From the Press Box: Seventh Heaven

The conference finals are showing what's so great about playoff hockey, and they are not done yet. There is such symmetry with both of these series as they each feature a team that has enjoyed recent lengthy playoff runs (Chicago and New York) as well as two clubs who thirst for playoff success (Tampa and Anaheim). Will we have an Original Six final, Sun-state matchup, or some combination of the two? Regardless, some great hockey remains to be played.

Eastern Conference

Lightning vs. Rangers
Tied at three games apiece, this is probably the result should have been anticipated. There really isn't much that separates the two clubs. The Bolts have been led by their prolific offensive stars, Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov, who lead all playoff scorers, with 20 and 19 points, respectively. After a bit of a slow start, their captain, Steven Stamkos, has been a hot scorer, accumulating 17 points so far.

The Rangers have kept pace by leaning on their top scorers, who are also driving their top two scoring lines. Rick Nash was slow to get producing in this postseason, but he has heated up with a three-point game in Game 4 and a four-point effort in Game 6. Similarly, his regular center, Derick Brassard, has eight points in the series. A second scoring line featuring Derek Stepan and Chris Kreider was impactful in pacing the Rangers' offense through the first four games.

When we consider the respective goalies, both Ben Bishop and Henrik Lundqvist have had their ups and downs. Neither will look back and see consistent results, as they can each point to very poor results in a couple of games, while also producing some excellent performances. It boils down to whether the Bolts can rebound from a tough Game 6 and show their resilience once more or will the magic of Lundqvist in Game 7s prevail once more? We will have that answer Friday night.

These are two of the very best and fastest skating teams in the NHL. They are both quicker than their possible Western foes. Whoever wins Game 7 will lean on that advantage against their Stanley Cup final opponent.

Western Conference

Chicago vs. Anaheim
Just as we similarities with the teams in the Eastern final, the combatants in the West are showing the same traits, which had the Ducks ahead three games to two heading into Game 6 on Wednesday in Chicago.

This matchup has had the drama of a great heavyweight fight. Game 5 was a masterpiece that deserves some specific commentary. The Ducks roared out of the gate in the opening frame and quickly unleashed an offensive barrage that included three goals before the game was 15 minutes old. It was telling that two of those tallies came from defensemen Cam Fowler and Sami Vatanen. All of the Ducks' defensemen have proven to be more effective and consistent than their Chicago counterparts. That disparity has forced Chicago's top blueliners, Duncan Keith and Niklas Hjalmarsson, to play at least three or four more minutes per game than any Ducks defenders. In fact, the Hawks have a bigger skew from top to bottom than the Ducks' rearguards. You had to think that the longer the series goes, the advantage has to be with Anaheim as the top Hawks' are more fatigued. The other goal in that three-spot came from Ryan Kesler, who has lived up to all advance billing and two-way responsibility, particularly when opposing Jonathan Toews.

The Hawks found a resolve to turn the tables with a pair of goals in the middle stanza to shift the game's momentum. Brent Seabrook, another key Chicago defender, and depth forward Teuvo Teravainen accounted for those goals as part of a 13-5 shot advantage for Chicago.

With the stakes so high in the third period, viewers might have expected a tight defensive struggle. Instead the teams traded shots and chances until Patrick Maroon (the lesser-known third member of the Ducks' top line) converted a pretty passing play and gave Anaheim a 4-2 lead with only 5:15 left to play.

That should have been enough to claim victory, but someone forgot to tell the Hawks' leader. Toews, in a storybook last two minutes of regulation, tallied two goals to stun the Ducks and send it into overtime.

We have seen the Hawks come on like this many times in the last few years. However, one final and quick plot twist played out in the first minute of overtime when a shoot-in attempt by Bryan Bickell was blocked by Francois Beauchemin, who sent his mates away on an odd-man rush. Matt Beleskey knocked in a rebound and the Ducks claimed a 3-2 series lead in one of the best games I've has seen in many years.

In Game 6, the Hawks parlayed their home ice advantage into a victory that was only a bit less dramatic. In a scoreless first period, the Ducks held a 10-to-6 shot advantage. Goals by Brandon Saad, Marian Hossa and Patrick Kane in the second period had their fans packing their bags for Game 7. However, there were some tense moments as a second period tally by Maroon and a controversial goal by Clayton Stoner made for a tight finish. The Ducks outshot Chicago in a one-sided third period by a count of 10 to four, but a pair of late goals (one an empty-netter) by Andrew Shaw gave Chicago the clinchers in a 5-2 win.

The Ducks and Hawks are much more physical than their Eastern counterparts and yet they are very close to one another in that department. That will be the Western winners big advantage in the Cup Final.

These playoffs will definitely feature more drama in both Game 7s, before we are treated to what should be a great final series, regardless of which teams qualify.