NHL getting fantastic conference finals

The National Hockey League has to be absolutely thrilled with the pair of conference finals being played out this spring.

In the East, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning are authoring one of the better series in recent memory. The drama and intrigue has been booming throughout, with Pittsburgh relying on a young 21-year-old goaltender names Matt Murray, who has guided his team to the cusp of the Stanley Cup Final. Murray was then lifted in Game 4 following the Penguins falling behind 4-0 going into the third period in favor of Marc-Andre Fleury, the veteran netminder with a ring on his finger.

Now the question comes to the fore: who is the man for Pittsburgh? Fleury was able to hold the proverbial fort in the third period on Saturday night while the Penguins came roaring back on the backs of Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel, narrowly losing a 4-3 decision.

Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay split the games at both venues and now head back to Consol Energy Center for the all-important Game 5 in what has become a de facto best-of-three affair. The Penguins are hoping to get Malkin and Sidney Crosby their second championships and  first since 2009. For the Lightning, this is a chance at stamping their legacy as two-time Eastern Conference champions with the ability to avenge last year’s defeat in the Final.

Meanwhile, the West is getting to see two teams with the label of chokes finally overcoming that brutal description. The St. Louis Blues and San Jose Sharks have been very good throughout this decade but have failed to make any real noise in the postseason. San Jose has never advanced past this round while the Blues have not done so since 1970, when Bobby Orr went flying through the air at the Boston Garden.

For both, this is a season, and a story, of new beginnings. San Jose is celebrating its 25th year in the NHL and is desperate to finally get a Cup while Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton are still wearing teal. For St. Louis, it is an opportunity to help a city move past the loss of the Rams, who bolted for Los Angeles only a few months ago in the National Football League. The Blues can take hold of this city in a way they never have before. This is their moment.

Ultimately, only one team will walk away from the Stanley Cup playoffs feeling as though something has been accomplished. While all have ample reasons to be proud of the effort put forth, three of these clubs will looks at this campaign and see a failure in the mirror for not getting the job done.

There is so much on the line, and the NHL should be thrilled at how well each team has played in the toughest of moments.