With the 2014 National Hockey League regular season finally over, it is time for the playoffs to start and the drama to begin.

The NHL, similar to its seasonal counterpart, the NBA, turns up the physicality in the playoffs. The regular season for both sports seems mild compared to the level of intensity and urgency found in these games.

The first round matchups are the best they have ever been in the past few years and there will certainly be some game sevens to look forward to.

In the Eastern Conference, you have an Original Six matchup between the Boston Bruins and the Detroit Red Wings. This Original Six series dates all the way to 1926, when the teams first faced off against each other. Although the Bruins have been one of the league’s best teams this year, look for Detroit to play spoiler.

Another intriguing pairing in the east is the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers. These teams are very familiar with each other and both have played well at home. I think it will come down to which team can win a couple games on the road.

The most exciting series are found in the Western Conference. Regional and conference foes the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues will see each other in a much- anticipated series. The two teams have both exchanged wins this year, however the Blackhawks have won the last two games of the series. The Blues were the favorite to win the cup before injuries to forwards David Backes, T.J. Oshie, Patrik Berglund and defensemen Vlad Sobotka and Brendan Morrow. It is still not certain which of them will be able to play in the series and the group of players injured account for a good percentage of the Blues’ points this season.

Injuries are also a worry for the Blackhawks, however the team has announced forwards Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews will both be available for the first game.

The Blackhawks have an experienced squad with a tremendous amount of playoff experience. Nineteen of the 25 players on the roster have won a Stanley Cup. The Hawks also traded for forward Kris Versteeg, who was on the Blackhawks when they won the 2010 Stanley Cup.

To finish off the first round games you have a series between in-state rivals: the San Jose Sharks and the Los Angeles Kings. These two teams met in the Western Conference Semifinals last season with the Kings prevailing in a seven-game series. The Sharks are notorious for playing excellent during the regular season and falling short in the playoffs. The Kings, however, won the Stanley Cup in 2012 and have 21 players still on the roster who were on the championship team.

The problem with the Western Conference is there are too many good physical teams. The west will beat up on each other leaving whoever ends up in the Stanley Cup Final limping. The Eastern Conference has weak matchups like the Pittsburgh Penguins playing the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Blue Jackets traded away their best forward in Marian Gaborik and have little chance at beating the powerhouse that is the Penguins. Sydney Crosby will likely glide through this series, seeing that only a few of the Jackets has any significant playoff experience.

I have little issue taking the Blackhawks and the Los Angeles Kings to have a rematch of the 2013 Western Conference final in this year’s conference finals. In the eastern finals, I have the Montreal Canadiens and the Penguins. With Montreal goalie Carey Price leading the way, I expect to find the Blackhawks and the Canadiens in the finals.

In a rematch of the 1973 Stanley Cup Finals, Chicago and Montreal will provide us with another fiery Original Six matchup. Montreal has one of the league’s best goaltenders in Price and also has the reigning league’s best defenseman in P.K. Subban. With having such an easy route to the finals, the Canadiens will prove to be full of energy. However, the Blackhawks are very battle-tested and will eventually wear down the Canadians in seven games to win Chicago its second consecutive Stanley Cup.

Jack Robinson can be reached at [email protected] on Twitter @JrobinsonSIU or 533-3311