NHL Playoff Schedule 2016: Updated Stanley Cup Game Times and Picks

The Washington Capitals are up against it in their second-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

As they prepare for Game 5 Saturday night, the Capitals know that one more loss will deny them a chance to play for the Stanley Cup once again. Pittsburgh leads the series, 3-1.

While losing always hurts, it will sting that much more because the Caps were the dominant regular-season team in the league and the Presidents' Trophy winners.

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

But the Capitals are not thinking about defeat and what it will feel like as they attempt to avoid panic mode. While that could change if they fall behind at some point in Game 5, goalie Braden Holtby said that the Capitals remain confident about their chances of not only winning at Verizon Center but coming back in the series.

"We believe if we stay focused, if we believe in what we're doing in a seven-game series, it's going to change in our favor," Holtby told NHL.com correspondent Katie Brown. "I don't think we're panicking at all in here. We're just ready for this opportunity to show that we're capable of anything."

Attitude is important for any team that is facing elimination, but it is not the decisive factor. The Caps lost two one-goal games in Pittsburgh, and they are not scoring enough goals. They were the most successful team in the regular season because they did everything well, and that includes putting the puck in the net.

Matchup	Series Standing	Time (ET)	TV	Prediction
St. Louis at Dallas	2-2	1 p.m.	NBC, TVAS, SN	St. Louis
Pittsburgh at Washington	Pittsburgh, 3-1	7:15 p.m.	NBC, CBC, TVAS	Washington
Nashville at San Jose	2-2	10 p.m.	NBCSN, CBC, TVAS	San Jose

The Capitals have scored just five goals in their last three games, and all three of those games were losses. 

Head coach Barry Trotz experimented with some new lines at practice Friday in an effort to get more offensive chemistry. One of the moves he made was splitting up Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. Trotz put Evgeny Kuznetsov on the same line with Ovechkin and T.J. Oshie, while Backstrom centered Andre Burakovsky and Marcus Johansson.

Trotz said he split up Backstrom and Ovechkin "many" times during the regular season, but he noted that the Caps are now in a position where they have to make something happen.

"We've got last change so they give me a little different matchups," Trotz told NHL.com staff writer Tom Gulitti. "You know, we don't have anything to lose right now."

Trotz knows that his team is fully capable of winning a game at home and sending the series back to Pittsburgh, but the Caps need to find the range when it comes to scoring goals.

The San Jose Sharks have done some excellent work in the postseason, but as they go home for Game 5 of their second-round series, they are in danger of seeing it all slip away.

After winning the first two games of their series with the Nashville Predators on home ice, the Sharks dropped both Games 3 and 4 at Bridgestone Arena, including a 4-3 triple-overtime thriller Thursday night.

The Sharks had been undefeated in three road playoff games in their opening-round series against the Los Angeles Kings, but they couldn't cash in on the numerous opportunities they had throughout the three overtime periods in Game 4.

Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne was simply at his best in the extra sessions, and his breathtaking save on Tomas Hertl after he received a near-perfect pass from Joe Thornton changed the course of the series.

Mike Fisher would score the winning goal in the third overtime for the Preds, and when the two teams take the ice in San Jose on Saturday night, the Sharks will try to regain their advantage.

Logan Couture had several strong opportunities for the Sharks, and he said that his team played its best hockey in the series during the overtime periods.

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

"Good hockey game," Couture explained to NHL.com correspondent Eric Gilmore. "I thought we found our legs. We had two really good periods in overtime. Those were our best two periods of the series, I think. We had about five or six Grade-A chances. That's the way playoff hockey goes sometimes. It's the best of three now, and we got two at home."

San Jose scored eight goals in winning the first two games of the series, but it netted just four in the two road games.

The Sharks are going to need Brent Burns (two goals in Game 4), Joe Pavelski, Couture and Thornton to step up if they are going to regain their edge and win Game 5.

Predictions

The Capitals have a huge mountain to climb. The players' only focus should be about winning each shift and each period in Game 5. They were the best team in the league throughout the season, and while they have a history of playoff failures, they should be able win an elimination game on their home ice.

Look for Ovechkin and defenseman John Carlson to lead the way as the Caps record a 4-2 victory.

Home ice should also be a compelling factor for the Sharks. While they dropped a heartbreaking Game 4 in multiple overtimes, this appears to be a team that is not going to fold up because the Predators have shown off their feistiness. Look for Pavelski to score two goals as the Sharks score a 4-2 victory.

The St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars are tied at 2-2 as their series returns to Dallas. After absorbing a thorough 6-1 beating in Game 3 at St. Louis, the Stars responded with a 3-2 overtime win in Game 4. However, St. Louis is a better all-around team than the explosive Stars. If the Blues can put pressure on the Dallas defense again, they will be successful.

The Blues will get the job done on the road and take a 3-2 lead in the series with a 4-3 victory.