stamkos

It’s the finals that none of us deserve (unless you’ve been really good this year). The two teams who really play the most exciting brand of hockey in the NHL will face off tonight in the Stanley Cup Final as the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Chicago Blackhawks. Tampa has taken a unique road to the finals by defeating 3 original 6 teams (Detroit, Montreal and the New York Rangers)  and they have the chance to take out 1 more in the Blackhawks. The Lighting have also played 20 of a possible 21 games to reach the cup finals, winning 2 game 7’s.

The Blackhawks have traveled a more familiar road dispatching of the Nashville Predators in 6 games and beating the Minnesota Wild for the 3rd straight season, this time in 4 games. The Hawks had their strongest test in the conference finals as they battled the Ducks. Down 3-2 in the series, Chicago rallied to win game 6 at home and then crush Anaheim in their own barn in game 7. The Hawks are in search of their 3rd Stanley Cup since 2010.

So will it be the dynasty of the Blackhawks or the upstart Lightning who remind me a ton of that Blackhawks team in 2010 that finally got over the hump.

I gotta go with Chicago in this series, as much as I personally would like to see Tampa take this. The Blackhawks can match the depth and speed of the Lightning. Chicago’s experience might play a role and mostly, I’m just tired of betting against the Hawks and losing.

Chicago in 6

Conference Final picks:

Hawks in 6 (7)

Rangers in 7  Tampa Bay in 7