NHL Playoff Schedule 2016: Known Details for Stanley Cup Final

The St. Louis Blues and the San Jose Sharks should have an epic series in the Western Conference Final.

Both of these teams have overcome significant demons to negotiate their first two series, and the winner of the Western Conference will have a chance to play for glory in the Stanley Cup Final.

This is significant because neither of these teams has won the Stanley Cup. The Blues made the Stanley Cup Final in each of their first three seasons, but they were not necessarily a great team from 1968 through 1970.

The Blue were part of the 1967 expansion that saw the NHL double in size from six to 12 teams, and all six of the expansion teams played in the newly formed West Division. The Blues got the best of teams such as the Philadelphia Flyers, Minnesota North Stars, Los Angeles Kings and Pittsburgh Penguins, which allowed them to reach the Final.

The Montreal Canadiens swept them twice, and the Boston Bruins swept them once. They have not been back since. 

Matchup	Series Standing	Date	Time (ET)	TV
Tampa Bay Lightning at Pittsburgh Penguins	Tampa Bay, 1-0	May 16	8 p.m.	NBCSN, CBC, TVAS
San Jose Sharks at St. Louis Blues	0-0	May 15	8 p.m.	NBCSN, CBC, TVAS

The Sharks have been playing in the NHL since 1991-92, and they have never made it to the Stanley Cup Final. They made it to the Western Conference Final in 2010 and 2011, but they lost to the Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks in those respective years.

Recent playoff pain makes advancing through two rounds that much sweeter for both teams. They should be able to play their best games because both teams have been able to rid themselves of the choker label.

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These two teams begin their series Sunday at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, and should the series go the maximum seven games, the Blues will enjoy home-ice advantage, just as the Pittsburgh Penguins will if their series with the Tampa Bay Lightning goes the distance.

That series opened Friday, and the Lightning jumped out to the early lead after registering a 3-1 victory in Game 1.

Here's a look at the dates and times for both conference finals.

The Eastern Conference series could go as late as May 26, while the Western Conference series would end the following day if it goes seven games.

The Stanley Cup Final could conceivably start two days after the last conference final game has been completed, but the NHL has regularly scheduled a Super Bowl-style media day for the two finalists in recent years. That interview session would delay the start by another day or two.

No official start date for the Stanley Cup Final has been announced. Last year's Stanley Cup Final between the Chicago Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning started June 3, and the Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers started their final series June 4 a year earlier.

Barring two short series in both conference finals, the Stanley Cup Final will likely begin in early June.