CHICAGO -- Two franchises, rich in history, talent and star power. Two winning teams that know what it takes to bring home the Stanley Cup. Intrigue, in the form of a schedule that kept them away from each other for an entire season. Oh, theres plenty to love about this series. The Stanley Cup finals kick off Wednesday night when the Chicago Blackhawks host the Boston Bruins in the first finals matchup of Original Six franchises since Montreal beat the New York Rangers in five games way back in 1979. The mighty Blackhawks, winners of seven of the last eight games, have a deep roster that really found its identity when pushed to the limit by the Detroit Red Wings in the second round. Then there are the playoff-tested Bruins, who rolled over favoured Pittsburgh during an impressive sweep that gave them a chance for a second NHL title in three seasons. Its a gift wrapped in a bow for a league still trying to recover from a bitter lockout that wiped out 510 games and pushed the start of the season back to Jan. 19. "Its a special couple places, the tradition of the Bruins and the Hawks is special," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "Im sure, you know, the rivalry could return instantly come Game 1. I think its good for the league. Its good for hockey. Two great hockey markets. Were very excited to be a part of it." Chicago advanced with a 4-3 double-overtime victory over Los Angeles on Saturday night, using a hat trick from Patrick Kane to eliminate the defending champion Kings in five games in the Western Conference finals. Back in the Stanley Cup series for the first time since 2010, the Blackhawks are in search of another title to pair with their six-game victory over the Philadelphia Flyers three years ago. "Everyone has that drive to win the Cup," Chicago forward Andrew Shaw said. "Its going to be a long road ahead here. Its surreal. Ive wanted this since I was a kid. Im excited to get started." Boston is rolling again after losing its spot atop the Northeast Division in the final days of the regular season. The Bruins have won five in a row and nine of 10, boosted by a familiar group of stars who led the way when they won it all in 2011. David Krejci scored four times in the Pittsburgh sweep and leads Boston with nine goals and 12 assists in the playoffs. "The excitement is there," Bruins coach Claude Julien said Sunday. "Youve heard people say, Once youve been there, you want to go back. Its true, we really want to go back; we made it happen. Were excited about it and we also know what kind of challenge lies ahead for us. Its about acknowledging that and being ready for it." While Boston and Chicago have kept an eye on each other for a while now, theres no way for either team to grab a real hold on what to expect at the very beginning of the series. Thats because the abbreviated 48-game schedule due to the lockout included no games against teams from the other conference. Thats right, the Bruins and Blackhawks havent played since Oct. 15, 2011, when Boston won 3-2 in a shootout in Chicago. There are no mutual opponents this year, not even an All-Star game to compare the players from each conference. "I think all the information is out there for both teams to understand how we both play," Julien said. "Theres no secrets there. Again, like I said, its only the head to head, how the two teams are kind of going to clash, whats going to happen when we do. Its as simple as that. "Its about having confidence in what you plan on doing and going out there and executing it, thats all you can do." The Bruins were on the brink of elimination when they trailed Toronto 4-1 with less than 11 minutes left in the third period of Game 7 in the first round. But they managed to beat the Maple Leafs 5-4 in overtime. The Blackhawks had their own great escape in the second round, coming back from a 3-1 deficit to eliminate the rival Red Wings in seven games. The comeback included a three-goal flurry in Game 6 that erased a 2-1 deficit heading into the final period. The twin comebacks for Boston and Chicago increase the potential for a compelling series for the title. Now mix in a couple of the NHLs best all-around forwards in Patrice Bergeron of the Bruins and Jonathan Toews of the Blackhawks, plus a slew of talented players on each side, and there are convincing arguments to be made for either team to win the title. "Here we are again," Toews said. "We got a great chance to go back to where we want to be. We know theres going to be some more tough moments that well have to battle through. Were confident we can do that as a team." Ultra Boost Canada . -- Yogi Ferrell orchestrates pretty much everything in Indianas offence. Ultra Boost Canada Sale . -- Matt Ryan needed one of the best games of his career to lead the Falcons and their depleted offence out of their three-game losing streak last week. http://www.nmdshoescanada.com/nmd-r2-cheap-canada.html . Their experience showed Tuesday as the No. 10 Badgers blunted a Saint Louis surge to win 63-57 and advance to face West Virginia in Wednesdays finals of the Cancun Challenge. Stan Smith Shoes Canada . -- Playing time has been limited for Maxim Tissot this season, so the Montreal Impact defender made the most of his first scoring opportunity on Saturday. y-3 Store Canada .Y. -- Sabres forward Drew Stafford has witnessed plenty of turmoil during his eight seasons in Buffalo. The UCLA?pair of defensive end Takkarist McKinley?and offensive tackle?Conor McDermott will get another opportunity to play together this season as they both accepted invitations to participate in the Senior Bowl, slated for Jan. 28 in Mobile, Alabama.The Senior Bowl released additional commitments to the prestigious game and now have 47 players committed to the NFL showcase.McKinley (6-foot-2, 265 pounds) led the Bruins with 10 sacks this season. He also accumulated 50 solo tackles, which was fourth-most oon the team.dddddddddddd Eighteen of McKinleys tackles dropped the opponent for a loss of yards.McDermott played his first season as UCLAs full-time starter at left tackle after earning the job last year. The 6-foot-8, 310-pound Nashville native was tasked with the responsibility of protecting starting quarterbacks Josh Rosen and Mike Fafaul throughout the fall.-- Nick Ostiller ' ' '