Blackhawks vs. Ducks Game 7 Preview: 3 things you need to know

Take all the available cliches and toss them in a blender, because they're all applicable to a Game 7 where a spot in the Stanley Cup Final is on the line.

That's the scenario facing the Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, with the former vying for a third Cup in five years and the latter looking to hang a Western Conference Champion banner in the state of California for the second straight season.

Here's what you need to know before the puck drops.

Shaking off Game 7 failures

Both clubs have been eliminated from the playoffs in a Game 7 in recent years, and it's a path both will be unwilling to go down once again.

Chicago took the Los Angeles Kings to the brink in the third round last spring, only to fall on home ice in overtime to the eventual Cup champions. Now they'll have to prove they can get back over that hump on the road.

For their part, the Ducks are looking to move past two straight Game 7 eliminations, after losing to those same Kings in the second round of the 2014 playoffs, and to the Detroit Red Wings in the opening round back in 2013.

As good as both teams have been this season, something has to give, meaning another long summer of disappointment looms for one of these birds.

Boudreau's big chance

Bruce Boudreau has put together a nice coaching career, with 363 regular season wins in 599 games split between the Ducks and Washington Capitals.

In fact, his teams have finished atop their divisions in seven of his eight years behind an NHL bench.

Success has eluded him in the playoffs, however, with this appearance in the Western Conference Final marking the furthest he has taken a team.

A win over counterpart Joel Quenneville and the Blackhawks would cement his reputation as one of hockey's great active coaches, while a loss would only increase the size of the cloud that hangs over him, whether justified or not.

The Crow flying highest

Both Frederik Andersen and Corey Crawford have been good but not great this series, allowing an average of three goals each per game, with the Blackhawks goalie holding the upper hand based on amount of shots faced.

Crawford also holds the edge in terms of experience, with a Stanley Cup already on his resume.