NHL Playoff Schedule 2016: Matchups, Predictions and Saturday's Round 1 Guide

Although there's no such thing as a must-win Game 2 of a playoff series, the four NHL teams that head into Saturday's action down 1-0 are certainly feeling some extra pressure. Coming back from two games down is a difficult task, even if a team is heading home for the next two games.

As you'd expect, the numbers bear that out. NHL teams that go up 2-0 eventually win the series 86 percent of the time, according to WhoWins.com. So it's fair to expect some extra intensity in order to avoid having to face that type of uphill battle.

Let's check out the complete list of games for Saturday. That's followed by a preview and prediction for each of the contests.

Saturday Viewing Guide

Game	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV
2	Rangers at Penguins	3 p.m.	NBC
2	Flyers at Capitals	7 p.m.	CNBC
2	Wild at Stars	8 p.m.	NBCSN
2	Sharks at Kings	10:30 p.m.	NBCSN

All games are available for live streaming via NBC Sports Live Extra.

Game Predictions

New York Rangers at Pittsburgh Penguins (PIT leads 1-0)

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

This series could very well come down to the health of the goalies. Pittsburgh's Marc-Andre Fleury missed Game 1 while recovering from a concussion, and New York's Henrik Lundqvist was forced the exit the opener after suffering a eye injury.

Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Daily News reported Lundqvist returned to practice Friday, which signaled a likely return in Game 2. Fleury's status is a little more unclear, which isn't a surprise with a head injury, but Jonas Siegel of the Canadian Press noted the netminder is hopeful he'll be ready.

The first game was more competitive than the 5-2 scoreline would suggest. New York actually won the shots battle 37-31, and it wasn't until Antti Raanta entered between the pipes that Pittsburgh started to pull away. Jeff Zatkoff came up big in the spot start with 35 saves.

Thanks in large part to Sidney Crosby, who's been outstanding during the second half of the campaign, the Penguins do have more offensive firepower. So if it's another battle of the backups, the Pens should hold the edge. But the Rangers have a good chance to get back level if Lundqvist is ready to roll.

Prediction: Rangers 3, Penguins 2

Philadelphia Flyers at Washington Capitals (WSH leads 1-0)

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

The Flyers never seemed comfortable in Game 1. They tried to set the physical tone against the high-powered Capitals but lost their offensive creativity in the process. It caused them to generate just 19 shots, most of them posing no serious threat to a goalie the caliber of Braden Holtby.

Now, while Philadelphia certainly doesn't want it to become a wide-open, back-and-forth series, it must do a better job of creating chances from dangerous areas in Game 2. Forward Wayne Simmonds touched on that even before the series, per Sam Donnellon of the Philadelphia Daily News.

"I think sometimes we go to the net, and we just cruise by it," Simmonds said. "We don't stop. You can flash by the net as much as you want, but if you don't stop you're not going to get that second or even third opportunity."

Getting into those areas around the net also creates more opportunities for deflections, both intentional and unintentional. Those bounces are usually what it takes to beat a goaltender like Holtby or at least force him to cough up a rebound. It's rare to beat him with a wrister from the perimeter.

It's a game of adjustments, so expect to see a Flyers squad that's far more active in the offensive zone in Game 2. The question is whether they'll be able to do that without opening up too many breaks for the Capitals going the other way. Washington is such a well-oiled machine, the answer will probably be no.

Prediction: Capitals 4, Flyers 2

Minnesota Wild at Dallas Stars (DAL leads 1-0)

LM Otero/Associated Press

The Stars weren't generating a ton of attention coming into the playoffs despite finishing with the most points in the Western Conference. The fast-rising Anaheim Ducks and battle-tested Chicago Blackhawks were receiving most of the hype. That's beginning to change after a dominant Game 1.

Dallas got four goals from four different players and a 22-save shutout from Kari Lehtonen. It really showcased the depth that allowed the team to have so much regular-season success. Making matters worse for Minnesota, Tyler Seguin deemed himself fit to return from an Achilles injury, per the Dallas Morning News' Michael Florek.

The Wild ranked eighth in the league in goals allowed during the regular season. In turn, they must find a way to impose a more defensive posture on the game. They simply don't have enough firepower to keep pace with the top-ranked offense.

Ultimately, it should be a more competitive game as Minnesota becomes more comfortable with the overall pace of play. But the Stars had the second-best home record in hockey during the regular season and showed no signs of losing grip on that success in Game 1.

Prediction: Stars 3, Wild 1

San Jose Sharks at Los Angeles Kings (SJ leads 1-0)

Harry How/Getty Images

Fans are in for quite a treat if every game in this series is as entertaining as the first. The teams traded seven goals in a narrow San Jose victory that certainly fit the definition of playoff hockey. And all signs point to an extended series.

Game 1 also showed it doesn't take a lot of shots to create drama. The teams combined to put just 47 pucks on target, but there was a lot more action than that would suggest. David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period summed up what everybody was feeling:

If there's one player who will probably play the biggest role in deciding the series, it's Brent Burns. The San Jose defenseman finished second in scoring at the position in the regular season with 75 points, but he also had a minus-five rating.

In other words, he's as dangerous as they come at bolstering an offense from the blue line, but opponents can take advantage of him in his own zone. That showed in Game 1, as he had two points with a minus-one rating. If Los Angeles can at least limit his scoring input, it should be in fine shape.

Prediction: Kings 2, Sharks 1