NHL Playoff Schedule 2016: Wednesday TV and Live Stream Guide

The Washington Capitals faced some pressure in the opening round against the Philadelphia Flyers when they dropped two games after building a 3-0 series lead and had to play Game 6 on the road.

But that was nothing like the pressure the Presidents' Trophy winners will feel prior to Game 4 of their second-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the only game on the NHL's Wednesday night playoff schedule.

First, the Penguins are a much better team than the Flyers, as they have been surging since the final weeks of the regular season, and their excellent play has continued into the playoffs. They may be as tough an opponent as the Caps will see this spring in their pursuit of the Stanley Cup.

Second, the Capitals trail in the series by a 2-1 margin. If they lose Game 4 in Pittsburgh, they will find themselves staring at a 3-1 deficit and will be on the brink of elimination.

That must be an uncomfortable feeling for head coach Barry Trotz. 

The Capitals played as well in Game 3 as they have at any point in the series. They dominated in terms of puck possession and outshot the Penguins 49-23. The advantage in the third period was startling, as the Caps had a 21-9 advantage in shots on goal and outscored the home team 2-0.

Still, that wasn't enough because Pittsburgh had built a 3-0 lead and goalie Matt Murray was sensational. Alex Ovechkin scored one of the two goals in the final period with a laser-like wrist shot that changed the direction of the game. He also had an assist on Justin Williams' goal in the final minute that drew the Caps within a goal.

Here's a look at Ovechkin's shot, via Sportsnet:

However, it wasn't enough to give the Caps the win, and they have more work to do if they are going to take advantage of the dominance they showed throughout the regular season.

Game	Date	Series Standings	Time (ET)	TV
Washington at Pittsburgh	May 4	Pittsburgh, 2-1	8 p.m.	NBCSN, CBC, TVAS
Dallas at St. Louis	May 5	St. Louis, 2-1	8 p.m.	NBCSN, CBC, TVAS
San Jose at Nashville	May 5	San Jose, 2-1	9 p.m.	CNBC, SN, TVAS2

The playoff games can be streamed on NHL.TV.

Ovechkin had nine hits in Game 3, as well as seven shots on goal. He believes the Capitals have to get physical with the Penguins.

"We have to play physical. Not them," Ovechkin told NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. "Their guys don't like to play physical. Obviously, their D is not that physical. We're bigger and stronger and we have to use it."

In many situations, the team that gets more physical and registers the majority of hits does so because its opponent has the puck most of the time. That was not the case in Game 3, and the Caps want to continue to play the same way in Game 4.

"I think we're trending in the right direction right now," right wing T.J. Oshie told Gulitti. "You'd think momentum will be on their side with them going up in the series, but I feel like our game last game was really picking up and we have some momentum going into the next one."

The Penguins will not have top defenseman Kris Letang in Game 4 due to a one-game suspension as a result of the elbow he threw at Washington's Marcus Johansson. Trotz told NHL.com's Katie Brown he's not expecting Pittsburgh to change its approach as a result of Letang's absence.

"I don't think they'll change their game a whole lot," Trotz said. "I think they have an identity. They're going to try to play to their identity."

But there is no doubt that the loss of Letang will hurt, as Puck Daddy's Greg Wyshynski pointed out:

Murray keyed the team's victory in Game 3, but it seems unlikely he can mount another effort similar to the one he had in Game 4. He's going to need more support from a team that has won six of eight playoff games after reeling off victories in 14 of its final 16 regular-season games.

Murray has a 5-1 record in the playoffs with a 1.78 goals-against average and .944 save percentage.

If the Caps don't solve him in Game 4, they will teeter on the brink of elimination from the playoffs and watch as their Stanley Cup chances slowly dwindle.