The Chicago Blackhawks will play the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday night in a huge winner takes all Game 7 to see who will win the Western Conference title and who will progress to the NHL Stanley Cup Final 2015 game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Today's big game between the Blackhawks and the Ducks has a scheduled start time of 8 p.m. ET and takes place from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. The game will be broadcast live on TV on the NBC network, but can also be watched online through live stream via the link below.
For the Ducks, coming into this Game 7 there must be many fans who have that dreaded feeling of deja vu. The Ducks have been eliminated in Game 7 for two consecutive seasons, and if they are defeated today that would make it three years running that they will have crumbled under the pressure of a winner takes all match up in the Playoffs.
Anaheim has not featured in a Stanley Cup Final for nearly a decade, last appearing in the showcase final in 2007 when they won the cup.
However, if they are to progress to another final this season, then they must avoid losing a home Game 7 match up as they have done in the previous two years. Memories of their Game 7 defeats to the Los Angeles Kings in the Second Round last season, and the Detroit Red Wings in the First Round in 2013 will come flooding back for many of their fans, who will be hoping it can be third-time lucky this time around.
Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf addressed their eliminations over previous seasons, saying, "We can learn from that. That's the biggest thing. I always believed that you learn a lot from losing. That's what we want to do, obviously, [Saturday] going into that game, is have that mindset to play our game."
Meanwhile, Anaheim right wing Corey Perry said, "Everybody's going to be jumping right off the hop. The crowd's going to be into it. All those things you can use to your advantage.
"But you can't go over on top of what you have to do. You still have to play hockey. You still have to keep your emotions in check."
Looking at the history of these two teams, neither has a particularly good Game 7 record. The Blackhawks are 29-35 in Game 7's in the Stanley Cup, where as the Ducks are a pathetic 7-29 in Game 7's.
One thing's for sure; tonight will be high tension and action-packed, and that should make for great drama for all NHL fans.
Defenseman Brent Seabrook has expressed his excitement at tonight's Game 7, saying: "One of the greatest things in sports is a Game 7 for an opportunity to go the Stanley Cup Final. We're excited. I thought we had good energy [Friday] in practice. We're looking forward to getting up there and playing. It's going to be a lot of fun."
Tonight's massive Game 7 between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Anaheim Ducks has a start time of 8 p.m. ET and can be watched on the NBC network.
