Even with four-to-seven games left to play this season, Steve Yzerman has his sights set on at le...

https://rich-content.thescore.com/authors/ian-mclaren/content_cards

Ian McLaren

News Editor

<p>Even with four-to-seven games left to play this season, Steve Yzerman has his sights set on at least one offseason task.</p><p>As his <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///nhl/teams/14" href="http://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/14">Tampa Bay Lightning</a> prepare for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against the <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///nhl/teams/16" href="http://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/16">Chicago Blackhawks</a>, the general manager admitted Wednesday that signing superstar <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///nhl/players/1152" href="http://www.thescore.com/nhl/players/1152">Steven Stamkos</a> to a contract extension is high on his summer to-do list.</p><p>"I could envision something like (<a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///nhl/players/267" href="http://www.thescore.com/nhl/players/267">Patrick) Kane</a> and (<a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///nhl/players/278" href="http://www.thescore.com/nhl/players/278">Jonathan) Toews</a> signed after July 1," <a href="http://www.torontosun.com/2015/06/02/signing-stamkos-monumental-for-lightning-after-cup-final">Yzerman said</a>, referring to twin eight-year extensions signed last summer.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>"But this isn’t the time to talk about it," he added. "Right now we’re about to start the Final. That’s the focus."</p><p>Despite not leading the club in scoring up to this point in the playoffs, Stamkos remains the cornerstone of the franchise, and Yzerman will certainly do all he can to make sure he remains in Tampa long-term.</p><p>Until an agreement is reached, however, 29 other fan bases will dream of a world in which Stamkos joins their team as an unrestricted free agent in 2016.</p>

Steven Stamkos (NHL, WOLYMHM, WCOH)

Tampa Bay Lightning

NHL Hockey

And then there were two.  The Chicago Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning have emerged from a fiel...

