Gretzky Conference Finals Begin Tonight

Both the Canucks and Stars have cruised to the Gretzky Conference Finals with relative ease. With each team only dropping one game so far in the playoffs it feels like these two squads have spent more time waiting for an opponent rather than playing games. The wait ends tonight though, as the two best teams in the Gretzky Conference finally meet in the playoffs. 

Despite the huge amount of success the Canucks have enjoyed thus far in the post season no one is taking the Stars lightly. And so they shouldn't. With arguably the best goalie in the league, a potent offence and a strong defence there aren't really any holes in the defending Stanley Cup champions.

"They're a great team, we're definitely expecting a tough series," said Vancouver coach Jon Cooper after the team's final practice before game one. "It can be easy to start to get a little over-confident with the success we've had so far, but we know we're in tough against the Stars. They're the defending Stanley Cup champions and , in my opinion, the best team in the EHE. We're probably the underdogs in this series, but that's just the way we like it. I don't think anyone was picking us to make it this far and we're more than happy to keep proving people wrong."

There's always a debate about whether a long layoff is beneficial or harmful for a team during the playoffs, but with both teams having not played in over a week everyone is on even ground. Both squads should be healthy and well rested, making for what should be a great series.

"We're just excited to start playing games again," said Canucks captain Shea Weber. "It was nice to have a bit of a break, but all the guys are fired up and anxious to get back out there and start playing hockey again. We think we can go all the way and it's time to prove it."

Both teams boast firepower up front and on defence, but this series will likely be won or lost in net. The Canucks and Stars rely heavily on their goaltenders and both Tuukka Rask (Canucks) and Carey Price (Stars) sit atop a number of statistical categories in the 2016 playoffs. These two have been stellar so far, so expect goals to be hard to come by this series.

"I'm seeing the puck well right now and feeling really good about my game," said Vancouver starter Tuukka Rask. " Our team's been playing great defence too and doing a good job of limiting the number of quality scoring chances. Carey (Price) is a great goaltender, but I can't worry about that. I just need to keep playing my game. If I play up to my potential and do what I need to do then everything else will fall into place."

The series kicks off tonight in Dallas at 5:15 PM PDT/8:15 PM EDT.