Stanley Cup Playoffs 2015: Takeaways from Sunday's Scores and Bracket Result

As Sunday night’s games came to a close, well into Monday on the East Coast, the Stanley Cup Playoffs took a much clearer shape than had been there previously.

With each of the three winning teams going 2-0 up in its series, it feels like the conference semifinals aren’t going to provide the drama the first round did. But that doesn’t mean they are without their respective storylines for entertainment.

The Tampa Bay Lightning continued to ride high in the second round against the Montreal Canadiens with a 6-2 victory, spurred by a two-goal performance from Nikita Kucherov and three-point games from Valtteri Filppula and Steven Stamkos, increasing their lead in the series to 2-0.

The Chicago Blackhawks also extended their series lead to 2-0 with a 4-1 win against the Minnesota Wild, the fifth time in seven playoff games that Chicago has scored four or more goals, including both so far in the second-round series.

Not to be one-upped by their Western Conference rivals, the Anaheim Ducks became the third team to extend their lead in the series to 2-0 on Sunday with a 3-0 win against the overmatched Calgary Flames.

Steven Stamkos Is Back and Ready to Take the Playoffs by Storm

Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports

Although apologies for the pun in the title of this section are due—Lightning, storm, get it?—there isn’t a better way to phrase what is coming for the Canadiens and whichever teams have to take on Tampa Bay and Stamkos thereafter.

A sleeping giant in the first round, with no goals in the seven game series against the Detroit Red Wings, Stamkos still couldn’t get things going in the 2-1 overtime win against Montreal in game one, scoring no points on three shots on goal.

However, it felt like it was only a matter of time until one of the games best young players found a way to turn his game around, especially with Tampa’s fortunes likely resting on his shoulders.

In the Game 2 road victory, Stamkos found the scoring touch that had evaded him since the playoffs started, adding two assists, and he found it in an incredibly flashy manner that signals danger for the rest of the league:

As the league’s second leading goal scorer in the regular season, Stamkos is one of the most feared offensive players in the NHL and can change a series on his own if he gets going.

The Canadiens now face the daunting task of heading to Tampa Bay two games down and with Stamkos back to his goal-scoring ways. Things look a lot worse for Carey Price and Montreal than they did a couple of days ago.

The Blackhawks Always Find a Way in the Playoffs

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

It might be a bit of a cliche, but there is something to be sad of a team that knows how to win in the postseason, and the Chicago Blackhawks know how to win in the postseason.

Winners of two of the last five Stanley Cups, Chicago has been on this stage before and is starting to remind people of that fact against the Wild.

After holding off the Predators in six games in the opening round, the Blackhawks have turned things up to 11 against Minnesota and are in control as they hit the road to Saint Paul, Minnesota, looking for a possible series sweep.

If history is any indication, the sweep is probably a safe bet when these two teams face off:

Although it probably won’t be that easy to escape the bloodbath that was the Central this year, the Blackhawks seem like a different team once the playoffs roll around and will be looking to get some much-needed rest before the conference finals.

If Chicago’s offense keeps churning out goals the way it has this postseason—the Blackhawks are averaging 3.9 goals per game in the first two rounds—there might not be much any team can do to stop it from bringing another title back to the Windy City.

The Stanley Cup playoffs are always interesting because you never know when a goalie is going to get hot and carry a team farther than it should go, but as of now, there might not be any team playing better hockey than Chicago.

Calgary’s Magic Has Almost Run Out

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

Well, it was fun while it lasted Calgary. Unfortunately, the clock had to strike midnight on this miraculous Cinderella story eventually.

If the first two games in the series are any indication, it is 11:59 p.m. for the Flames' postseason, with any hopes of taking home the Stanley Cup on life support after a second consecutive loss against the Anaheim Ducks.

Despite somehow finding a way to outplay the Vancouver Canucks in the first round, a 6-1 loss against the Ducks in Game 1 wasn’t a great start. The 3-0 loss in Game 2, while closer, makes things that much harder for the Flames.

Sportsnet's Tim Micallef noted that keeping things close was what the Flames have done all year, but this time around they couldn't steal a win:

Although many predicted Calgary would be closer to the battle for the No. 1 pick in the draft than the playoffs, the Flames used a scrappy style of play—and a bit of luck—to not only make it to the playoffs but pull an upset in Round 1.

But since the injury to Mark Giordano, there has inevitably been only one ending for the Flames, and it is just a matter of time until it comes.

Things aren’t over yet, and knowing this season’s Flames, there is a good chance they don’t get swept. However, the Flames' hopes of advancing are bleak and getting bleaker each game. Unless there is one final bit of magic left, it looks like Calgary is finished.