NHL Playoff Schedule 2015: Stanley Cup Dates, Game Times for Updated Matchups

One team is already through to the second round of the 2015 NHL playoffs, but everyone else is still fighting its way into the final eight.

The Anaheim Ducks surprised by completing the sweep of the Winnipeg Jets in what many thought could be a seven-game series, but the Montreal Canadiens couldn't follow suit, as the Ottawa Senators held on to stay alive. Two more teams have the chance to be eliminated in Game 5 action Thursday, but don't be shocked if all of them go the distance.

Without further ado, here's a glance into the Thursday schedule for NHL postseason play.

Thursday, April 23, NHL Playoff Schedule

Time (ET)	Matchup	TV	Series
6:30 p.m.	Tampa Bay vs. Detroit (Game 4)	NBCSN	DET leads 2-1
7 p.m.	New York Islanders at Washington (Game 5)	CNBC	Tied 2-2
9:30 p.m.	Chicago at Nashville (Game 5)	NBCSN	CHI leads 3-1
10 p.m.	Calgary at Vancouver (Game 5)	CNBC	CGY leads 3-1

Game to Watch: Blackhawks at Predators (Game 5)

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

It's not very often that a single goal can win or lose a series when that goal comes in Game 4 of said series, but that just might be the case between the Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators.

As the two teams headed into a third overtime Tuesday night in Game 4, the Preds had the chance to steal one to even the series up at 2-2 and return to Nashville with home-ice advantage again in hand. But one conceded goal would push them to the brink of elimination, and that's just what happened when Brent Seabrook netted a shot from the point to win Game 4 and give the Blackhawks a commanding 3-1 lead.

Owners of the NHL's best record for a large chunk of the season, the Predators now face early elimination unless they can pull one out in Nashville Thursday night. 

To make matters worse for Nashville, it has been without arguably its two best players—captain Shea Weber and Mike Fisher—most of the series, and that may not change heading into Game 5, as Brooks Bratten of NHL.com shared:

The Blackhawks may have a convincing edge in this series, but a glance into how the series has unfolded tells a different story. Nashville led 3-0 in Game 1 before Chicago rallied for a double-overtime win, and the Predators smashed their opponent 6-2 in Game 2 before dropping two in the Windy City.

As it turns out, the Blackhawks didn't even hold a lead in a game until Game 3—which happened to be goalie Scott Darling's first start in relief of struggling Cory Crawford. It's paid off, as Darling has caught fire and stopped 131 of a possible 135 shots in three games.

If the Predators are going to get some pucks past Darling, they'll have to break a frustrating trend of home elimination defeats, as The Tennessean's Adam Vingan noted:

So there may be reasons for the white flag to be waving in Nashville as Thursday night's game approaches, with history against the Preds and important pieces missing. That's not to mention the fact that they poured everything into a triple-overtime game to get them back in the series and came up short.

But things can change in an instant in series like these, and all it takes is one 60-minute performance to put the Predators back in it.

“You really just need to focus on one game, but it’s really the only game that matters,” Predators head coach Peter Laviolette told Bratten of NHL.com. “There’s no Game Seven that can be played and no Game Six that can be played [yet]. The focus remains in the single identity, and we’ve said that one game doesn’t really have to do with the other game."

Break out the cliche book, because the Predators are going to need a lot of them if they aspire to battle back in this series.