NHL Playoffs 2015: Updated Stanley Cup Outlook Entering Conference Finals

Four teams remain in pursuit of the 2015 Stanley Cup after wrapping up the NHL's second round.

Although not the strongest top seed entering the tournament, the Anaheim Ducks backed up their standing by dispatching the Winnipeg Jets and the Calgary Flames. Yet their biggest postseason challenge awaits in the Chicago Blackhawks, a trendy Stanley Cup pick who backed up the hype with a sweep over the Minnesota Wild. 

In the Eastern Conference, the New York Rangers edged out the Washington Capitals in Game 7 Wednesday night, clawing back from a 3-1 series hole. They'll look to make their second straight Stanley Cup appearance, but the Tampa Bay Lightning's electric offense stands in their path.  

Here's an early preview of each conference final showdown.

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Anaheim Ducks

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Following some early playoff bumps, the Blackhawks righted the ship to dominate the Wild, scoring four goals in three of four victories. Patrick Kane dominated the series with five goals and an assist, but Corey Crawford's revival especially delights Chicago.

After relinquishing nine goals through 80 minutes against the Nashville Predators, the goalie rebounded during the second round. Reinserted as the starter for the sweep's entirety, he allowed four goals to earn a .947 save percentage.

The 30-year-old, who proved especially pivotal during Game 3's 1-0 shutout, squashed any controversy behind the net. ESPN's John Buccigross put the performance into perspective with a stat from the Elias Sports Bureau:

When he's rolling, Chicago is virtually unstoppable, but he's careful not to get too confident, per the Chicago Tribune's Paul Skrbina: "We're aware of the other team, but for the most part we're focused on being ready for the first game. We have good feelings against them, but you don't want to fall into getting complacent at all or feel like, because things have gone well, that they'll automatically go well."

While Anaheim has offensive firepower to match, it will need stellar defense to upend Chicago. So far, the Ducks have yielded 19 goals during nine playoff games, and they have the defensive depth to match their opponents' array of attackers.

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“They have offense from all four lines, and their defense also scores some big goals,” Ducks defenseman Francois Beauchemin told The Orange County Register's Rich Hammond. “It’s going to be a good challenge. We won one game against them this year.”

During their 8-1 postseason run, the Ducks have scored a playoff-high 35 goals, far exceeding their season average of 2.8 goals per game. They can thank a 31 percent conversion rate on power plays, nearly doubling their season's 15.7 rate that ranked No. 28.

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. New York Rangers

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Jumping out to a 3-0 lead, the Lightning advanced to their first Eastern Conference Final since 2011 despite dropping Games 4 and 5 to the Montreal Canadiens. One of two remnants (the other Victor Hedman) from 2011's squad, Steven Stamkos expressed his belief in the current club going the distance this time, per Yahoo Sports' Nicholas J. Cotsonika:

"

I believe we can. We have that belief. I mean, look at the guys that we’ve brought in the last couple years. Look at the guys we’ve been able to develop. Sometimes it’s hard to go through that transition. As a player, you want to win every year. But when you’ve got guys who know what they’re doing running the team, it pays off.

"

The Lightning, however, have suffered a scoring outage compared to their NHL-high 3.2 goals per game during the regular season. During 14 postseason bouts, they've registered 34 goals, collecting five through as many losses.

They certainly enjoyed in-season success against the Rangers, their newly minted opponents. Tampa Bay won all three season meetings, outscoring New York 15-7. 

Lighting up the scoreboard is a tall task against Henrik Lundqvist, who generated a .946 save percentage against Washington. The Rangers surrendered the third-least goals (2.3) during the season, but the Lightning struck hard in all three meetings.

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Hockey, however, is the most volatile major sport, as evidenced by the Rangers rallying from 3-1 for the second consecutive year. They play with no margin for error, with all 12 playoff games decided by one goal apiece.

Relying on Lundqvist to constantly bail them out is a dangerous strategy that failed against Tampa Bay. A little outside support would help this time around.