<p>And then there were two.</p><p>The <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///nhl/teams/16" href="http://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/16">Chicago Blackhawks</a> and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///nhl/teams/14" href="http://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/14">Tampa Bay Lightning</a> have emerged from a field of 16 hopefuls, and will square off for the right to be crowned the 2015 Stanley Cup champions.</p><p>What's on tap is a battle between a club vying for its third Cup in six years - placing the Blackhawks well within the "dynasty" conversation - and an upstart Lightning squad set to become the model upon which future contenders are built.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Here's everything you need to know before Game 1:</p><h3>Preview</h3><p><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/773046" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/773046"><strong>Stanley Cup Final: 5 things you need to know</strong></a></p><p><strong>Kane and Toews vs. The Triplets​</strong></p><figure><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/115697/cropped_kane_toews.jpg?ts=1433085231"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><p>There's no shortage of offensive firepower in this series. Lightning forward <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///nhl/players/1908" href="http://www.thescore.com/nhl/players/1908">Tyler Johnson</a> leads all skaters with 12 goals and 21 points in 20 playoff games. Linemates <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///nhl/players/3322" href="http://www.thescore.com/nhl/players/3322">Nikita Kucherov</a> (19 points) and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///nhl/players/2121" href="http://www.thescore.com/nhl/players/2121">Ondrej Palat</a> (15) aren't far behind.</p><p><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///nhl/players/267" href="http://www.thescore.com/nhl/players/267">Patrick Kane</a> and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///nhl/players/278" href="http://www.thescore.com/nhl/players/278">Jonathan Toews</a> are tied for second and third in playoff goals with 10 and nine, respectively. Kane has 20 points in 17 postseason contests, and Toews added to his total with a <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/772750" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/772750">pair</a> of <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/772751" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/772751">markers</a> in Chicago's Game 7 victory over the Ducks. (<a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/773046" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/773046">READ MORE</a>)</p><p><strong>Schedule</strong></p><figure><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Game</th>
<th>Date</th>
<th>Time (ET)</th>
<th>Home Team</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>1</td>
<td> Wednesday June 3</td>
<td> 8 p.m.</td>
<td> Tampa Bay</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2</td>
<td> Saturday June 6</td>
<td> 7:15 p.m.</td>
<td> Tampa Bay</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td> Monday June 8</td>
<td> 8 p.m.</td>
<td> Chicago</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4</td>
<td> Wednesday June 10</td>
<td> 8 p.m.</td>
<td> Chicago</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5*</td>
<td> Saturday June 13</td>
<td> 8 p.m.</td>
<td>Tampa Bay</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>6*</td>
<td> Monday June 15</td>
<td> 8 p.m.</td>
<td> Chicago</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>7*</td>
<td> Wednesday June 17</td>
<td> 8 p.m.</td>
<td> Tampa Bay</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><h3>Stats</h3><figure><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/104904/cropped_USPW_507816.jpg?ts=1427241899"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Tampa Bay</strong></p><figure><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Player</th>
<th> Goals</th>
<th> Assists</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Tyler Johnson</td>
<td> 12</td>
<td> 9</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nikita Kucherov</td>
<td> 9</td>
<td> 10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Steven Stamkos</td>
<td> 7</td>
<td> 10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Alex Killorn</td>
<td> 7</td>
<td> 9</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ondrej Palat</td>
<td> 7</td>
<td> 8</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><figure><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Goalie</th>
<th>Wins</th>
<th>GAA</th>
<th> Sv%</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Ben Bishop</td>
<td> 12</td>
<td> 2.15</td>
<td> .920</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p><strong>Chicago</strong></p><figure><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Player</th>
<th> Goals</th>
<th> Assists</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Patrick Kane</td>
<td> 10</td>
<td> 10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Jonathan Toews</td>
<td> 9</td>
<td> 9</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Duncan Keith</td>
<td> 2</td>
<td> 16</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Marian Hossa</td>
<td> 4</td>
<td> 9</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Patrick Sharp</td>
<td> 4</td>
<td> 8</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><figure><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Goalie</th>
<th> Wins</th>
<th> GAA</th>
<th> Sv%</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Corey Crawford</td>
<td> 9</td>
<td> 2.56</td>
