The 2014 Stanley Cup Final kicks off in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, with the Western Conference champion Kings hosting the Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series.
Both teams are deep up front with four lines that can threaten to put the puck in the net, but the Kings are currently the most potent team in hockey, scoring at an amazing rate of 3.48 goals per game in the postseason. Whether they'll be able to keep that up against a strong New York defense and an even better New York goaltender remains to be seen, but the Rangers certainly have their work cut out for them in stopping LA's offensive output.
Stanley Cup Final
The Kings came back from an 0-3 deficit against the San Jose Sharks in Round 1, then knocked off the West's best team, the Anaheim Ducks, in Round 2 before beating the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks in a thrilling Conference Final to get to this point. They're the only team in NHL history to advance to the Cup Final after playing three Game 7s.
The Rangers didn't have it easy, either. They knocked off the rival Philadelphia Flyers in a hard-fought seven-game series in Round 1, then came from 3-1 down in the series to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins in Round 2. A six-game affair with the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Final was their easiest series so far in these playoffs.
No drastic lineup changes are in order for either team in Game 1, as they're largely sticking with the formulas that got them through the first three playoff rounds. Henrik Lundqvist is in goal for the Rangers, and despite taking a puck off the collarbone in practice on Tuesday, Jonathan Quick says he's 100 percent and ready to go for the Kings.
Here's everything you need to know as we get set for the start of the Stanley Cup Final:
New York Rangers at Los Angeles
Game 1, Stanley Cup Final
8 p.m. ET | Staples Center | Los Angeles, Calif.
National TV: NBC (US) | CBC, RDS (Canada)
Live online stream at NBCSports.com (USA) and CBC.ca (Canada)
More: Kings blog | Rangers blog