NHL Playoff Schedule 2015: Updated Stanley Cup Bracket and Round 2 Viewing Info
As usual, hockey received the short end of the stick. A wild sports weekend portrayed the NHL playoffs as a mere sideshow for more anticipated events.
With those novelties out of the way, the chase for the Stanley Cup once again rises to the forefront. Anyone sleeping on playoff hockey will want to wake up as the second round treks along.
All eight teams standing will prepare for Game 3 entering the fresh week, with the New York Rangers and the Washington Capitals opening shop Monday. The Eastern Conference foes will fight to break the series' 1-1 stalemate inside the Verizon Center after two disputed bouts at Madison Square Garden.
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Let's hit the ice for updated Round 2 schedules.
| New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals | Tied 1-1 |
| Montreal Canadiens vs. Tampa Bay Lightning | TB 2-0 |
| Anaheim Ducks vs. Calgary Flames | ANA 2-0 |
| Chicago Blackhawks vs. Minnesota Wild | CHI 2-0 |
| Tues., May 5 | Montreal at Tampa Bay | 7 p.m. | USA, CBC |
| Thurs., May 7 | Montreal at Tampa Bay | 7 p.m. | NBCSN, CBC |
| Sat., May 9* | Tampa Bay at Montreal | TBD | CBC |
| Tues., May 12* | Montreal at Tampa Bay | TBD | CBC |
| Thurs., May 14* | Tampa Bay at Montreal | TBD | CBC |
| Mon., May 4 | NY Rangers at Washington | 7:30 p.m. | NBCSN, CBC |
| Wed., May 6 | NY Rangers at Washington | 7:30 p.m. | NBCSN, CBC |
| Fri., May 8 | Washington at NY Rangers | 7 p.m. | NBCSN |
| Sun., May 10* | NY Rangers at Washington | TBD | TBD |
| Wed., May 13* | Washington at NY Rangers | TBD | TBD |
| Tues., May 5 | Chicago at Minnesota | 8 p.m. | NBCSN, CBC |
| Thurs., May 7 | Chicago at Minnesota | 9:30 p.m. | NBCSN |
| Sat., May 9* | Minnesota at Chicago | TBD | TBD |
| Mon., May 11* | Chicago at Minnesota | TBD | TBD |
| Wed., May 13* | Minnesota at Chicago | TBD | TBD |
| Tues., May 5 | Anaheim at Calgary | 9:30 p.m. | USA |
| Fri., May 8 | Anaheim at Calgary | 9:30 p.m. | NBCSN |
| Sun., May 10* | Calgary at Anaheim | TBD | TSN |
| Tues., May 12* | Anaheim at Calgary | TBD | TBD |
| Thurs., May 14* | Calgary at Anaheim | TBD | TBD |
Live Stream: NBC Sports
New York Rangers at Washington Capitals
The Rangers suffered a heartbreaking Game 1 loss when Joel Ward broke a 1-1 tie with 1.3 seconds left. Eager to avoid a 2-0 deficit before the series shifted to Washington, New York responded with a 3-2 win Saturday afternoon.
Yet, Alexander Ovechkin stole the show in a losing effort.
Leading a late comeback attempt, the star fired four shots on goal. New York seemingly had the game in hand with a 2-0 edge through a dominant first period, but Ovechkin's incredible score made things interesting.
Evading a pair of defenders, he darted a bullet past star goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who corralled 30 saves. NHL's Twitter page shared the highlight reel:
Unafraid of the 2012 Vezina Trophy winner, Ovechkin warned New York's gatekeeper of more scoring to follow, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman:
Lundqvist tipped his mask afterword, courtesy of the New York Daily News' Pat Leonard.
“To be able to shoot it that hard on your knees,” Lundqvist said, “he definitely surprised me a little bit there. He’s one of the best players in the game. There’s no question.”
Center Derick Brassard offered a bolder assessment to ESPN.com's Katie Strang, asserting that "he’s probably the best player in the world right now.” The six-time All-Star certainly has their attention.
The Capitals' No. 6-ranked offense is tough enough to stymie at even strength, so the Rangers must continue to avoid handing them power-play opportunities. Possessing the NHL's most efficient conversation rate during the season, Washington was limited to three power plays through two games, turning one into a Game 1 score.
Meanwhile, the Rangers placed No. 6 with an 84.3 penalty-kill percentage. Life is sure easier in the Big Apple with Lundqvist on point, and he has surrendered only 11 goals through seven postseason tilts.
The 33-year-old has recorded a 93.8 postseason save percentage, up from last year's 92.7 clip during New York's run to the Stanley Cup Final. Although the Rangers pack a heavier scoring punch than last year's squad, they're still far from a puck-dominant team, which will only go as far as Lundqvist takes it.
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