NHL Playoffs 2015: Stanley Cup TV Schedule and Predictions for Thursday's Games

Bring on the second round.

With the first round of the NHL playoffs in the books, eight teams are left standing in the pursuit of the Stanley Cup. Two games will kick off the round on Thursday evening, with two of this season's top teams looking to prove their worth right out of the gate. Let's take a look at the schedule and break down the action.

Schedule

Time (ET)	Matchup	Watch	Prediction
7:30 p.m.	Washington Capitals at New York Rangers	NBCSN	Rangers win, 2-1
10 p.m.	Calgary Flames at Anaheim Ducks	NBCSN	Ducks win, 3-2

Preview

Chris Carlson/Associated Press/Associated Press

The Anaheim Ducks were very impressive against the Winnipeg Jets in Round 1, scoring nine goals in the third period and coming from behind in the final frame three times. If the Calgary Flames are going to knock them off, the first thing they'll have to do is play much better than Winnipeg in the third period. 

They should be up to the task. Not only did they score four third-period goals to wrap up their series against the Vancouver Canucks in Game 6, but they regularly came back late in games in the regular season, as Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times noted:

"

Those third-period comebacks were front and center for both teams during the regular season. The Flames won 10 games when trailing after two periods. The Ducks established an NHL record by winning 18 games in which they were behind at some point in the third period.

'They've been doing it all year,' Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau said of the Flames on a conference call Sunday morning. 'They're a team that never quits. The minute you think that you've got them, they know how to apply an awful lot of pressure.'

"

So do the Ducks. Anaheim has an excellent blend of size and speed, and the fact they are never out of a game, that they never concede defeat, can be exhausting for an opponent. Expect Calgary to give them a series, but look for the Ducks to steal Game 1.

The New York Rangers, meanwhile, should have a very difficult matchup against Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. The Rangers should be confident—they dispatched the dangerous Pittsburgh Penguins in five games, beat the Caps in three of the teams' four games this season and have knocked the Capitals out of the playoffs the last two times these teams have met in the postseason. 

The Rangers are the deeper team, and in Henrik Lundqvist, they have a player capable of winning the series on his own. Still, Washington's physical style could give the Rangers trouble, as Washington should really turn up the pressure on the forecheck and will try to get as much traffic in front of Lundqvist as possible. 

Still, New York's added rest—the Capitals needed seven games to get past the New York Islanders—and more well-rounded roster should benefit them in the end. Look for the Rangers to take the first game in what should be a physical, competitive series.