Unlike their counterparts in the NBA, the Chicago Blackhawks and the Tampa Bay Lightning have little time to sit back and bask in their respective conference final glory. The puck drops Wednesday for Game 1 of the 2015 Stanley Final at 8 p.m. ET.
Neither team had it easy in the last round, with the Blackhawks taking out the Ducks in seven games, while the Lightning needed seven themselves to send the New York Rangers packing.
Here's a brief look ahead to what should be a great series.
Game 1 Schedule
Stanley Cup Guide
From a neutral's perspective, watching a championship game or series where one team is clearly superior to the other isn't a lot of fun. Fans want to see a long, competitive and drawn-out affair that pits two relatively close sides against one another.
Looking at this year's Stanley Cup Final, you get the sense that the Blackhawks and the Lightning are going to need six, maybe seven games to determine a winner—that's the competitive gap between them.
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Article written by Joseph Zucker