NHL Playoff Schedule 2016: Stanley Cup Guide, Postseason Tree and Standings

From this point forward, all games played in the first round of the NHL playoffs will be elimination games.

The initial round of the postseason has been filled with thrilling action, and when the Anaheim Ducks beat the Nashville Predators 5-2 at home Saturday, it gave them a 3-2 lead in the series. They have battled back from a 2-0 deficit, and the Pacific Division champions are in the position that most expected them to be in at the start of the series.

The Los Angeles Kings were favored to beat the San Jose Sharks in their playoff series, largely because they have had so much playoff success over the years while the Sharks have struggled in the postseason despite their explosive talent.

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

But this time, the Sharks dictated the pace and forced the Kings into a chase mode, and San Jose won the series in five games.

The Sharks and the Pittsburgh Penguins may be the two most impressive teams in the first round. The Penguins won their series against the New York Rangers in five games, and those two teams are waiting for their second-round opponents to be determined.

The Sharks will face the Ducks if the latter can close out the Predators, and Anaheim would have the home-ice advantage in that series. If Nashville reverses the momentum and wins Games 6 and 7, the Sharks would have home-ice advantage against the Preds.

Game	Series Standings	Time (ET)	TV
Washington at Philadelphia	Washington, 3-2	12 p.m.	NBC, CBC, TVAS
Dallas at Minnesota	Dallas, 3-2	3 p.m.	NBC, TVAS, SN
Florida at New York Islanders	New York, 3-2	7 p.m.	NBCSN, CBC, TVAS, MSG+, SUN

The Chicago Blackhawks have showed off their talent and determination in rebounding for wins in Games 5 and 6 to square their series with the St. Louis Blues. The two teams will play a seventh game Monday night in St. Louis, and while the Blues played quite well through the first four games in the series, the Blackhawks have the momentum as the two teams prepare for the decisive game of the series.

The team that survives Game 7 will take on the winner of the Dallas Stars-Minnesota Wild series. The favored Stars hold a 3-2 lead prior to Sunday's Game 6 at the Xcel Energy Center, but the Wild survived Game 5 by winning in overtime on the road.

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

Tampa Bay Lightning fans are getting a chance to relax since their team eliminated the Detroit Red Wings Thursday night. The Lightning will face the winner of the Washington Capitals-Philadelphia Flyers series, which has taken a strange turn in the last two games.

The Capitals were the most impressive team in the league in the regular season, winning the Presidents' Trophy, and they raced out to a 3-0 lead in the series. However, the Flyers have won the last two games, and they will host the Caps Sunday with a chance to tie the series and force a seventh game.

The idea that Alex Ovechkin, John Carlson and Braden Holtby would be facing pressure in the first round seemed ludicrous because they were so strong throughout the year while the Flyers were the last team to make the playoffs.

However, the Capitals have a history of playoff failures, and unless they win on the road in Game 6, they will have a chance to join the 1942 Detroit Red Wings, 1975 Pittsburgh Penguins, 2010 Boston Bruins and 2014 San Jose Sharks on the list of teams to have lost a playoff series after building 3-0 leads.

The survivor of that series will play the Penguins. Pittsburgh was sensational in disposing of the Rangers in their first-round series. The Pens finished the regular season by winning 14 of their last 16 games, and they showed they were able to continue their explosive play in the first round. 

Sidney Crosby, Patric Hornqvist, Phil Kessel and the return of Evgeni Malkin have made the Penguins very difficult to beat, and the Caps or Flyers will find this out in the second round.

Team	Record	Skinny
Pittsburgh Penguins	4-1	Explosive offense and team speed.
San Jose Sharks	4-1	Overcame significant demons in beating LA.
Tampa Bay Lightning	4-1	Impressive victory without Stamkos.
Anaheim Ducks	3-2	Nice rally after putrid start.
New York Islanders	3-2	Key OT win in Game 5.
Dallas Stars	3-2	Can't see explosive Stars losing series.
Washington Capitals	3-2	Feeling the pressure.
Chicago Blackhawks	3-3	Tough to kill the defending champs.
St. Louis Blues	3-3	Blues trying to avoid another first-round nightmare.
Philadelphia Flyers	2-3	Trying to make history—again.
Minnesota Wild	2-3	Nice OT win in Game 5 on the road.
Nashville Predators	2-3	Have lost momentum after great start.
Florida Panthers	2-3	Facing must-win game on the road.
Detroit Red Wings	1-4*	Fought hard, but did not have enough against TB.
Los Angeles Kings	1-4*	Disappointing finish for powerful team.
New York Rangers	1-4*	Brutal showing against Pens.
*eliminated

Playoff Standings

The Penguins have the top spot in our unique playoff standings, which is based on the team's first-round performance, the strength of the opponent and a value judgement based on the way each team has played compared to expectations.

The Sharks have been nearly as good and an argument can be made that they deserve the top spot since the Kings were a better team than the New York Rangers. The Lightning may argue that they deserve the top spot, but the Detroit Red Wings never found their rhythm in their five-game playoff loss.

Anaheim leads the four teams that lead their series by 3-2 margins because they have won three in a row and rallied after playing poorly in the first two games. The New York Islanders won their pivotal fifth game on the road against the Florida Panthers, and they are in a position to close out their first-round series at home Sunday.

The only series tied 3-3 at this point features the Chicago Blackhawks and the St. Louis Blues. The defending Stanley Cup champions have the higher ranking because they survived potential elimination in Games 5 and 6, and they appear to have the psychological edge on their opponents as they prepare for Monday's Game 7.