When the Cup Final Starts - The Dates That Actually Fit

The Stanley Cup Final is coming fast enough that the calendar math already matters. Teams, broadcasters, and fans are all trying to line up the cleanest path through the schedule, and there is always a little hockey-politics in how those dates get set. The league has to balance rest, travel, and TV while pretending the timing is some great mystery. For the teams still alive, the only date that really counts is the one that ends with a handshake line.