Imagine having to tell your kids that, instead of going to Disneyland, you’re taking them to Chicago. No child deserves that fate, but it’s been dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning. With their Game Seven victory on Saturday night, the Chicago Blackhawks are moving on to meet the Bolts in the Stanley Cup Final. The series will begin on Wednesday at Amalie Arena.
While the Lightning haven’t been perfect through three rounds of these Stanley Cup Playoffs, it’s hard to complain about what has transpired. The new reality is that Tampa Bay has home-ice advantage in the year’s final series. For a young group that has continually defied the odds and expectations put on it by the greater hockey community, that’s pretty incredible. Few thought Tampa could win two straight elimination games against the Red Wings. Only a small handful gave Tampa a chance against the team that swept them one year ago. And virtually no one thought Tampa could beat the King in a pivotal seventh game at Madison Square Garden. Yet, here they are with a legitimate shot at the Stanley Cup.
Of course, if they want to turn that chance at winning into an actual win, they’ll have to beat a very strong opponent. People often remark that the Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings are the closest things to modern-day dynasties, but I’d argue that the Blackhawks should sit at the top of that list. Not only have they won two of the last five Stanley Cups (with a chance to make it three-in-six this year), but they consistently make long playoff runs even when they don’t take home all the marbles. Simply put, there won’t be anything easy about this Stanley Cup Final for the Lightning. This Blackhawks team is the realest deal around.
Even so, it doesn’t seem like Lightning fans are scared of the challenge. In fact, based on the results of the poll question attached to my last blog, Bolts Nation was asking for the Blackhawks:
I’m not absolutely sure why Lightning fans preferred the Blackhawks over the Ducks, but my gut tells me it’s because of the entertainment factor. Both Tampa and Chicago play an upbeat, fast-paced style. This Stanley Cup Final has the potential to be one of the most entertaining in recent memory, regardless of outcome. That’s great news for the National Hockey League and the sport as a whole.
Before signing off, I’ll mention that there will be plenty of time to dissect the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses (are there any of the latter?) before puck drop on June 3rd. This blog is intended to simply note that the Final matchup is now set. The Chicago Blackhawks are coming to Tampa, Florida.
--
Welcome to the many Blackhawks fans who will spend some time in this thread over the next couple of weeks. Here’s hoping you help to generate great discussion like the countless Red Wings, Canadiens, and Rangers fans did and continue to do.
As always, thanks for reading.
Michael Stuart has been the Tampa Bay Lightning writer for HockeyBuzz since 2012. Visit his archive to read more or follow him on Twitter. 
Ottawa Senators Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»