THE QUEST FOR LORD STANLEY BEGINS....NOW.

The truncated NHL regular season ended in thrilling fashion this weekend as teams battled one another to punch a ticket to the NHL playoffs.  It literally came down to the final weekend for teams to clinch spots and literally until the very last game to decide playoff seedings.  With that being said, now that the smoke has finally cleared, here are the lucky teams who earned a chance to compete for Lord Stanley's Cup:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Pittsburgh Penguins vs (8) NY Islanders

(2) Montreal Canadiens vs (7) Ottawa Senators

(3) Washington Capitals vs (6) NY Rangers 

(4) Boston Bruins vs (5) Toronto Maple Leafs

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Chicago Blackhawks vs (8) Minnesota Wild

(2) Anaheim Ducks vs (7) Detroit Red Wings

(3) Vancouver Canucks vs (6) San Jose Sharks

(4) St. Louis Blues vs (5) L.A. Kings

While the Penguins and the Blackhawks will go into the playoffs as the favorites to reach the Finals, recent history indicates that being the top-seed doesn't guarantee a spot to the championship.  Just ask the L.A. Kings, who squeaked into the playoffs last season, then went on an epic run to win the Cup.

The playoffs begin on Tuesday, April 30th and we'll be kicking things off with an appearance by HOCKEY THIS WEEK the hockey radio show, followed by three games: Minnesota vs Chicago, L.A. vs St. Louis and Detroit vs Anaheim.   The local teams play later in the week (NY Islanders vs Pittsburgh on Wednesday, NY Rangers/ Washington & Montreal/Ottawa on Thursday).  We were scheduled to raffle off a signed & framed Lundqvist Winter Classic photo on Tuesday, but since the NY Rangers don't play until Thursday, we're going to hold off on raffling it off until then.  We're selling raffle tickets during the game ($5 each, 3 for $10) and the proceeds of the raffle will go towards the One Boston Fund, for victims of the Boston Marathon bombing.

So remember, if you are a fan of the Habs, Islanders, Rangers or any other team competing in the playoffs, be sure to know that you can catch your favorite team here during the Stanley Cup Playoffs!

Cheers!

CALLING ALL #NHL HOCKEY FANS IN #NYC (or what's left of you)....

We are over two months into the NHL lockout and with no signs of this thing ending anytime soon, we've decided to take matters into our own hands.  Yes, we rolled up our sleeves and brought back the big guns: The guys from HOCKEY THIS WEEK (@hockeythisweek) are back tonight to air another LIVE BROADCAST (6:30p) from Third and Long!  And yes, they will tackle the big elephant in the room:  the #NHL Lockout.  They will have guests (both live and on-air) and talk about everything that's been going on with this dammed lockout up to this point.

And after the broadcast, we will air the 1993 Stanley Cup clinching game between the L.A. Kings and the Montreal Canadiens on some of the TV's (hey, if the league can't give us the game in its present state, we may as well dig up the past, when the game was fun).

(photo credit: Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

What we need to make this particular show a success?   Hockey fans!  By now, you must as frustrated with what's happened with the sport as we are and we'd love to hear from you!  Come by the bar, check out the show, ask questions, share your comments and feelings about the lockout (regardless of which side you're on)  and who knows?  You may even get on the air!  Meet up with fellow hockey fans! Wear your favorite team colors or wear black (if you're in mourning)!  Let's make this an impromptu "tweetup"!  Just swing by and let your voice be heard!

Fun starts tonight at 6:30pm and we'd love to see ya there!






Cheers!