Stanley Cup Finals

It hasn't even been two months since the Boston Bruins were crowned the 2011 Stanley Cup champions, but that won't stop us from speculating about next year's Finals matchups.

The NHL is full of good rivalries right now and while most are conference rivals, there's still an opportunity for plenty of good interconference Stanley Cup Finals showdowns.

Bettman and Co. lucked out when the Eastern Conference sent an Original Six team (and one of the biggest television markets in the United States) to this year's Finals. Likewise, Vancouver drew the interest of all of Canada, whether good or bad.

However, it appeared that was all the league was getting. Boston and Vancouver couldn't be further apart, squaring off only once or twice during the regular season and separated by about as long a distance as one could imagine.

Once again, the “seventh player” had its say and got its way Friday night as Rogers Arena cheered the Vancouver Canucks to a 1-0 triumph and 3-2 series lead in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Can Boston rebound after giving up a soul-crushing goal late in the 3rd period to lose Game 1? Can Vancouver deal with more injuries to their defensemen? Can Boston score a goal on their powerplay? Can the Sedin twins figure out a way to beat the Boston defense? 

The Boston Bruins will look to even the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals at one game apiece Saturday night with a win in Game 2 against the Vancouver Canucks.

After being beaten in the final seconds of Game 1, the Bruins shouldn't be too worried about their Game 2 chances.

Bruins goalie Tim Thomas was fantastic, their penalty kill was awesome, and even the power play showed signs of life.

But Vancouver will play better too, and Boston must continue to play the good defense that got them to this point.

They did it run and gun against Chicago, they did it tight and close against Nashville, and they did it big and physical against San Jose.

Along the way, they’ve faced some of the league's best shooters (Kane, Toews, Thornton, Heatley), some of defensemen (Keith, Seabrook, Weber, Suter), and goaltenders (Rinne).

After months of grueling hockey, the stage is finally set. The Boston Bruins will play the Vancouver Canucks in the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals.

Both teams won their conferences in different fashions. Vancouver is well rested, while Boston has already had to play in two seven-game series so far.

Vancouver got to the finals because of timely goaltending and a great, versatile offense. Boston made the quest for Lord Stanley's Cup by having one of the best defensive teams in recent memory.

The Boston Bruins are going to their first Stanley Cup Finals since 1990 after beating the Tampa Bay Lightning 1-0 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals Friday night.

The matchup for the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals has been set as the Boston Bruins punched their ticket after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 with a 1-0 shutout win.

In less than a week, the Stanley Cup Finals will begin, and many on the NHL staff are bracing themselves for what could be a television ratings disaster.

Whichever team wins tonight's game is irrelevant to the fact that the Stanley Cup Finals will only feature one American hockey club. The last time a club from the United States faced off against a Canadian club, the ratings were the worst the NHL has ever posted.