NHL Playoff Schedule 2017: Game Listings and Predictions for Conference Finals

There are two familiar faces left standing in the 2017 NHL playoffs, but the conference finals will welcome two teams that few expected to make a run at the Stanley Cup when the postseason began.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are back in the conference finals after once again dispatching an outstanding Washington Capitals team, but the Ottawa Senators look capable of pulling off another upset in their stunning run.

In the West, the Anaheim Ducks beat the upstart Edmonton Oilers, but the Nashville Predators are a legitimate threat to advance despite entering the postseason in the last wild-card spot.

Let us take a look at the schedule for each series, as well as a breakdown and prediction for each matchup.

Date	Matchup	Game	Start Time (ET)	Network	Live Stream
Saturday, May 13	Ottawa Senators at Pittsburgh Penguins	1	7 p.m.	NBC	NBC Sports Live
Monday, May 15	Ottawa Senators at Pittsburgh Penguins	2	8 p.m.	NBCSN	NBC Sports Live
Wednesday, May 17	Pittsburgh Penguins at Ottawa Senators	3	8 p.m.	NBCSN	NBC Sports Live
Friday, May 19	Pittsburgh Penguins at Ottawa Senators	4	8 p.m.	NBCSN	NBC Sports Live
Sunday, May 21	Ottawa Senators at Pittsburgh Penguins	5*	3 p.m.	NBC	NBC Sports Live
Tuesday, May 23	Pittsburgh Penguins at Ottawa Senators	6*	8 p.m.	NBCSN	NBC Sports Live
Thursday, May 25	Ottawa Senators at Pittsburgh Penguins	7*	8 p.m.	NBCSN	NBC Sports Live

Date	Matchup	Game	Start Time (ET)	Network	Live Stream
Friday, May 12	Nashville Predators at Anaheim Ducks	1	9 p.m.	NBCSN	NBC Sports Live
Sunday, May 14	Nashville Predators at Anaheim Ducks	2	7:30 p.m.	NBCSN	NBC Sports Live
Tuesday, May 16	Anaheim Ducks at Nashville Predators	3	8 p.m.	NBCSN	NBC Sports Live
Thursday, May 18	Anaheim Ducks at Nashville Predators	4	8 p.m.	NBCSN	NBC Sports Live
Saturday, May 20	Nashville Predators at Anaheim Ducks	5*	7:15 p.m.	NBC	NBC Sports Live
Monday, May 22	Anaheim Ducks at Nashville Predators	6*	8 p.m.	NBCSN	NBC Sports Live
Wednesday, May 24	Nashville Predators at Anaheim Ducks	7*	9 p.m.	NBCSN	NBC Sports Live

Pittsburgh vs. Ottawa

At every position group, the Penguins clearly stand out as the superior team. They have the experience of winning the Stanley Cup last season, and on paper they should roll over in Ottawa in five or six games. 

However, the Senators were in a similar position against the New York Rangers in the second round, and they have two factors on their side that should help them extend this series to at least six games, with the first being all-world defenseman Erik Karlsson.

Through 12 postseason games, the Swede is pacing Ottawa with 13 points while simply controlling play at both ends of the ice. Against the Rangers, Karlsson was the difference with two game-winning goals and seven points, and his elite level of play has him in the discussion for the playoffs' highest individual honor in the eyes of the Toronto Sun's Steve Simmons:

Without Kris Letang, Pittsburgh has nobody on the blue line who can consistently create transition offense for the team from the back end. This should allow Karlsson to keep playing aggressively by jumping into the play without hesitation. Look for Karlsson to continue to shine in this series.

Also, Pittsburgh will surely be a bit fatigued mentally and physically after a grueling series with the juggernaut Capitals. This could allow the Senators to jump on Pittsburgh early and possibly steal Game 1 to neutralize home-ice advantage. Yet, Ottawa players like Clarke MacArthur are still focusing on sticking to their game and taking the underdog approach into the series, per Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen. 

"There's less pressure on us going in there. Nobody is picking us again," said MacArthur. "At the end of the day, you've still got to win four games. Whether you've got the upper hand or not, it's just tough to win four games."

Ottawa plays a conservative, defensive-focused style of clogging up the neutral and opposing offensive zones, which should frustrate an up-tempo Pittsburgh team. Still, the Penguins should be expected to take care of business. 

Between stars Sidney Crosby, Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin along with strong depth scorers like Jake Guentzel and Patric Hornqvist, Pittsburgh has so much firepower for Ottawa to deal with. Marc-Andre Fleury is also standing tall this postseason with a 2.55 GAA and .927 save percentage in net. 

Pittsburgh is an experienced, high-level group that should be able to figure out Ottawa's system as the series progresses. The Senators could push this matchup to six games, but look for the Penguins to return to the Stanley Cup final.

Anaheim vs. Nashville

The Western Conference final pits a dangerous, speedy offensive team in the Ducks against arguably the best top-four defensive group in the NHL.

Ryan Getzlaf is playing at a Conn-Smythe level, posting 15 points in 11 postseason games while averaging over 23 minutes per night. He is creating opportunities for his team seemingly every shift, and he was undoubtedly the top player in his last series despite the Edmonton Oilers boasting the likes of Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. 

His stellar performance even made franchise history, per Sportsnet:

As for Nashville, the team is being propelled by its top-four defensemen that excel in all situations. Here are their numbers through these playoffs:

Player	Games Played	Goals	Assists	+/-	Average Ice Time
Ryan Ellis	10	4	5	Plus-Four	23:53
Roman Josi	10	4	4	Plus-Three	25:34
P.K. Subban	10	1	6	Plus-Five	25:24
Mattias Ekholm	10	0	3	Plus-Eight	24:42

As a result, Pekka Rinne is shining in net with a sparkling 1.37 GAA and .951 save percentage. After entering this postseason not particularly well-known for his playoff heroics, Rinne has Nashville looking as strong as any team remaining. His teammates are certainly taking notice, as Roman Josi noted, per the Associated Press (via CBC).

"He gives us that confidence," Josi said. "I think every game, he's been our best player. He's so confident back there. He's confident in making saves, he's confident in passing the puck, and he's been unbelievable for us."

This is where the series could be decided, as Anaheim's John Gibson has not been strong, particularly with his rebound control. NHL.com's Pete Jensen illustrated just how differently both goalies have fared in recent weeks:

The Ducks can roll out four lines and have several dangerous offensive threats in Corey Perry, Rickard Rakell and Jakob Silfverberg to go with Getzlaf. This is something that the Predators cannot match, as their top line of Viktor Arvidsson, Filip Forsberg and Ryan Johansen create most of their offense with 22 combined points this postseason. 

Yet, this series is a toss-up because of Nashville's advantage in net. Defense and goaltending usually prevail in the playoffs, so the Predators should feel good about their chances in this series. Although, if any team can break through Nashville's defensive wall, it is the relentless offensive attack of Anaheim, which makes this matchup cant-miss television.

Statistics are courtesy of NHL.com unless otherwise noted.