NHL Playoff Schedule 2016: Game Listings and Predictions for Conference Finals
For as much drama as there was in the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the stakes only get higher going forward.
It seemed like almost every game over the past few weeks went to overtime or at least came down to the final moments. This level of play won't end any time soon with two sets of even matchups and a trip to the Final on the line.
Meanwhile, this postseason will represent a changing of the guard after the past few years were dominated by the Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings. The championship droughts for the remaining teams now range from seven years (Pittsburgh Penguins) to forever (both Western Conference participants).
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The uncertainty and competitiveness will ensure an exciting upcoming two rounds of hockey.
Eastern Conference
| 1 | May 13 | Lightning at Penguins | 8 p.m. | NBC Sports |
| 2 | May 16 | Lightning at Penguins | 8 p.m. | NBC Sports |
| 3 | May 18 | Penguins at Lightning | 8 p.m. | NBC Sports |
| 4 | May 20 | Penguins at Lightning | 8 p.m. | NBC Sports |
| 5 | May 22 | Lightning at Penguins | 8 p.m. | NBC Sports |
| 6 | May 24 | Penguins at Lightning | 8 p.m. | NBC Sports |
| 7 | May 26 | Lightning at Penguins | 8 p.m. | NBC Sports |
The Tampa Bay Lightning won all three games against the Penguins during the regular season, but that won't necessarily have any bearing on this series. All three games took place before March, when Pittsburgh was seemingly a much different team.
Not only did the Penguins end the year with 16 wins in their final 18 games, they have carried that momentum over with an 8-3 record in the playoffs while needing overtime in just two of those wins.
In fact, the biggest issue with the team might be coming back to earth mentally after an impressive series win over the President's Cup-winning Washington Capitals.
Sidney Crosby explained the thought process going into the conference final, per the team's official website:
"You’ve got to turn the page quick, especially in our case. Coming off an emotional series, you want to make sure that you’re ready to have that same level of desperation and intensity that you need in the playoffs. If anything, we should build some confidence and have some momentum here heading into this series.
"
As far as keeping momentum is concerned, the squad would also be smart to stick with Matt Murray, the 21-year-old goalie who has been fantastic in place of the injured Marc-Andre Fleury. He has a 2.05 goals against average in nine postseason games (with a 7-2 record) after playing only 13 games in the regular season.
Even with momentum, scoring and solid goaltending, the Penguins aren't going to have an easy time in this series, though.
The Lightning have the confidence of a team that went to the Stanley Cup Final a year ago, and have plenty of offensive depth with Tyler Johnson, Nikita Kucherov and the red-hot Victor Hedman. This group could also potentially be getting better if Steven Stamkos returns to action. However, as of Thursday, he still wasn't practicing with full contact, per Bryan Burns of the Lightning's official website.
Ben Bishop is also building off a great season in net by tallying a .938 save percentage in the playoffs, giving Tampa Bay a big advantage in the first two rounds. Still, he hasn't faced an opponent with Pittsburgh's offensive talent and could struggle to keep this team off the scoreboard.
It will be a close series with a few bounces either way deciding a winner, but the Penguins should remain the odds-on favorite to advance to the next round.
Prediction: Penguins win in 7
Western Conference
| 1 | May 15 | Sharks at Blues | 8 p.m. | NBC Sports |
| 2 | May 17 | Sharks at Blues | 8 p.m. | NBC Sports |
| 3 | May 19 | Blues at Sharks | 9 p.m. | NBC Sports |
| 4 | May 21 | Blues at Sharks | 7:15 p.m. | NBC |
| 5 | May 23 | Sharks at Blues | 8 p.m. | NBC Sports |
| 6 | May 25 | Blues at Sharks | 9 p.m. | NBC Sports |
| 7 | May 27 | Sharks at Blues | 8 p.m. | NBC Sports |
The St. Louis Blues have been around a long time, but the interesting part of this series is the fact neither squad has ever won the Stanley Cup in its history. ESPN's John Buccigross provided a strange look at the trip St. Louis has made to this point:
Still, these games will be about the players on the ice this year, not in the past.
The San Jose Sharks have gotten this far thanks to a strong offense, especially with its special teams. They ranked third in the NHL during the regular season with a 22.5 percent success rate on power plays and have continued this success in the postseason.
After a Joe Pavelski goal kicked off the scoring in an eventual 5-0 rout in Game 7, ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun praised the power-play effort:
With a team full of great passers behind veteran Joe Thornton, this is certainly a dangerous team with a man advantage.
The problem comes from the fact the Blues are among the best in the league at preventing these easy goals, finishing the year second in the league on the penalty kill. This ability to take away San Jose's biggest strength will come up huge throughout the series.
Of course, St. Louis is solid defensively at all times and will allow few open looks at the net. After keeping high-powered teams like the Blackhawks and Dallas Stars in check over the first two rounds, the Sharks shouldn't be too much more trouble.
Prediction: Blues win in 6
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