NHL Playoff Schedule 2012: Biggest Keys to Victory in Thursday's Game 7s

Thursday night is going to be yet another reminder that playoff hockey is about as awesome as it gets.

Hockey fans only got to see one Game 7 on Wednesday, but it was a good one. Against all odds, the Washington Capitals marched right into the TD Garden and beat the defending champion Boston Bruins in overtime.

On Thursday, hockey fans get to watch two Game 7s: one between the upstart Ottawa Senators and the top-seeded New York Rangers, and another between the battle-tested New Jersey Devils and the upstart Florida Panthers.

Here's a look at some keys to victory for each of the four teams. 

Ottawa Senators at New York Rangers 

Time: 7:00 p.m. ET

TV: NBC Sports Network

Keys to Victory for Ottawa

This is Ottawa's first Game 7 in nearly a decade, and the franchise has never actually won a Game 7. 

However, I wouldn't say that there's a ton of pressure on the Senators to win this game. They've surpassed expectations in a big way this season, and the fact that they've even made it to Game 7 against the Rangers is impressive.

The Senators absolutely need to kill penalties. The Rangers have scored a total of five goals in the last three games of this series, and four of them have come on the power play. This includes two of New York's three goals in Game 6.

If the Senators can handle the Rangers on the power play, it's going to be very difficult for New York to score at all. Ottawa has played better defensively than most people expected them to.

Keys to Victory for New York

The Senators will have to clamp down when the Rangers are on a power play, so it goes without saying that the Rangers will have to make the most of the power play opportunities they do get.

Aside from that, look for the Rangers to play masterfully on defense. It's very hard to get the puck through their battle lines when they're playing well, and the Senators will still have to deal with Henrik Lundqvist even if they do get the puck through.

As for how the Rangers can do some scoring of their own, Game 7 will have to be Brad Richards' time to shine. Goodness knows he's capable of doing so.

Collectively, the Rangers have too much experience to be spooked by playing in a Game 7. But by now, they should know not to underestimate the Senators.

New Jersey Devils at Florida Panthers

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

TV: NHL Network/NBC Sports Network

Keys to Victory for New Jersey

Martin Brodeur, this is your time to shine.

This will be Brodeur's 10th career Game 7 start. He has a 5-4 record in nine previous Game 7s and a 1.93 goals against average. Make no mistake, he's not about to choke on the pressure.

For his teammates, it will be all about execution. Their penalty killing has been solid in the last three games of the series, and they'll need to keep that up.

Ilya Kovalchuk will need to make his presence felt the same way he did in Game 6, when he had a goal and an assist. He's had a solid series to this point, but he was at his best in Game 6 when the Devils needed him to be at his best.

The Devils will gladly take more of the same from him in Game 7.

Keys to Victory for Florida

The Panthers are in pretty much the same boat as the Senators. They haven't played in a Game 7 since 1996, and the win they earned in that Game 7 is the only Game 7 in the franchise's history.

But just like the Senators, you just get the sense that the pressure isn't going to get to the Panthers. They too have surpassed expectations this season, and they'll look to score a defining victory in front of their home fans.

The Panthers need to find a way to convert on the power play if they want to conjure enough offense to win this game. They scored six power-play goals in the first three games of this series and one ever since. In Game 6, they had only one power-play opportunity.

If the Devils keep killing penalties like they've been doing in the last three games, the Panthers are going to be at a potentially series-deciding disadvantage.