Stanley Cup Final 2015: Blackhawks vs. Lightning Schedule, TV Info and More

So much for home-ice advantage.

The Chicago Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning both went on the road in Game 7 of the Western and Eastern Conference Final, respectively, and won a do-or-die showdown against an opponent with a better record. It was a testament to the sheer amount of talent on the rosters of the victors that they went into Anaheim and New York and walked out with wins.

Maybe Tampa Bay doesn’t want the home-ice advantage it earned in the Stanley Cup Final.

Chances are that is not the case, but it is difficult to envision either team walking away with the sport's grand prize without winning at least one game on the road. Here is a look at the complete schedule, broadcast information and a couple of storylines to watch in the Stanley Cup showdown between the Blackhawks and the Lightning.

Game	Matchup	Date	Time (ET)	TV
1	Chicago Blackhawks at Tampa Bay Lightning	June 3	8 p.m.	NBC
2	Chicago Blackhawks at Tampa Bay Lightning	June 6	7:15 p.m.	NBC
3	Tampa Bay Lightning at Chicago Blackhawks	June 8	8 p.m.	NBC Sports Network
4	Tampa Bay Lightning at Chicago Blackhawks	June 10	8 p.m.	NBC Sports Network
5*	Chicago Blackhawks at Tampa Bay Lightning	June 13	8 p.m.	NBC
6*	Tampa Bay Lightning at Chicago Blackhawks	June 15	8 p.m.	NBC
7*	Chicago Blackhawks at Tampa Bay Lightning	June 17	8 p.m.	NBC

Storylines

Duncan Keith vs. Tampa Bay Offense

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

This year's Stanley Cup Final has the vintage "something has to give" matchup, and it is the battle between Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith and the formidable Tampa Bay offense.

Keith has been an absolute superstar in these playoffs and has officially emerged from the long shadows of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa. In fact, it is not a stretch to call Keith the most important player on the roster for Chicago in this postseason, and he has held the defense together while generating a number of goals on the other end.

NHL on NBC shared his incredible postseason numbers:

While the nation may finally be waking up to Keith's dominance, this is nothing new for Chicago fans. He boasts two Norris Trophies as the league's best defenseman, two Olympic gold medals, three All-Star appearances and two Stanley Cups. He is four victories away from his third. 

What's more, Keith seemingly never leaves the ice in important moments (just look at those ice-time numbers), and goaltender Corey Crawford discussed his defender's toughness, per Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times: “Obviously, he’s one of the top athletes in this game. The minutes he’s played, the pounding he gets. … He’s one of the top, top players in this league, and it’s for a reason.”

Lazerus described Keith as the “engine that drives the Hawks on both ends of the rink” and pointed to Game 6 of the Western Conference Final in particular when Keith sparked three goals and just saved another as a perfect example of his greatness.

Now Keith will be tasked with slowing down the league’s best offense.

The Lightning led the league in goals per game this season at 3.2, and Tyler Johnson has an incredible 21 points in the postseason (12 goals and nine assists). What's more, players such as Nikita Kucherov (19 points in the playoffs) and Steven Stamkos (17 points in the playoffs) have provided critical support to Johnson's brilliance and carried the team against the great Henrik Lundqvist in the Eastern Conference Final.

Brian Blanco/Getty Images

Crawford will clearly be important to Chicago's chances against Tampa Bay, but Chicago's best formula will be to keep Johnson and company away from the front of the net. That responsibility will fall on the shoulders of Keith.

The Lightning scored 21 goals against the New York Rangers in the last round, and that was with Lundqvist in goal. The Blackhawks cannot afford to let this offense get going in the Stanley Cup Final.

No pressure, Keith.

Blackhawks Putting the Finishing Touches on a Dynasty 

It is easy to get caught up in the present when discussing sports, but the Blackhawks are putting the finishing touches on a dynasty with this year's run. Take a look at Chicago's recent stretch, which was largely accomplished with the same core.

Year	Final Result
2008-09	Lost in Conference Final
2009-10	Won Stanley Cup
2010-11	Lost in Conference Quarterfinals
2011-12	Lost in Conference Quarterfinals
2012-13	Won Stanley Cup
2013-14	Lost in Conference Final
2014-15	In Stanley Cup Finals

That experience should pay off in the pressure-packed Stanley Cup Final, especially since so many of Chicago's key players have been here before in recent seasons.

Kane started his career in the 2007-08 season, Sharp came over from the Philadelphia Flyers in 2005-06, Toews started with the Blackhawks in the 2007-08 season, Keith joined Chicago in the 2005-06 campaign and Marian Hossa came over in the 2009-10 season from the Detroit Red Wings.

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

Brian Hamilton of Sports Illustrated and Dan Rosen of NHL.com noted that this core seems to have a switch when the pressure is on, while Sahadev Sharma of Baseball Prospectus recognized the value of veteran leadership in important moments from a different sport:

The encouraging thing from Chicago's perspective is the fact that Kane is only 26 years old and Toews is 27. Throw in a developing young star like Teuvo Teravainen (20 years old), and there is no reason to expect the Blackhawks to fall off anytime soon.

This year's Stanley Cup is a golden opportunity for the main core to add yet another trophy to its legacy.