<td> .919</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p><strong>Head-to-Head</strong></p><p>Nov. 11, 2014: Chicago 3, Tampa Bay 2 (SO)</p><p>Feb 27, 2015: Tampa Bay 4, Chicago 0</p><p><strong>Poll</strong></p><figure><iframe src="http://renderer.qmerce.com/interaction/556a7ba51c915e9c5655cd74" width="100%" height="338" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></figure><h3>Features</h3><p><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/766413" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/766413">Conn Smythe Power Rankings: Blackhawks' workhorse regains lead at bell lap</a></p><p><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/756700" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/756700">Steering the ship: How Stamkos and Toews captained their teams to the Cup Final</a></p><p><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/756697" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/756697">Make your argument: The Stanley Cup winner, the best storylines, and more</a></p><h3>Further Reading</h3><p><a href="http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/12983944/nhl-2015-stanley-cup-playoffs-tampa-bay-lightning-vs-chicago-blackhawks">Pierre LeBrun of ESPN</a> suggests the Final will be a battle between "the new Blackhawks" and "the old Blackhawks."</p><blockquote><p>I'm surely not alone in looking at the young Tampa Bay Lightning and seeing the Chicago Blackhawks, the team they face in this year's finals, on the rise from half a decade ago. You are just not a hockey fan if you're not salivating at a matchup that pits what are, for my money, the two most exciting teams in the NHL against each other.</p></blockquote><p><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/mirtle-a-stanley-cup-final-of-dynasties-past-present-and-maybe-future/article24715839/">James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail</a> makes the argument for a Chicago dynasty, should the Blackhawks come out on top:</p><blockquote><p>They are, unequivocally, after Los Angeles missed the playoffs, the best team of this cap era. Five final fours in the past seven years and the possibility of three Cups in six years - if they can beat a solid challenger in the Tampa Bay Lightning - is an almost unmatched body of work in the past 25 years.</p></blockquote><p><a href="http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/2015/05/31/blackhawks-lightning-final-gives-hockey-hope-arthur.html">Bruce Arthur of The Toronto Star</a> argues this Final injects hockey fans with hope for the future:</p><blockquote><p>The Chicago Blackhawks and the Tampa Bay Lightning are built along similar lines, though they are at different points of their evolution. They aren’t big, aren’t bruisers, aren’t defined by the grind. They are both elite puck-possession teams - Chicago was second in shot attempts percentage, or Corsi, at 5-on-5 this season, Tampa fifth - but not with Kings-like muscle. Their core is fast, skilled, dangerous, bold. They’re invested, for the most part, in the better angels of the game. They’re fun.</p></blockquote><p><a href="http://grantland.com/the-triangle/your-ultimate-stanley-cup-final-preview/">Sean McIndoe</a> provides the ultimate Final preview, as only Down Goes Brown can:</p><blockquote>
<p>The Stanley Cup final gets started tonight in Tampa, as the young Lightning face the seasoned Blackhawks. It’s a fantastic matchup, one featuring plenty of star power and two teams that have at times looked both vulnerable and invincible over the past few weeks. </p>
<p>The Blackhawks have won two Cups since 2010; the Lightning look poised to win a few more down the road. But it’s this year’s that is up for grabs, so let’s see if we can figure out who’s going to win this thing by breaking down all the usual categories — plus a few more.</p>
</blockquote><h3>Predictions</h3><p>Kevin Allen of <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/cup/2015/06/01/stanley-cup-picks-chicago-blackhawks-tampa-bay-lightning/28264953/">USA Today</a>: Blackhawks in 6</p><p>Sean Gentille of <a href="http://www.sportingnews.com/nhl/story/2015-06-01/stanley-cup-final-predictions-lightning-blackhawks-conn-smythe-candidate-steven-stamkos-patrick-kane?utm_source=dlvr.it&amp;utm_medium=twitter">The Sporting News</a>: Blackhawks in 6</p><p>Allan Muir of <a href="http://www.si.com/nhl/2015/06/01/stanley-cup-finals-preview-chicago-blackhawks-tampa-bay-lightning">Sports Illustrated</a>: Blackhawks in 5</p><p>Katie Strang of <a href="http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/12986843/nhl-2015-stanley-cup-playoffs-stanley-cup-finals-predictions">ESPN</a>: Lightning in 7</p><p>Adam Gretz of <a href="http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/eye-on-hockey/25200861/nhl-expert-picks-2015-stanley-cup-final-selections">CBS Eye on Hockey</a>: Blackhawks in 7</p><h3>Odds</h3><p><strong>To win series</strong></p><figure><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Team</th>
<th>Odds</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Chicago Blackhawks</td>
<td>5/7</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Tampa Bay Lightning</td>
<td>6/5</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p><strong>Conn Smythe</strong></p><figure><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Players</th>
<th>Odds</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Jonathan Toews (CHI)</td>
<td>7/2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Tyler Johnson (TB)</td>
<td>4/1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Patrick Kane (CHI)</td>
<td>9/2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ben Bishop (TB)</td>
<td>5/1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Duncan Keith (CHI)</td>
<td>5/1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Steven Stamkos (TB)</td>
<td> 8/1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Corey Crawford (CHI)</td>
<td>12/1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nikita Kucherov (TB)</td>
<td>15/1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Marian Hossa (CHI)</td>
<td>25/1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Patrick Sharp (CHI)</td>
<td>25/1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Victor Hedman (TB)</td>
<td>35/1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Valtteri Filppula (TB)</td>
<td>40/1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Alex Killorn (TB)</td>
<td>40/1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ondrej Palat (TB)</td>
<td>40/1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Brent Seabrook (CHI)</td>
<td>40/1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Brad Richards (CHI)</td>
<td>50/1</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p>You can catch all the latest NHL news and rumors from around the league <a href="http://www.thescore.com/nhl/news">here</a>.</p>

Yzerman intent on signing Stamkos to extension after Stanley Cup Final

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