EDMONTON, Alberta (WFTS) — For the third time in franchise history, the Tampa Bay Lightning are in the Stanley Cup Final.
The Eastern Conference Champions Lightning will face the Dallas Stars, who beat the Vegas Golden Knights in five games for the Western Conference title earlier in the week.
As Tampa Bay looks to paint the city blue and white over the next week or two, the NHL has released the best-of-seven series schedule. The Lightning technically the higher seed would "host" Game 1 but all games will be played at Rogers Place in Edmonton.
SERIES SCHEDULE
- Game 1: Saturday, September 19 7:30 p.m. ET
- Game 2: Monday, September 21 8 p.m. ET
- Game 3: Wednesday, September 23 8 p.m. ET
- Game 4: Friday, September 25 8 p.m. ET
- *Game 5: Saturday, September 26 8 p.m. ET
- *Game 6: Monday, September 28 8 p.m. ET
- *Game 7: Wednesday, Septmeber 30 8 p.m. ET
* = If necessary
HOW THEY GOT HERE
The Lightning secured the second seed in the Eastern Conference bracket after finishing second to the Philadelphia Flyers in round-robin play. Tampa Bay beat the Columbus Blue Jackets, the team the Lightning got swept by in the first round of the 2019 playoffs, in five hard-fought games.
After exorcising their playoff demons against the Blue Jackets, the Lightning rode Ondrej Palat's hot hand and a game-winning goal in double overtime from Victor Hedman to take down the Boston Bruins in five games.
Tampa Bay survived a physical and bruising series against the New York Islanders after taking the series in six games to punch the team's ticket to the Stanley Cup Final.
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The Dallas Stars qualified for round-robin in the Edmonton bubble after finishing the regular season with the fourth-best record in the conference.
The Stars secured the No. 3 seed and beat the Calgary Flames in six games.
In the following round, Dallas jumped to a commanding 3-1 series lead before the Colorado Avalance came back and forced a Game 7. The Stars then dodged a major series collapse after beating the Avs 5-4 in overtime in the winner-take-all game.
Dallas then took the Western Conference title after beating the Vegas Golden Knights in five games.
