NHL Playoffs 2018: Live-Stream Schedule, Stanley Cup TV Guide and Saturday Picks

One second-round series in the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs begins Saturday, while a team down one game hopes it can restart its best-of-seven series.

The Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning kick off Saturday's schedule at Amalie Arena in a clash of Atlantic Division rivals, while the Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks face off at night in Game 2.

Vegas controlled Game 1 between the Pacific Division teams, as it scored seven goals at T-Mobile Arena with a stout defensive performance silencing the Sharks.

Game 1 in Tampa Bay will set the tone for the series, while Game 2 in Las Vegas could serve as a turning point for the Sharks, or we could witness the continued playoff domination by the Golden Knights.

Saturday NHL Playoffs Schedule

Game 1: Boston at Tampa Bay (3 p.m., NBC)

Game 2: San Jose at Vegas (8 p.m., NBC)

Games can be live-streamed on NBC Sports Live.

Picks

Tampa Bay over Boston

The Bruins and Lightning fought for the No. 1 overall seed in the Eastern Conference and the Atlantic Division title until the final week of the regular season.

Tampa Bay came out on top thanks to its first win in four games against the Bruins on April 2 by way of a 4-0 score.

Even with the confidence boost from taking the last regular-season contest against Boston, and a strong first-round showing against the New Jersey Devils, the Lightning know it is going to be a tight series.

Lightning center Steven Stamkos complimented the Bruins and noted how close the competition will be throughout the series, per Tampa Bay's official Twitter account:

In Stamkos, right winger Nikita Kucherov and left winger Alex Killorn, the Lightning have one of the best offensive trios remaining in the playoffs.

The top point earners from the first round for Tampa Bay combined for one goal in the four Atlantic Division showdowns with the Bruins.

One player worth watching for the Lightning is Victor Hedman, who produced two goals and an assist against the Bruins. Hedman could provide an extra dimension to the attack after failing to contribute to a goal against the Devils.

Although an argument can be made that Boston enters with a better chance to win Game 1 because it topped Toronto in Game 7 of the first-round series Wednesday, it still has a two-day layoff in which the momentum could wear off while preparing for the Lightning.

Vegas over San Jose

It's hard to imagine San Jose recovering from the 7-0 drubbing at the hands of the Golden Knights to put together a winning performance in Game 2.

While Game 2 might not be another blowout, Vegas is in phenomenal form and will be hard to stop.

Not only did Vegas' offense explode for seven goals on Thursday to match its total from four games in the first round, its defense is the best remaining in the postseason.

Vegas conceded three goals in five postseason games, which is seven better than the next best defensive team left in the second round, as Winnipeg Jets let in 10 tallies over six games.

Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is the main reason for the defensive success, as he enters Game 2 with a .982 save percentage.

As ESPN's John Buccigross noted, the former Pittsburgh Penguins netminder turned Vegas into a legitimate Stanley Cup contender:

In fact, Vegas' start is historic, as it has the third-best defensive record over five games in NHL history, per NHL Public Relations:

Even if San Jose finds a way to beat Fleury and end his shutout streak that spans two games, it is going to face an uphill climb with the Vegas offense waking up Thursday night.

Look for the Golden Knights to ride the wave of momentum created by the seven-goal outburst and benefit from the raucous home environment to take a 2-0 series lead into San Jose.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from Hockey Reference.