The two do not have many big guys or attackers, and have never been mainly concerned with hitting and fighting. As the series progresses and the intensity thickens, there may be some more of this, but it’s not likely that it will start that way.
Although Chicago has the experience to win, Tampa Bay has proved that they are here for a fight, and as history shows, experience doesn’t always win it.