NHL Playoff Schedule 2017: Updated Stanley Cup Bracket and Round 2 Viewing Info

If competitiveness is what you're searching for in the NHL playoffs, look no further than the Western Conference.

The series between the Edmonton Oilers and the Anaheim Ducks is 2-1 after three games, as is the one between the St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators.

The same overall series competitiveness hasn't made its way East yet, as the Pittsburgh Penguins lead the Washington Capitals 2-0 and the Ottawa Senators lead the New York Rangers 2-0. There is still plenty of time for Washington and New York to turn things around.

With that in mind, here is a look at the updated conference brackets, as well as the rest of the Round 2 viewing information, per NHL.com.

Western Conference Bracket

Round 2		Western Conference Final	Stanley Cup Final
St. Louis Blues	1
Nashville Predators	2	Winner TBD
			Winner TBD
Anaheim Ducks	1	Winner TBD
Edmonton Oilers	2

Eastern Conference Bracket

Round 2		Eastern Conference Final	Stanley Cup Final
Ottawa Senators	2
New York Rangers	0	Winner TBD
			Winner TBD
Washington Capitals	0	Winner TBD
Pittsburgh Penguins	2

Round 2 Viewing Information

Ottawa Senators vs. New York Rangers
Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
St. Louis Blues vs. Nashville Predators
Anaheim Ducks vs. Edmonton Oilers
Game	Date	Time (ET)	TV
Game 1 (2-1, Ottawa)
Game 2 (6-5, Ottawa)
Game 3 at New York	Tuesday, May 2	7 p.m.	NBCSN, CBC
Game 4 at New York	Thursday, May 4	7:30 p.m.	NBCSN, CBC
Game 5 at Ottawa *	Saturday, May 6	TBD	CBC
Game 6 at New York *	Tuesday, May 9	TBD	NBCSN, CBC
Game 7 at Ottawa *	Thursday, May 11	TBD	NBCSN, CBC
Game 1 (3-2, Pittsburgh)
Game 2 (6-2, Pittsburgh)
Game 3 at Pittsburgh	Monday, May 1	7:30 p.m.	NBCSN, CBC
Game 4 at Pittsburgh	Wednesday, May 3	7:30 p.m.	NBCSN, CBC
Game 5 at Washington *	Saturday, May 6	TBD	CBC
Game 6 at Pittsburgh *	Monday, May 8	TBD	NBCSN, CBC
Game 7 at Washington *	Wednesday, May 10	TBD	NBCSN, CBC
Game 1 (4-3, Nashville)
Game 2 (3-2, St. Louis)
Game 3 (3-1, Nashville)
Game 4 at Nashville	Tuesday, May 2	9:30 p.m.	NBCSN, Sportsnet
Game 5 at St. Louis	Friday, May 5	8 p.m.	NBCSN, CBC
Game 6 at Nashville *	Sunday, May 7	TBD	TBD
Game 7 at St. Louis *	Tuesday, May 9	TBD	NBCSN
Game 1 (5-3, Edmonton)
Game 2 (2-1, Edmonton)
Game 3 (6-3, Anaheim)
Game 4 at Edmonton	Wednesday, May 3	10 p.m.	NBCSN, Sportsnet
Game 5 at Anaheim	Friday, May 5	10:30 p.m.	NBCSN, Sportsnet
Game 6 at Edmonton *	Sunday, May 7	TBD	TBD
Game 7 at Anaheim *	Wednesday, May 10	TBD	NBCSN, Sportsnet

Monday Schedule

Rob Carr/Getty Images

There is only one game on the Monday slate, and it is close to a must-win for the Capitals after dropping the first two at home against Pittsburgh.

The Penguins are perfect at home these playoffs with three victories over the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round. Even splitting the next two in Pittsburgh would give them a commanding 3-1 lead in the series against their Metropolitan Division rivals.

Pittsburgh winger Jake Guentzel has a playoff-best seven goals to this point and knows his team can't overlook a Washington comeback, per Stats LLC (h/t ESPN.com): "It feels good (being up 2-0), but we know that they're going to be pushing back, so we have to be really good when we get back there."

Pittsburgh's offense is flying high after chasing Washington goaltender Braden Holtby from Game 2 in a 6-2 victory.

This is a group that has nine goals in two contests against the Capitals after peppering the Blue Jackets with 4.2 goals a night in their five-game set. The idea of low-scoring, nerve-wracking 1-0 or 2-1 postseason games have been nowhere near a reality when the Penguins take the ice.

In order to win a Stanley Cup, teams need their stars to be stars, and that is exactly what Pittsburgh has received to this point. Evgeni Malkin (13), Phil Kessel (11), Sidney Crosby (11) and Guentzel (10) all have double-digit points in just seven playoff games and have been a nightmare for Washington's defense.

What's more, the Capitals aren't just facing a red-hot Penguins team filled with difference-makers—they are facing their own tortured postseason history.

They haven't made it past the second round since the 1997-98 campaign, when they lost in the Stanley Cup Final. This season was the seventh time in that span they tallied more than 100 points in the regular season, six of which have come in the last nine years.

Nobody finished with more than Washington's 118 points this season or 120 points last season, but it is still struggling in the second round yet again. Penguins fans were happy to remind the Capitals of their issues during Game 2:

Nothing Washington has shown through the first two games suggests it will be able to shake the proverbial Penguins monkey from its back, especially since Monday's Game 3 is in Pittsburgh.

Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted the Penguins are 8-1 in nine playoff meetings against the Capitals. Expect more of the same dominance the rest of this series as the Penguins offense continues to roll.