NHL Playoffs 2016: Schedule, Odds and Predictions for Sunday's Stanley Cup Games

The Philadelphia Flyers have done it before. Can they rebound from a 3-0 deficit for a second time?

That's the question of the day as the Flyers prepare themselves for Game 6 of their first-round series against the Washington Capitals. The Flyers were outplayed in losing the first three games of the series, and it seemed inevitable that the Presidents' Trophy winners would sweep them out of the playoffs.

However, the Flyers' rebounded with a 2-1 victory in Game 4 at home, eliminating the possibility of a sweep. However, the idea they would go into the Verizon Center and come away with a win on Washington's home ice seemed ludicrous.

Yet that's just what the Flyers did, as they used the stellar goaltending of Michal Neuvirth to pick up a 2-0 victory that allowed them return home with a chance to even the series.

The Flyers are attempting to do the near impossible in coming back and winning a series after losing the first three games. 

Philadelphia is of the four teams that has done that in the past. In 2010, they lost the first three games to the Boston Bruins before coming back to register four straight wins. The Game 7 victory was a comeback itself, as the Flyers trailed 3-0 in the first period before rallying back.

The other teams to rally from such a deficit to win include the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, the 1975 New York Islanders and the 2014 Los Angeles Kings.

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Washington Capitals fall to Philadelphia Flyers 2-0 https://t.co/ojw2KFUgOZ

— Capitals Update (@CapitalsUpdate) April 23, 2016"

The Capitals certainly want to avoid joining the list of teams that have failed to win a series after racing to a perfect start through three games. They would like to get back on track in Game 6 so they can avoid the pressure of a seventh meeting.

The Capitals did not play poorly in Game 5. However, they did run into a hot goaltender in Neuvirth, who stopped all 44 Washington shots. The Flyers managed just 11 shots on Washington netminder Braden Holtby.

"If you don't have your confidence, you don't have your swagger and you're just someone who's waiting for something bad to happen," Washington forward Justin Williams told Katie Brown of NHL.com. "We want to make something good happen." 

Game	Series Standing	Time (ET)	TV	Odds	Predicted Winner
Washington at Philadelphia	Washington 3-2	12 noon	NBC, CBC, TVAS	Washington -168; Philadelphia +152	Washington
Dallas at Minnesota	Dallas, 3-2	3 p.m.	NBC, TVAS, SN	Dallas -124; Minnesota +112	Minnesota
Florida at N.Y. Islanders	New York, 3-2	7 p.m.	NBCSN, CBC, TVAS, MSG+, SUN	New York -110; Florida Even	Florida

The Flyers have the momentum in the series, and they are returning home. However, the Capitals are formidable and demonstrated their talent in the first three games of the series. If they recapture that form, they could close out the series in Philadelphia.

The oddsmakers believe the Capitals will get the job done on the road. They are minus-172 to win the game, according to Odds Shark, while the Flyers are plus-155.

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

The Dallas Stars are favored (minus-124) to close out their series with the Minnesota Wild (plus-112) on the road. The Stars had a late lead in the third period in Game 5 in Dallas, but Minnesota's Mikko Koivu scored a tying goal with less than four minutes to play and also deflected Ryan Suter's shot past Antti Niemi in the first overtime to give the Wild the 5-4 victory.

Minnesota can square the series by winning on home ice, and the Wild will need to take every bit of momentum gained from the Game 5 rally to win their second game in a row.

The Stars are likely to follow the lead of stars Jamie Benn, Patrick Sharp and John Klingberg in this game, and head coach Lindy Ruff knows all three are capable of having huge games.

However, he has to be concerned about Niemi, who did not appear sure of himself at any point during Friday night's game.

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Kari Lehtonen played the first three games in goal for the Stars, and when Dallas lost Game 3, Ruff turned to Niemi. Now Niemi has a loss, another goalie change is possible.

Lehtonen understands he must be ready to play. 

"I try not to [change my routine] too much [in the playoffs]," Lehtonen told NHL.com correspondent Steve Hunt . "Maybe things come a little faster, but I try not to think about what's on their line and things like that, just focus more on the next shift, not even next period."

Whether Ruff goes with Niemi or Lehtonen, both goalies need to be ready for a Minnesota surge from the start and then sustain their play the rest of the way. If not, a seventh game is likely.

Predictions

Look for the Flyers to come out with their best hockey of the series in the first period against the Capitals. Taking an early lead seems quite likely, and they could maintain it through the first 20 minutes. However, Washington is not going to let this series get to a seventh game, and the Capitals will take the game and series with a 4-2 victory.

The Wild would appear to have a better chance of forcing a seventh game. For all of the offensive explosiveness Dallas brings to the ice each night, the team's defense and goaltending can be inconsistent. The Wild will take advantage of home ice and escape with a high-scoring win.

The New York Islanders (-110) return home after winning 2-1 on the road in double overtime Friday night, and they have a chance to close out their series with the Florida Panthers in Brooklyn. New York has been unable to win back-to-back playoff games, and that should be the case again.

The Panthers (even) are a desperate team playing to stay alive, and they will avoid errors and take advantage of opportunities. Florida will win here and send the series back to Sunrise for a seventh game.