And then there were two.

The Chicago Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning have emerged from a field of 16 hopefuls, and will square off for the right to be crowned the 2015 Stanley Cup champions.

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.

Here's everything you need to know before Game 1:

Preview

Stanley Cup Final: 5 things you need to know

Kane and Toews vs. The Triplets​

There's no shortage of offensive firepower in this series. Lightning forward Tyler Johnson leads all skaters with 12 goals and 21 points in 20 playoff games. Linemates Nikita Kucherov (19 points) and Ondrej Palat (15) aren't far behind.

Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews 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 pair of markers in Chicago's Game 7 victory over the Ducks. (READ MORE)

Schedule

Stats

Tampa Bay

Chicago

Head-to-Head

Nov. 11, 2014: Chicago 3, Tampa Bay 2 (SO)

Feb 27, 2015: Tampa Bay 4, Chicago 0

Poll

Features

Conn Smythe Power Rankings: Blackhawks' workhorse regains lead at bell lap

Steering the ship: How Stamkos and Toews captained their teams to the Cup Final

Make your argument: The Stanley Cup winner, the best storylines, and more

Further Reading

Pierre LeBrun of ESPN suggests the Final will be a battle between "the new Blackhawks" and "the old Blackhawks."

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.

James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail makes the argument for a Chicago dynasty, should the Blackhawks come out on top:

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.

Bruce Arthur of The Toronto Star argues this Final injects hockey fans with hope for the future:

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.

Sean McIndoe provides the ultimate Final preview, as only Down Goes Brown can:

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.

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.

Predictions

Kevin Allen of USA Today: Blackhawks in 6

Sean Gentille of The Sporting News: Blackhawks in 6

Allan Muir of Sports Illustrated: Blackhawks in 5

Katie Strang of ESPN: Lightning in 7

Adam Gretz of CBS Eye on Hockey: Blackhawks in 7

Odds

To win series

Conn Smythe

You can catch all the latest NHL news and rumors from around the league here.