NHL Playoff Schedule 2016: Updated Stanley Cup Bracket and Round 2 Viewing Info

The Dallas Stars almost pulled off an amazing comeback Sunday, but the St. Louis Blues proved that two-goal lead in the first period was too much to overcome.

Instead of the top-seeded Stars taking a 2-0 lead to St. Louis, the Blues head home with their offense back on track. If this series is going to be decided by one goal the rest of the way, get your popcorn ready every other night.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Conference is interesting. Both series are tied at a game apiece, with the underdogs heading home with raucous crowds waiting for them.

There's plenty of hockey left. Here's the updated bracket and when you can catch the next set of games.

Western Conference Matchups	Series	Next Matchup
Eastern Conference Matchups	Series	Next Matchup
Dallas Stars vs. St. Louis Blues	Tied 1-1	Tuesday, 9:30 p.m. ET at St. Louis
San Jose Sharks vs. Nashville Predators	Sharks 2-0	Tuesday, 9 p.m. ET at Nashville
Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins	Tied 1-1	Monday, 8 p.m. ET at Pittsburgh
New York Islanders vs. Tampa Bay Lightning	Tied 1-1	Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET at New York

Another Dallas Goalie Dilemma?

For the bulk of the Stars' playoff run, Kari Lehtonen has been the starter. Before being pulled after the first period of Game 2 on Sunday, Lehtonen was 4-1 with the lone loss being at Minnesota after allowing one goal in two games.

But if it weren't for Antti Niemi playing two fantastic periods, Dallas would not have tied the game in the third period. The Stars lost in overtime, but it has to be a good sign for Dallas to see Niemi respond after giving up five goals in Game 5 against Minnesota.

This was expected. Neither team is going to get an advantage in this seven-game series. There's a reason why Dallas and St. Louis fought until the last game of the season to determine the winner of the Central Division. This is also why the Stars traded for Niemi in the offseason, but it doesn't mean Dallas should make Niemi the starter for Game 3.

The Blues looked much more aggressive out of the gates in Game 2. The Stars looked lethargic and comfortable after Alex Goligoski's game-opening goal, and St. Louis took advantage of that. Dallas is about to enter a hostile environment for Game 3 and will need better goaltending early to have a chance at stealing home-ice advantage.

Head coach Lindy Ruff is in a unique position, especially if he thinks he can get this type of production from Niemi again, via NHL:

Lehtonen came off a near shutout in Game 1. His Game 2 performance shouldn't happen again. If it does, Niemi may be the choice for the rest of the series.

The Sharks Are For Real

There's a happy feeling in the air in San Jose. Luck might finally be on the San Jose Sharks' side. 

San Jose is now two wins away from its first conference final since 2011 after Sunday's 3-2 Game 2 victory over the Nashville Predators. 

For years, it's been a matter of San Jose trying to battle itself, but Ray Ratto from CSN Bay Area thinks the tide has turned:

General consensus would say the Sharks have a clear path to the conference final. They defeated the Los Angeles Kings but are facing a Nashville Predators team that beat a known-to-falter Anaheim Ducks team in the first round. But the Sharks are for real, and it's because of the play of Joe Pavelski, who scored the game-winning goal on Sunday, via NHL:

Pavelski has tallied a point in all but one game this postseason and scored a goal in five of seven postseason games. His three points on Sunday totals the number of points he's scored in the last three games combined.

It's likely because of his play that ESPN's John Buccigross thinks the Sharks look dangerous:

The Sharks are playing with the cards they've been dealt, and it's working. Two more wins will result in the best playoff run in franchise history, which says a lot.