Stanley Cup Final Preview

A rematch of the 1970 Stanley Cup Final is upon us: St. Louis will be taking on Boston in the Stanley Cup final. Here's a breakdown of what to know about in the upcoming Stanley Cup Final.

• How Did These Teams Get Here? Boston defeated Toronto in the first round, 4-2, and was caught in a tight series with Columbus in the Eastern Conference Semifinal before reeling off seven straight wins. They beat Columbus, 4-2, and swept Carolina in the Eastern Conference Final to make the Stanley Cup Final. St. Louis beat Winnipeg in the first round, 4-2. They proceeded to beat Dallas in seven games of the Western Conference Semifinal and beat San Jose, 4-2, in the Western Conference Final to make their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 1970 (they got swept by Boston that year).
  
• Who's On Fire Right Now? For St. Louis, it's none other than their superstar Vladimir Tarasenko. The right winger has 13 points this postseason and has seemed to have found his postseason stride. Tarasenko has five power play goals as well, so he'll be a force to be reckoned with if Boston's short-handed. As for the Bruins, it's Tuukka Rask. Rask has allowed 1.84 GAA and has a save percentage of .942 in 17 postseason games. St. Louis will have their hands full with Rask in the playoffs if he keeps playing like he's on fire.
• Who Should You Watch For? Boston's Brad Marchand has been known as one of the biggest instigators in recent memory. Recently, he punched Blue Jackets defenseman Scott Harrington in the back of the head and didn't get anything other than a warning. If Marchand is up to his old antics, it will affect the series greatly. As for the Blues, it's Jordan Binnington. The St. Louis goalie has come up big for the Blues in the postseason and will need him to go toe-to-toe with Rask in order for St. Louis to have a chance.
• Who Wins? I would love nothing more than to see St. Louis win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. This has been an NHL franchise that has had Hall of Fame players such as Brett Hull and Al MacInnis, yet they have nothing to show for their history. Still, I think Boston's the better team and will hoist the Cup, continuing the Eastern Conference's dominance over the past few years. Bruins in seven.