Stanley Cup Finals Preview

Two months of playoff hockey have whittled the field down to two teams. The final games begin Monday, and it's plenty of time to dissect the teams.

(2)Boston Bruins vs. (3)St. Louis Blues

The Bruins had to outlast Toronto, Columbus, and Carolina to get to their third final this decade. On the strength of Tuukka Rask in goal and a combination of veteran talent such as Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, and Zdeno Chara, as well as youth such as Charlie MacAvoy and Danton Heinen, the Bruins are poised to bring another championship back to Boston. Where they need to succeed is with Brad Marchand, who frequently straddles the line on his play, but can also hurt you on the scoresheet.

The Blues survived Winnipeg, Dallas, and a blown call against the Sharks in game 3 to make the Finals for the first time since 1970. Ironically, it's against the team they last saw when they made the Finals. Jordan Binnington is the team's backbone in goal, but it is longtime stalwarts such as Alex Pietrangelo and Jaden Schwartz who have propelled them here, as well as newcomers Ryan O'Reilly and Tyler Bozak. The Blues need Vladimir Tarasenko to get untracked if they want to bring home a championship to St. Louis for the first time in hockey.

Prediction: Bruins in 6