NHL Playoff Schedule 2015: Matchups, Predictions and Saturday's Round 1 Guide

We're only four days in, but the 2015 NHL playoffs are in full swing entering Saturday as the league's 16 best are showing their hunger for the Stanley Cup.

With the Los Angeles Kings absent from the postseason, a new champion will be crowned and the teams are reacting accordingly by putting on some exhilarating hockey. From early upsets to enthralling comebacks to angry altercations and everything in between, the playoffs have delivered from an entertainment standpoint. 

But the drama has only just begun, with more Game 2 action Saturday that will set the stage heading to the road team's arena. Here's a breakdown of scheduling information, including picks for each game.

NHL Playoff Schedule and Predictions: Saturday 

Time (ET)	Matchups (Game 2)	TV	Prediction
3 p.m.	Detroit Red Wings at Tampa Bay Lightning (DET leads 1-0)	NBC, CBC	Tampa Bay
3 p.m.	Minnesota Wild at St. Louis Blues (MIN leads 1-0)	NBC, SN	St. Louis
8 p.m.	Pittsburgh Penguins at New York Rangers (NYR leads 1-0)	NBC, CBC	New York
10:30 p.m.	Winnipeg Jets at Anaheim Ducks (ANA leads 1-0)	NBCSN, SN	Winnipeg

Featured Matchup: Winnipeg Jets at Anaheim Ducks

Chris Carlson/Associated Press

Not to say that it won't be a short series, but the Anaheim Ducks at least learned they have their work cut out for them entering Game 2 of this opening-round affair.

Anaheim got to play the Jets as a reward for finishing atop the division and conference, but it's not much of a reward. Not only did Winnipeg finish the season on a 10-4 tear to clinch its first playoffs since the franchise returned three years ago, but its smashmouth style of play figures to give fits to a similarly minded Ducks team.

While Anaheim prides itself on pushing the opposition around, it became obvious that wouldn't be so easy against Winnipeg's big bodies, as James Mirtle of The Globe and Mail noted:

The Jets' muscle and determinant play certainly made itself apparent in Game 1, as they rallied to take a 2-1 lead in the second period. The Ducks may have bounced back to win the opener, but their opponent left no doubt that the next three wins won't come easy.

Things may not have worked out in Game 1, but that isn't stopping the Jets from keeping at it the rest of the series, per the team's Twitter:

With that said, there are a few things that the Jets might want to change up.

The most striking improvement to make is undoubtedly shoring up the penalty problem. The Jets allowed the Ducks to go on three power plays from late in the second period on, and those man advantages paved the way to Anaheim's late winning goals.

For a Jets team that spent more time on the penalty kill than any other team in the league this season, that's not exactly what you want to see in Game 1 of the playoffs.

Of course, the Jets' best penalty-killer—goaltender Ondrej Pavelec—can help to nullify the impact of that, which will be needed considering Winnipeg's physical style of play guarantees more two-minute minors are on the way. And if the Jets are going to turn around a 33.3 percent penalty kill thus far in the playoffs, Pavelec will need to bring his best.

Chris Carlson/Associated Press

It's not often, however, that the Jets' defense has to leave their goalie out to dry like it did at times in Game 1. 

The Ducks can put this game away and begin to put the series away by exploding again offensively, but as Game 1 showed, those chances don't just come out of thin air against the Jets. Without one or two of those dumb penalties, Corey Perry doesn't even get an opportunity for his second goal—meaning the outcome may have been totally different.

Winnipeg poured a lot into Game 1, but the early shortcomings will only force them to come even more furiously at the Ducks—who won't get numerous man advantages to help their cause in Game 2. If the Jets hold their own in the faceoff circle and control the ice like they're known to do, the series will go back to Winnipeg knotted up.

Prediction: Jets 3, Ducks 2