NHL Playoff Schedule 2016: TV Info, Live Stream and Tuesday Picks

The St. Louis Blues picked up the road win they needed in Game 2 of their second-round NHL playoff series against the Dallas Stars. Now it's time for them to defend their home ice on Tuesday if they are going to make a run to the Western Conference Final.

The Blues took an early hit in Game 2 as the Stars got on the board early with a goal by Alex Goligoski. But head coach Ken Hitchcock's team was prepared and wasn't about to let an early goal bother it on Sunday.

The Blues scored three times in the first period and took charge. Patrik Berglund, Joel Edmundson and Troy Brouwer struck in short order to give the Blues control, and while they did not add to the lead in the second period, they kept the pressure on and did not allow the Stars to cut into the advantage.

NHL on NBC shared a look at Brouwer's goal:

But the Blues were not aggressive at all in the third period, and the Stars took advantage. They scored two goals, with the game-tying effort coming off the stick of Jamie Benn with less than three minutes to play.

Worse than losing the lead was the way it happened. Benn was right in front of the St. Louis net, and nobody put a body on him, giving him time to measure his short shot and shovel the puck past Brian Elliott.

Game	Series	Time (ET)	TV	Live Stream
Tampa Bay at NY Islanders	1-1	7 p.m.	NBCSN, CBC, TVAS	NHL.tv
San Jose at Nashville	1-1	9 p.m.	USA, SN360, TVAS2	NHL.tv
Dallas at St. Louis	1-1	9:30 p.m.	NBCSN, TVAS, SN	NHL.tv

Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo acknowledged that his team had not learned its lesson about sitting back, even though that same problem cropped up in the first round against the Chicago Blackhawks.

"Yeah, we sat back," he told Louie Korac of NHL.com. "That's been our issue a few times in Chicago, too. We're at our best when we're attacking. We're at our best when we're playing in their zone. We let our foot off the gas a bit, so we addressed it today and can't let it happen again."

The first 40 minutes of Game 2 demonstrated how the Blues want to play in the next two games against the Stars. The Blues will attempt to play a hard-hitting and physical game and try to make the fast-skating Stars earn every inch of ice they get.

There is reason to think the Blues can get back to playing the way they did in the early part of Game 2. After the Stars tied the game, the Blues regrouped in their dressing room and refused to allow Dallas to dictate the pace of the overtime session.

David Backes ended matters when he scored on a rebound during a power play in the extra session, and the Blues will try to use that as a springboard in Game 3.

Sharks vs. Predators

The Nashville Predators are hoping they can get their act together on their home ice in Game 3 against the San Jose Sharks.

The Preds had a 1-0 lead at the end of two periods in Game 1 but could not hold on, and the Sharks took a 5-2 victory.

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

The Preds tied Game 2 on a third-period goal by Mattias Ekholm, though they were unable to use that momentum to secure the victory.

Shane O'Donnell of Today's Slapshot shared a look at the equalizer:

The Sharks bounced back with a goal by Joe Pavelski and went on to record a 3-2 victory.

Nashville finds itself in a different position than it did against Anaheim in the first round, when the Preds jumped out to a 2-0 series lead over the Ducks and served notice that they would not be an easy out.

They eventually won Games 6 and 7 to survive and advance. However, the Sharks are playing better and more efficient hockey than the Ducks did.

Nashville should get a huge lift at Bridgestone Arena, but the Sharks are a tough, talented and veteran team. They are not going to fold in front of a hostile crowd. 

Nashville head coach Peter Laviolette did not like the outcome of Game 2 but admired the effort that his team put forth and is feeling optimistic about returning home.

"It will be good to get back home," he told Eric Gilmore of NHL.com after Sunday's game. "We've been on the road for a while here again. We have to pull the good things from tonight, take the confidence from that and look to be better in Game 3."

The Preds have to slow down Pavelski, Logan Couture, Brent Burns and Joe Thornton if they are going to come away with a win. The Sharks appear to be on a mission, and it will take a great game to beat them.

Predictions

The Blues have a series win under their belts, and they tied this series at 1-1 with a road win Sunday. They'll go into Tuesday's game feeling good about themselves. Look for St. Louis to play a hard-hitting, physical game that leads to Dallas turnovers.

Vladimir Tarasenko, Robby Fabbri and Troy Brouwer will take advantage of those miscues and score, helping St. Louis take the lead in the series with a 4-2 home win.

The Predators will give it everything they have against the Sharks and are likely to carry a lead into the second period. However, the Sharks are mentally stronger than they have been in the past, and Pavelski is a brilliant marksman who will find the back of the net twice. He will get support from Couture again, and the Sharks will have a 4-3 lead until the final seconds of the third period.

That's when James Neal will tie it up for the home team.

Hopes will be high at the start of overtime, but Burns will put a sad end to the night for the home fans with a long wrist shot late in the first overtime period to give San Jose a 3-0 series lead.

The Tampa Bay Lightning bounced back with a strong effort in Game 2 to even their series against the New York Islanders. The series will head to Brooklyn on Tuesday, and while the Lightning don't lack for confidence, they will have no answers for John Tavares. He will score two goals, and the Islanders will take a 2-1 series lead with a 3-1 victory.