Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals is tonight and I have finally finished sulking enough to write about it. After beating the Rangers in game 7 at The Garden, the Tampa Bay Lightning are searching for their first Stanley Cup title since they won it back in 2004. The Chicago Blackhawks, who also won their last series in 7 games on the road, are looking to win their third Cup in the last six years. This is going to be a great series. Tampa Bay is young, fast, and can light up the score board. They were the top scoring team in the league in the regular season and have the top goal scorer in the playoffs, Tyler Johnson. Tampa has also proved throughout the playoffs that they can play shut down defense as well. Ben Bishop leads all goalies in shutouts in these playoffs with 3, including two 2-0 shutouts last round at Madison Square Garden. Two of Bishop’s three shutouts have been in game 7, (against Detroit round 1 and New York last round) which is an impressive feat in itself. Tampa Bay may be the underdog but they will be no pushover.

Chicago, much like Tampa Bay, is fast, strong and very talented. They have a team filled with veterans and leaders who know how to win. Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Brent Seabrook, and Duncan Keith are CLUTCH. The four of them already have their names on the Cup twice and are hungry for their third. I have’t even mentioned guys Like Marion Hossa, Brandon Saad, Patrick Sharp, and Andrew Shaw. Chicago is a very deep team that has four dangerous offensive lines and six very solid defensemen. Goaltender Corey Crawford has been shaky early in the playoffs but has looked very solid and confident of late. Crawford also has two championships under his belt. He responds veery well under pressure and gives his teammates a lot of confidence.

This series is going to come down to team speed. Both teams can flat out fly. which ever team can contain the other will win the series. Tampa Bay’s line of Johnson, Palat, and Kucherov, aka the “Triplet Line”, have been the most dominant line of the playoffs. Those three have combined for 28 goals this post season and are nearly impossible to stop. Lightning captain Steven Stamkos may be the best goal scorer in the league. He is lightning fast (pun intended) and has a rocket of a shot. He finished second in the league in goals during the regular season and will definitely be a difference maker for Tampa.

Chicago’s defense will definitely have their hands full but they will be up to the task. Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook maybe be two of the best defensemen in the NHL. Coach Quinnenville can confidently throw them out there against any player and know they will shut that player down. The question is, who will they face? Who will be out there to shut down the dominant Triplets Line. Who will have the task of containing Stamkos? My guess is Duncan Keith and Niklas Hjalmarsson will try to lock down the Triplets and Seabrook and Kyle Cuminskey will try to contain the Stamkos line.

On the offensive side Chicago will look to their two best players, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Kane is second in the playoffs in points and goals behind only Tyler Johnson. He has shown time and time again that he knows how to score in big game situations. Back in 2010 he scored the game winning overtime goal against the Philadelphia Flyers to win Chicago’s first Stanley Cup since 1961. Captain Jonathan Toews is the heart and sou of the team. He is a born leader and sets the tone for the rest of the team. Chicago looks to Toews for leadership and he steps up when they need him most. In game 7 against Anaheim in the western conference finals, Toews lead the charge with two big goals in a 5-3 victory. Look for Toews and Kane to be big time difference makes in the series.

The Stanley Cup Finals are always exciting and this series will be no exception. I’m picking Chicago in 6 with Toews winning the Conn Smythe Award (playoff MVP). Their experience and determination will be too much for the young and inexperience Lightning to handle. If you’re a sports fan of any kind, you’re going to want to tune and and watch this.

-Kev