NHL Playoffs 2016: Updated Stanley Cup Schedule and Championship Picks

The first round of the playoffs has approached or reached its midway point, and while the Presidents' Trophy-winning Washington Capitals are playing to expectations, the rest of the Stanley Cup schedule is being played with snarl, nastiness and a high degree of competitiveness.

The competitive fire in the Western Conference has been white-hot. While the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings were expected to dominate their series against the Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks, respectively, both find themselves trailing through the first three games.

That's typical for the Stanley Cup playoffs, where upsets are commonplace and the No. 8 seed has proved capable of winning the title in recent years.

It doesn't appear that the Philadelphia Flyers are suited to match what the Kings did in 2012 in winning their first Stanley Cup, but the Minnesota Wild remain alive and breathing after spotting the Dallas Stars a 2-0 lead in Game 3 and coming back to post a 5-3 victory.

Still it would be a major upset if the Wild comes all the way back and eliminates the Stars. But after wresting momentum away from the Western Conference's top seed, don't be surprised if the Wild comes out at full speed in Game 4 and forces the Stars to upgrade their level of play.

The belief here is that the Capitals, Penguins, Islanders and Lightning will emerge victorious in their Eastern Conference series. The Stars, Blues, Sharks and Predators should emerge in the Western Conference.

Game	Series Standing	Time (ET)	TV
Washington at Philadelphia	Washington, 3-0	7 p.m.	NBCSN, CBC, TVAS, CSN-PH, CSN-DC
Florida at N.Y. Islanders	NYI, 2-1	8 p.m.	USA, SN, TVAS2, MSG+, FS-F
Dallas at Minnesota	Dallas, 2-1	9:30 p.m	NBCSN, SN360, TVAS3, FS-N, FS-WI, FS-SW
Los Angeles at San Jose	San Jose, 2-1	10:30 p.m.	USA, CBC, TVAS, CSN-CA, FS-W

Once teams go through the handshake line with a victory under their belt, the surprise value throughout the rest of the playoffs is lessened. For example, if the Predators are playing in the second round, they will have already beaten the Pacific Division champion Ducks. They will have proven they can beat a very good team. If they followed with a victory over the second-place Kings or third-place Sharks, it would not be a shock.

The Capitals are rolling through the Flyers in the opening round, and the result may not be much different in the second round if they play the Penguins. The Capitals are a deep and finished product, and if they close out Philadelphia in four games, they will be well-rested when they take on the Penguins. While Pittsburgh picked up a win over the New York Rangers in Game 3 Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, that has the look of a long series.

The Lightning picked up a huge win over the Red Wings on the road in Game 4, and they return to Tampa Bay for Game 5 with a chance to finish the series. We expect them to do that, but there is something about the plucky New York Islanders that says the Lightning will go no further.

The Islanders lead the Panthers 2-1 in the first round, and they should finish off the Panthers in six games. We expect them to find a way to eliminate Tampa Bay in seven games.

Bill Boyce/Associated Press

The Islanders will be loose and relaxed in the Eastern Conference Final against the Caps, and they will steal one game in Washington and also win a game at home in Brooklyn. But the Caps are just too deep with Braden Holtby in goal, John Carlson on the blue line and Alex Ovechkin pounding the puck with authority along with a powerful supporting cast. The Caps will represent the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Final.

In the other bracket, the Blues and the Stars should have a classic second-round series. The Blues, having finally broken through in the first round, will have more momentum and will build a 3-0 lead in the series. The Stars will fight back and win the next two games, but St. Louis will close out the Stars in Game 6.

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

The Sharks will have a major battle on their hands against the Predators, who shocked the hockey world with their upset of the Ducks. But the Sharks are led by Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns, and they will stop the Preds in their tracks and advance to the Western Conference Final in a five-game victory.

The conference final series between the Blues and the Sharks may turn out to be the best series of the playoffs.

Both teams will have put their nightmarish playoff history in the past, and the result will be a fast-paced, hard-hitting and skillful series. These teams are basically dead even, but the combination of Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz will lead the Blues to a seventh-game victory and the Blues' first trip to the Stanley Cup Final since Bobby Orr scored perhaps the most famous goal in hockey history in 1970.

The Blues may have lost that series to the Boston Bruins in four straight games, but they will give the Capitals a full seven-game battle for the Stanley Cup. However, Holtby will clinch the title and the Conn Smythe Trophy when he beats the Blues 2-0 and the Caps win their first Stanley Cup.