NHL Playoffs 2015: Full Conference Finals Schedule and Latest Stanley Cup Odds

Over the span of the next 21 games or fewer, a new Stanley Cup champion will be crowned in a guaranteed thrilling finish to the 2015 NHL playoffs.  

Surprises came and went in the opening two rounds of the postseason, but the top dogs in each conference navigated their way through. The Anaheim Ducks still hold the torch out West after two relatively short series, while the Presidents' Trophy-winning New York Rangers pulled off three must-wins to resiliently move forward.

But neither squad is going to have an easy go of making it on to the Stanley Cup Final, with star-studded foes standing between them. Let's take a look at the full conference final schedule, along with the latest title odds.

2015 NHL Playoffs: Conference Finals

Game	Date	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV
Game	Date	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV
1	Sat., May 16	Tampa Bay at N.Y. Rangers	1 p.m.	NBC
2	Mon., May 18	Tampa Bay at N.Y. Rangers	8 p.m.	NBCSN
3	Wed., May 20	N.Y. Rangers at Tampa Bay	8 p.m.	NBCSN
4	Fri., May 22	N.Y. Rangers at Tampa Bay	8 p.m.	NBCSN
5*	Sun., May 24	Tampa Bay at N.Y. Rangers	8 p.m.	NBCSN
6*	Tues., May 26	N.Y. Rangers at Tampa Bay	8 p.m.	NBCSN
7*	Fri., May 29	Tampa Bay at N.Y. Rangers	8 p.m.	NBCSN
1	Sun., May 17	Chicago at Anaheim	3 p.m.	NBC
2	Tues., May 19	Chicago at Anaheim	9 p.m.	NBCSN
3	Thurs., May 21	Anaheim at Chicago	8 p.m.	NBCSN
4	Sat., May 23	Anaheim at Chicago	8 p.m.	NBC
5*	Mon., May 25	Chicago at Anaheim	9 p.m.	NBCSN
6*	Wed., May 27	Anaheim at Chicago	8 p.m.	NBCSN
7*	Sat., May 30	Chicago at Anaheim	8 p.m.	NBCSN

Odds to Win Stanley Cup

Team
New York Rangers	41-20
Chicago Blackhawks	5-2
Anaheim Ducks	59-20
Tampa Bay Lightning	7-2

Odds courtesy of Odds Shark, last updated May 14.

West: Anaheim Ducks vs. Chicago Blackhawks

Alex Gallardo/Associated Press

The NHL playoffs produce many of the same matchups from year to year, but shockingly enough, these two Western Conference powerhouses have never met in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Boy, is that about to change. 

After rummaging through the opening two rounds in a short nine games and losing just once, the Anaheim Ducks have a worthy foe ahead of them. The Chicago Blackhawks have won two Stanley Cups since 2010 and have the chance to make it two in three years if they complete this run.

Anaheim was the West's best unit during the regular season, but the Ducks have only stepped things up since entering the playoffs. Recent playoff shortcomings have seasoned a talented roster, setting up for a clash, as David Strehle of the Fourth Period noted:

Adversity came the Blackhawks' way early in the playoffs when goaltending issues allowed Nashville to take them to six games, but their Round 2 series against the Minnesota Wild practically ended before it started. With Patrick Kane finally healthy and Jonathan Toews his usual havoc-wreaking self, the Blackhawks are impeccably tough to contain.

Chicago's top-line guys are more than capable of running with the Ducks' big-bodied attack, but for how long? Head coach Joel Quenneville relies heavily upon his top playmakers to the point where a much more balanced and deep Ducks team could take advantage in a long series.

The Ducks have gotten reliable goaltending from Frederik Andersen this postseason, but they'll have their hands full generating goals against 2013 Cup-winner Corey Crawford.

East: New York Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

Julie Jacobson/Associated Press

When Martin St. Louis and Ryan Callahan essentially switched spots in a trade last season at the deadline, who would have thought their sides would be meeting some 15 months later for a spot in the Stanley Cup Final?

The Tampa Bay Lightning certainly weren't expected to blossom like they have this season, which has them just eight wins away from the promised land. Perhaps most impressive about their run is how little Steven Stamkos has had to do on the offensive end, as he's suddenly surrounded by a wealth of star forwards.

The Lightning nearly swept Montreal in the conference semifinal before being taken to six games, but things went the exact opposite for the Rangers. New York had to fight back from a 3-1 deficit against Washington, pulling out two overtime must-win victories—including in Game 7.

But for some reason, they have a relatively short turnaround while the West hopefuls have been kicking their feet up, as ESPN's Linda Cohn noted:

The Rangers rode a resilient defensive effort backed by stud goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to battle back from the brink against Washington, but repeating that in this series will be a handful. The Lightning's 262 goals on the season led the NHL, and they're only improving as the playoffs wear along.