NHL Playoffs 2018: Updated Stanley Cup Schedule and Predictions

All but one of the eight participants for the second round of the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs have been determined.

The Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs finish off the first round on Wednesday in the lone Game 7 of the opening set of postseason contests.

The first round produced little in terms of drama, especially in the Western Conference, but the stage is set for rested franchises to deliver haymakers throughout the rest of the bracket.

Once Game 7 wraps up at TD Garden, the second round takes center stage with two Game 1s played on Thursday and another on Friday.

Stanley Cup Playoffs Schedule

1st Round

Wednesday, April 25

Game 7: Toronto at Boston (7:30 p.m., NBCSN) 

2nd Round

Thursday, April 26

Game 1: Pittsburgh at Washington (7 p.m., NBCSN)

Game 1: San Jose at Vegas (10 p.m., NBCSN)

Friday, April 27

Game 1: Winnipeg at Nashville (8 p.m., NBCSN) 

All Times ET.

Rest of schedule still to be announced.

Predictions

Boston Prevails in Game 7

The first true ounce of drama in the Stanley Cup Playoffs comes from TD Garden on Wednesday, as the Bruins host the Maple Leafs in Game 7 of their first-round series. 

Toronto carries the momentum into Boston following two consecutive victories, but the Bruins shouldn't be counted out. 

Wednesday marks the second time in five years the two franchises face off in a Game 7. Back in 2013, the Bruins won Game 7 of the first-round series behind a Patrice Bergeron overtime goal. 

While most of the faces on each roster have changed since then, there are a few holdovers, including Bergeron and goalie Tuukka Rask on Boston's side and Nazem Kadri and James van Riemsdyk for the Leafs.

Jeffrey T. Barnes/Associated Press

Although the Bruins face the most pressure going into Wednesday, they are going to try to embrace the moment with a raucous home crowd behind them, per Eric Russo of the team's official website.

"It's gonna be loud, it's gonna be energetic, we're gonna have to feed off that. It's gonna be an unbelievable experience," Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy said.

The key for Boston is its Game 7 experience, which Zdeno Chara and Bergeron have plenty of with 20 games between them. If that shows and the Bruins get out to a fast start, it will spell trouble for the visiting Leafs.

Claus Andersen/Getty Images

Boston also has to hope goalie Tuukka Rask reverses his form from the past two games in which he conceded seven goals in order to set up a second-round matchup with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Although it won't be an easy task against a motivated Toronto team, Boston prevails due to the contributions from veterans like Bergeron, Rask, Brad Marchand and David Backes.

2nd Round Will Be Much More Competitive Than 1st Round

This seems like an easy prediction given the dominance in the first round, but it needs to be said anyway.

The second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs should produce plenty more excitement and competition than the opening octet of series.

In the Eastern Conference, the rivalry between Pittsburgh and Washington continues, with the Capitals hoping to finally get over the hump and prove to everyone they can make a deep run in the postseason.

What makes the series intriguing this year is the hot streak the Caps come into the series on, as they closed out the Columbus Blue Jackets with four straight wins.

Kirk Irwin/Getty Images

Both offenses should steal the spotlight in the best-of-seven series, as the Penguins and Capitals enter as the highest-scoring teams from the first round, with 28 and 24 goals, respectively.

Vegas and San Jose won't have as easy of a path to the conference final as they did to reach the second round, as they get involved in what could be a defensive struggle.

Although they swept the Los Angeles Kings, the Golden Knights scored seven goals in four games while conceding three.

San Jose produced more in front of the net by pounding the Anaheim Ducks for 16 tallies, and it let in just four goals in its first-round sweep.

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Nashville and Winnipeg also have a large disparity in goals for and against, as the Predators scored 22 goals while giving up 15 against the Colorado Avalanche and the Jets beat the Minnesota Wild for 16 tallies while letting in nine.

The series between the Central Division rivals has a chance to produce the best goalkeeping matchup of the playoffs, as Pekka Rinne squares off with Connor Hellebuyck.

Rinne won 42 games in the regular season with a goals-against average of 2.31 and a .927 save percentage, while Hellebuyck notched 44 wins, a record for an American goalkeeper, to go along with a 2.36 GAA and .924 save percentage.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from Hockey Reference.