NHL Playoffs 2017: Stanley Cup Conference Finals Schedule and Predictions

The Pittsburgh Penguins are a veteran team that has been through the NHL playoff wars many times.

After losing the first game of the Eastern Conference Final on home ice Saturday night to the Ottawa Senators, there was no way Sidney Crosby and Co. were going to allow the visitors to leave Pittsburgh without putting up a huge fight in the second game.

It wasn't pretty and the Penguins did not dominate offensively, but they took advantage of a third-period goal from Phil Kessel and that was enough to earn Pittsburgh a 1-0 win that tied the best-of-7 series at one game each.

The Sens had gotten the best of Pittsburgh in Game 1 from a territorial perspective, but the Penguins did a much better job in that area Monday night. They had the large majority of the scoring chances and outshot the Senators 29-23.

Craig Anderson kept Ottawa in the game with a number of sharp saves, but the Senators could not seize control of the game. 

Western Conference Final, Series tied, 1-1
Eastern Conference Final, Series tied, 1-1
Game Number	Date	Time (ET)	TV
Game 3, Anaheim at Nashville	May 16	8 p.m.	NBCSN
Game 4, Anaheim at Nashville	May 18	8 p.m.	NBCSN
Game 5, Nashville at Anaheim (if necessary)	May 20	7:15 p.m.	NBC
Game 6, Anaheim at Nashville (if necessary)	May 22	8 p.m.	NBCSN
Game 7, Nashville at Anaheim (if necessary)	May 24	9 p.m.	NBCSN
Game Number	Date	Time (ET)	TV
Game 3, Pittsburgh at Ottawa	May 17	8 p.m.	NBCSN
Game 4, Pittsburgh at Ottawa	May 19	8 p.m.	NBCSN
Game 5, Ottawa at Pittsburgh (if necessary)	May 21	3 p.m.	NBC
Game 6, Pittsburgh at Ottawa (if necessary)	May 23	8 p.m.	NBCSN
Game 7, Ottawa at Pittsburgh (if necessary)	May 25	8 p.m.	NBCSN

However, with 6:55 remaining, Evgeni Malkin carried the puck into the Ottawa zone and and hit the streaking Kessel with a short pass.

Kessel took a stride and unloaded a shot that the Ottawa defense blocked, but the winger picked up the rebound and got rid of his second-chance opportunity within an eyeblink and the wrist shot beat Anderson cleanly.

The Sens are in good shape having come away with a split on the road, and they will have a raucous home crowd going for them Wednesday night for the third game of the series.

However, the Penguins have shown they can win on the road, as they took three of four away from home in their second-round victory over the Washington Capitals.

The Western Conference Final will resume Tuesday night with the Nashville Predators hosting the Anaheim Ducks and the series tied at 1-1.

The Ducks rebounded nicely with a win in Game 2 after dropping the opener on home ice, but slowing down the Nashville offense may be difficult on the Predators' home ice.

The Predators grew frustrated by Anaheim's edgy play in the second game, and Ryan Johansen was critical of veteran Ryan Kesler of the Ducks.

"I'm just trying to go out there and play hockey and it [stinks] when you've got to pull a stick out of your groin every shift," he said about Kesler, per Tim Campbell of NHL.com

Anaheim head coach Randy Carlyle refused to give those comments any credence. 

"Quite frankly I don't pay attention to any of that stuff," Carlyle said. "Players will say what they want. That's not my concern.

"[Kesler] is an effective player and he's played the [Stanley Cup Playoffs] the way he would normally play them. He approaches the task as he stated—he's got to be better than the player he's playing up against."

The Predators have advanced to the Western Conference Final largely on the play of their aggressive defense. Ryan Ellis, Roman Josi and P.K. Subban have triggered the attack in three playoff series, and they should be at their best at home in Game 3.

Predictions

Returning home will give the Predators a lift, and they have not lost a game on home ice to this point in the playoffs.

The Ducks are a strong enough team to overcome that, especially if goalie Pekka Rinne has a second consecutive so-so game. He gave up four goals in Game 2 (the Ducks also added an empty-net goal) and was shaky on several shots.

But if Rinne comes back to his previous form, that should be enough to make this a tight game.

Look for Johansen, Viktor Arvidsson and James Neal to make the difference as the Preds win on home ice and take a 2-1 series lead.

The Ottawa-Pittsburgh series has the look of a long one. The Sens are quick and aggressive, and they have a brilliant defensive system under head coach Guy Boucher and perhaps the best player in defenseman Erik Karlsson.

On the other hand, the Pens have Crosby, Malkin and Kessel, and they are the defending champions.

Look for Ottawa to gain an edge on home ice and take a 2-1 lead Wednesday night.