Wednesday night will feature the first Stanley Cup Final game between two Original Six franchises since 1978, and plenty of fans cannot wait for the action to get underway. The Chicago Blackhawks have been playing fantastic hockey the entire season, and the Boston Bruins have heated up to scorching levels following their Game Seven first round comeback against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
This series will also feature the only games played between the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference in 2013, making it even more difficult to predict which team has the edge. It could be a seven-game series with plenty of overtime action, but there is also a chance that one of the teams could run away with the series, winning in four or five games without much of a problem.
Home ice will be a big factor in this series, as both teams have been close to unstoppable in their home rinks. Chicago has a record of 9-1 at "The Madhouse" this postseason, while Boston is 7-2 at the Garden. The Bruins have won six straight home games while Chicago has won five in a row.
The series will start out in the Windy City, and the Bruins will continue to roll, shocking the Blackhawks and their fans in Game One and stealing away home ice advantage in the series. The Blackhawks will not let the Bruins sweep both games in the United Center, though, as Chicago will win Game Two.
Chicago will take a 2-1 series lead when the series shifts to Beantown, winning Game Three in overtime, but the Bruins will not let the series get away from them as they even things up with a big victory in Game Four.
The Blackhawks come back on home ice in Game Five and will not disappoint their fans, winning a very tight and intense game to put them one win away from the Stanley Cup Final. They will have a chance to win it all in Game Six, but Tuukka Rask plays out of his mind and shuts out Chicago, sending the series to a decisive Game Seven back in Chicago.
The winner-take-all Game Seven will not disappoint, as both teams come out of the gates hitting hard and playing all-around rought hockey. Both goalies stand tall and keep the game close, entering the third period tied up.
The Blackhawks' last two series ended in overtime on home ice, but this time they will be determined to finish things without needing extra time. Chicago's offensive depth comes through in Game Seven, and the Chicago Blackhawks win the 2013 Stanley Cup.
After a monster series, Patrick Sharp wins the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP, and Jonathan Toews will hoist the Stanley Cup for the second time in four seasons - this time doing so in front of the hometown Chicago fans.