Stanley Cup Playoffs 2015: Latest Predictions and Schedule Info

On some level, you have to wonder if the New York Rangers are ever going to get over the hump.

After faltering in last season’s Stanley Cup Finals against the Kings, the Rangers look to be in a similarly precarious position after falling 2-0 to the Tampa Bay Lightning at home in Game 5 to set up a possible elimination game in Game 6.

A two-goal second period for the Lightning—and a two-point night from superstar Steven Stamkos—was enough to push the young underdogs to a 3-2 series lead against the President’s Trophy winners.

With Game 6 being contested in Tampa, Tuesday will be crunch time for both franchises looking to claim the sport's ultimate prize.

Here is the remaining schedule for the conference finals and predictions for the rest of the playoffs:

Date	Matchup	Time	TV
Mon., May 25	Chicago at Anaheim	9 p.m. ET	NBCSN/CBC
Tue., May 26	New York at Tampa Bay	8 p.m. ET	NBCSN/CBC
Wed., May 27	Anaheim at Chicago	8 p.m. ET	NBCSN/CBC
Fri., May 29*	Tampa Bay at New York	8 p.m. ET	NBCSN/CBC
Sat., May 30*	Chicago at Anaheim	8 p.m. ET	NBCSN/CBC

Matchup	Prediction
New York Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning	Lightning in six
Anaheim Ducks vs. Chicago Blackhawks	Blackhawks in seven

Matchup	Prediction
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Chicago Blackhawks	Lightning in seven

Chicago’s playoff experience the difference in a seven-game series

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

It might be an overblown cliche that pundits lean on too heavily once the postseason rolls around, but there is something to be said about having a team built around players who have made deep playoff runs before.

Having made it to at least the conference finals in four of the last six seasons, including this year, and winning two Stanley Cups has established the Blackhawks as the closest thing to a dynasty in the modern NHL.

Now four games into its Western Conference Finals series against Anaheim, Chicago’s experience has made the difference in its two overtime wins but hasn’t allowed the squad to wrest control of the series away from the Ducks.

The Ducks probably regret letting the Blackhawks stay in the series this long by not taking chances in Games 2 and 4 to take control. Instead, the teams head into Game 5 in Anaheim with the series tied 2-2 and not much separating the sides:

Anaheim’s duo of Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf would be too much to overcome in almost any other series, but as long as the Patricks—Kane and Sharp—are still a big part of Chicago’s attack it will be hard for any team to overcome.

Game 5 on Monday has the potential to be another classic, with both teams desperate to go up a game in the series, but in the end, Chicago’s experience in these situations will be enough of a difference to send the Blackhawks back to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Prediction: Chicago Blackhawks in seven

Tampa Bay ends the series in Game 6

Jared Silber/Getty Images

Poor New York Rangers.

After battling through a hard-fought series against the Capitals in the second round, the Rangers were probably excited to have a Lightning team that had played well up to that point but were without consistent production from their top superstar.

But now, five games into the series, Stamkos has not only returned to his stellar regular-season form, but has completely taken over:

A pointless Game 1 was the outlier for the young center, who has since recorded seven points, including three games with two points each. It isn’t a coincidence that each of the games in which Stamkos tallied two points were wins for the Lightning.

The Rangers still have the talent to get back into the series, but it all comes down to Game 6 Tuesday night.

If the Lightning come out of the gates hot and can capture an early lead, things could get out of hand in Tampa, sending New York into another offseason with more questions than answers.

Prediction: Tampa Bay Lightning in six

Lightning take down the Blackhawks in Stanley Cup Finals

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

There are moments in sports when you can see a true passing of the torch from the established powers to the young up-and-comers. It happened when the Chicago Bulls beat the Detroit Pistons in 1991, or when the New England Patriots upset the St. Louis Rams in the Super Bowl in 2002.

This feels like such a series for the NHL.

The Chicago Blackhawks and the Los Angeles Kings have been the two dominant franchises for the last half decade, but a new crop of players have established themselves as stars, and the Lightning are the embodiment of the new age of the league.

Although the biggest star, Stamkos, is in his seventh year in the league, he is a veteran compared to the group that has carried the Lightning so far in the playoffs. Tyler Johnson, Nikita Kucherov, Alex Killorn and Ondrej Palat are all in the top 10 in points so far in the playoffs, and none are even in their fourth year in the league.

The Blackhawks have the playoff experience to keep themselves in the series, but eventually the offensive juggernaut that Tampa Bay has been in the postseason will be too much to overcome.

With an average age of 27.189, according to NHLNumbers.com, good for second-youngest in the league—compared to the No. 28-ranked Blackhawks at 29.777—a Stanley Cup victory would signal the potential start of a dynasty in Tampa Bay, and there isn’t much the rest of the league can do to stop it.

Prediction: Tampa Bay Lightning in seven