NHL Playoff Schedule 2017: Known Details Heading Towards Stanley Cup Final

The Ottawa Senators will continue their dramatic postseason with an Eastern Conference Final showdown versus the Pittsburgh Penguins. In order to take one step closer to procuring their first Stanley Cup crown in franchise history, they most eliminate the defending champions. 

No team has repeated since the Detroit Red Wings claimed the Stanley Cup in 1997 and 1998, and the climb back to the top won't be easy for Sidney Crosby and Co. Despite their top-scoring offense stalling late in the second round, the Penguins salvaged a grueling seven-game series over the Washington Capitals with a Game 7 shutout from veteran goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.

Crosby will battle a worthy adversary in defenseman Erik Karlsson, who has distributed 11 postseason assists despite playing with two hairline fractures in his left heel. After guiding his squad to victory over the New York Rangers, he will need to keep playing a crucial role to oust the favorite.

Let's look at the conference-finals schedule before breaking down the Penguins and Senators' upcoming series.

Date	Game	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV
Sat., May 13	1	Senators at Penguins	7 p.m.	NBC
Mon., May 15	2	Senators at Penguins	8 p.m.	NBCSN
Wed., May 17	3	Penguins at Senators	8 p.m.	NBCSN
Fri., May 19	4	Penguins at Senators	8 p.m.	NBCSN
Sun., May 21	5*	Senators at Penguins	3 p.m.	NBC
Tue., May 23	6*	Penguins at Senators	8 p.m.	NBCSN
Thur., May 25	7*	Senators at Penguins	8 p.m.	NBCSN

Date	Game	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV
Fri., May 12	1	Predators 3, Ducks 2	----	----
Sun., May 14	2	Predators at Ducks	7:30 p.m.	NBCSN
Tue., May 16	3	Ducks at Predators	8 p.m.	NBCSN
Thur., May 18	4	Ducks at Predators	8 p.m.	NBCSN
Sat., May 20	5*	Predators at Ducks	7:15 p.m.	NBC
Mon., May 22	6*	Ducks at Predators	8 p.m.	NBCSN
Wed., May 24	7*	Predators at Ducks	9 p.m.	NBCSN

Penguins vs. Senators Preview

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How many close calls can Ottawa keep escaping?

The only team who made the playoffs with a negative goal differential (minus-two) continues to live on the edge. The Senators have already obtained six postseason overtime victories—including all four of their first-round wins over the Boston Bruins—and earned their first triumph by more than a goal when eliminating the Rangers with a 4-2 win.

Considering they ended the season 23rd in scoring and 22nd in Corsi, don't expect them to suddenly prevail in convincing fashion. Their margin of error will only dwindle against Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel and Jake Guentzel, who have combined to register 59 postseason points.

Yet Pittsburgh has struggled to control possession without Kris Letang, who will remain sidelined with a neck injury. As Matthew Coller noted on ESPN.com, no Penguins defender has a postseason Corsi above 50 percent. Despite leading the Stanley Cup playoffs in scoring, they wield a playoff-low Corsi of 42.04 percent.

The Penguins must keep relying on their speed advantage, but they have also put their bodies on the line. Karlsson will compel onlookers to label Ottawa the "gritty" team of this matchup, but Pittsburgh has notched a postseason-high 250 blocks to Ottawa's 195.

That punishment will help whichever goalie shields Pittsburgh's net. A year after Matt Murray replaced the injured Fleury, the roles reversed. After sharing starts during the season, the 22-year-old Stanley Cup winner has yet to play this postseason.

Patrick Smith/Getty Images

He did, however, suit up as a backup to watch Fleury save all 29 Capitals shot attempts in Game 7's win over the Capitals. After the game, head coach Mike Sullivan did not elaborate his future plans, per Yahoo Sports' Greg Wyshynski.

"When players dress it means they're healthy and capable of playing," Sullivan said. "[Murray]'s been practicing now for a number of days. He's ready to take the next step and join the team. He's just continuing that process."

Loyalty and the recent shutout likely gives Fleury the edge. Yet Murray outplayed his older teammate throughout the season:

Player	GP	GS	W-L-OTL	GAA	SV%
Matt Murray	49	47	32-10-4	2.41	92.3
Marc-Andre Fleury	38	34	18-10-7	3.02	90.9

Karlsson looms as the biggest threat to either goalie. The battered star has logged more ice time than anyone else this postseason, and both of his goals against the Rangers were game-winners.

Fox Sports' Pete Blackburn praised the defenseman for carrying Ottawa to the conference final:

He needed those three days of rest more than anyone, but no one man can derail Pittsburgh. The Craig Anderson who stymied the Bruins to 13 scores in six games must show up instead of the one who permitted 19 against New York. 

Occasionally winning in regulation would also help.

Note: All advanced stats are courtesy of NHL.com.