NHL Playoffs 2016: Latest Stanley Cup Predictions and Schedule Info

Slowly but surely, the NHL's Stanley Cup picture is getting clearer as second-round series in both the Eastern and Western Conferences are nearing their halfway points. 

Eight teams remain, and there will be a Stanley Cup champion not named the Los Angeles Kings or Chicago Blackhawks for the first time since the Boston Bruins won it all in 2011. In fact, of the eight teams left, half of them have never lifted the Cup. 

Here's a look at the remaining schedule for each second-round series and predictions for who will come out of each one:

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. New York Islanders	Date	Time (ET)	TV
Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins	Date	Time (ET)	TV
Dallas Stars vs. St. Louis Blues	Date	Time (ET)	TV
San Jose Sharks vs. Nashville Predators	Date	Time (ET)	TV
Game 4 @ Islanders	Friday, May 6	7 p.m.	NBCSN
Game 5 @ Lightning	Sunday, May 8	3 p.m.	NBC
Game 6 @ Islanders*	Tuesday, May 10	TBD	TBD
Game 7 @ Lightning*	Thursday, May 12	TBD	TBD
Game 4 @ Penguins	Wednesday, May 4	8 p.m.	NBCSN
Game 5 @ Capitals	Saturday, May 7	7:15 p.m.	NBC
Game 6 @ Penguins	Tuesday, May 10	TBD	TBD
Game 7 @ Capitals	Thursday, May 12	TBD	TBD
Game 4 @ Blues	Thursday, May 5	8 p.m.	NBCSN
Game 5 @ Stars	Saturday, May 7	1 p.m.	NBC
Game 6 @ Blues	Monday, May 9	TBD	TBD
Game 7 @ Stars	Wednesday, May 11	TBD	TBD
Game 4 @ Predators	Thursday, May 5	9 p.m.	CNBC
Game 5 @ Sharks	Saturday, May 7	10 p.m.	NBCSN
Game 6 @ Predators	Monday, May 9	TBD	TBD
Game 7 @ Sharks	Thursday, May 12	TBD	TBD

New York Islanders vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

Who wins: Lightning

Originally, this series should have come down to secondary scoring, and the Islanders have had a bit more of that in the playoffs this year. 

Without Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay has relied on the likes of Nikita Kucherov and Tyler Johnson, while the Islanders have looked to John Tavares for a spark. 

There wasn't much else from the supporting casts heading into Tuesday night's Game 3:

Islanders	Stat	Lightning
9	Games Played	8
21	Playoff Goals Scored	19
John Tavares (6)	Leading Scorer	Nikita Kucherov (6)
12	No. of Goal Scorers	8
Frans Nielsen, Shane Prince (3)	Next-Leading Scorer	Tyler Johnson (4)
3	Players With More Than 1 Goal	4

It also looked like the Islanders had Ben Bishop's number. While he allowed just one goal in Game 2, Bishop gave up 16 goals in his previous four games against the Islanders this season, including four goals in Game 1 on just 13 shots.

But after Tuesday night's Game 3, in which the Lightning scored the tying goal with 38 seconds left in the game and then won 5-4 in overtime to take a 2-1 series lead, that all goes out the window. 

The Islanders constantly turned the puck over in their defensive zone, put the wrong line assignments out on the ice and took pointless penalties. It's the second time they looked disorganized in this series, and after such a debilitating loss, I don't think they'll overcome it. 

Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

Who wins: Penguins

The Capitals have seemed like an unstoppable force for much of this season. After racking up 120 points in the regular season, they took a quick 3-0 series lead against the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round before seeing the series extended to six games. 

After a T.J. Oshie hat-trick lifted them to a Game 1 win, the Penguins punched back with two one-goal wins to take a 2-1 series lead heading into Wednesday night's Game 4. 

It is going to take a special team to stop the Capitals, and the Penguins are just that. They've been scorching hot since March, having won 20 of their last 24 games, including a 4-1 series beatdown of the New York Rangers, a team that had made the Eastern Conference Final in each of the past three seasons. 

They're getting production from all four lines and putting forth a relentless offensive attack. Of the 13 forwards that have dressed for Pittsburgh during the playoffs, 11 of them have scored and 10 of them have more than one goal. 

Pittsburgh has been able to offset the brilliance of Alexander Ovechkin and Washington's deep attack as well. But an unlikely goalie matchup has added another surprising dimension to the series, as Vezina Trophy front-runner Braden Holtby has gone save-for-save with 21-year-old Penguins rookie Matt Murray.

But the Capitals could gain some momentum in Game 4 during the absence of the Penguins' best defenseman, Kris Letang, who was suspended for one game for his hit on Marcus Johansson. 

If the Penguins can weather the storm at Consol Energy Center without Letang, they'll be on their way to the Eastern Conference Final. 

Dallas Stars vs. St. Louis Blues

Who wins: Blues

The Stars led the NHL in goals scored this season, with their high-intensity offense anchored by Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Jason Spezza's 107 combined goals. 

But without Seguin, who suffered a sliced Achilles on March 17, Dallas' offense hasn't been clicking on all cylinders, especially against the Blues. 

For a team that averaged over three goals per game in the regular season, they've been held to just four over the last two games by St. Louis' Brian Elliott, who has provided continuity in goal for the Blues, something the Stars haven't necessarily gotten.

Dallas' goalie situation has been split between Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi as both played in Game 2:

Niemi got the start Game 3, gave up three goals and was pulled in the second period, only for Lehtonen to give up another within five minutes of his entrance.

This revolving door in net could be the Stars' downfall, as consistent goaltending is vital to a team's chances to advance in the postseason. 

It seems like the Stars don't know what they're getting from either goalie, which could put added pressure on Dallas' offense if they fall behind again in Game 4. 

San Jose Sharks vs. Nashville Predators

Who wins: Sharks 

The Sharks dominated the third period in the first two games of this series, which gave the impression that the series could be over early.

Game 1 saw a five-goal explosion from San Jose, and then Joe Pavelski fired them in front with 2:40 left in the third period of Game 2. 

It also didn't hurt that Martin Jones was outdueling Nashville's Pekka Rinne. After two games, he had stopped 66 of 70 shots that the Predators had thrown at him. 

But Nashville took a huge step forward at home in Game 3 to pull one game back. Had they once again lost the third period, the series would have been all but over. 

But this is a San Jose team that was 3-0 on the road this postseason before Tuesday night. All they need to do is win Game 4 in Nashville, and they'll take complete control of the series with two games left to play in San Jose. 

Stats courtesy of Hockey-Reference.com