NHL Playoff Bracket 2018: TV Schedule, Live Stream and Tuesday Picks

The heavyweights have exchanged punches and counter punches in the first two games of the second-round series.

Now it's time for class to begin to will out. The Washington Capitals are hoping that they have stolen a little bit of that commodity away from the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

The Capitals built a 2-0 lead in Game 1 and lost and a 3-0 lead in Game 2 and won. Head coach Barry Trotz's team was just a little bit sharper and more determined in the second game, and after splitting two games in Washington, the Caps are hoping they can build an advantage over the next two games in Pittsburgh.

One thing the Caps have been able to do in the first two games is build an early advantage. Evgeny Kuznetsov scored a goal at the 17-second mark of Game 1, while Alex Ovechkin gave the Caps a lead a little over a minute into the second game.

That has given the Caps a certain freedom of movement, knowing that they are playing with the lead and don't have to react to their opponents.

On the other hand, the Penguins have had a deficit from the start. They were able to overcome that issue in the opener but were left searching for answers that they never found in Game 2.

Part of the problem for the Penguins is a lack of scoring depth. The Penguins are getting scoring from Jake Guentzel (17 points), Sidney Crosby (15 points) and Patric Hornqvist (eight points), but not much from other players.

Phil Kessel has five points, Derrick Brassard has three points and Conor Sheary has been held to two points. 

Head coach Mike Sullivan needs those players to take some of the heat off of the high scorers. The key may be the return of Evgeni Malkin (lower body) and Carl Hagelin (upper body) from injuries. Both men practiced Monday, and that's a good sign for the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions.

"Obviously we're a much better team when we get contributions through our lineup," Sullivan said, per Tracey Myers of NHL.com. "That's what we're trying to find, a little more balance. We've had a fair amount of scoring chances (but) we haven't finished. That's the next step for us. We're a much better team, much more difficult to play against, when we get those contributions throughout our lineup."

The Capitals and Penguins meet at 7 p.m. in a game that will be televised by NBCSN.

Tuesday's Stanley Cup games

Washington Capitals at Pittsburgh Penguins, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN. Series tied 1-1

Nashville Predators at Winnipeg Jets, 8 p.m. ET, CNBC. Series tied 1-1

Here's a link to the playoff bracket. 

Games can be live-streamed on NBC Sports Live.

The Predators and Jets finished the season with the two best records during the regular season, and the first two games indicate that this should be one of the most compelling series of the playoffs.

The Jets got the jump on the Preds in Game 1 with a 4-1 victory that featured a remarkable goaltending effort by Connor Hellebuyck. The Jets could have gone home with a 2-0 lead, but Nashville's Kevin Fiala scored the winning goal in double overtime, and that allowed the Preds to square the series.

The series shifts to Winnipeg, and the fans in Manitoba should be just as loud and supportive as the Predators' fans were in Nashville.

Even though Winnipeg dropped Game 2, the Jets outshot the Predators 50-41 and carried much more of the play than they did in Game 1. Nashville had a 48-19 advantage in shots on goal in that game, but Pekka Rinne was unable to keep the Jets from building a lead and securing the victory.

Losing in double overtime is clearly a painful experience, but the Jets think they can learn from it and grow. 

"And having that behind us now, we know what it's going to take," Hellebuyck said, per Scott Billeck of NHL.com. "It's going to take that battle, that fight, every second and every minute. I liked the way we were playing, it's just sometimes it goes the other way. I think it's a good sign we are here to fight and we're not going to give up easy."

The Jets are going to depend on Mark Scheifle (10 points), Dustin Byfuglien (seven points) and Blake Wheeler (seven points), while Nashville will look to Filip Forsberg (nine points), Austin Watson (seven points), Colton Sissons (seven points) and Ryan Johansen (seven points) for its scoring.

Predictions

One of the primary reasons the Penguins are two-time defending Stanley Cup champions has been their ability to get the best of the Capitals.

They beat Washington in the second round in each of the last two years, and there is little doubt that Pittsburgh is still a powerful team that has an excellent chance to win the series. The return home should help the Pens in Game 3, and if Malkin returns to the lineup they should become a much more dangerous scoring team.

Expect the Penguins to take a 2-1 lead in this series with a low-scoring victory.

The Jets and the Predators are an excellent matchup. While Nashville had the territorial edge during the first two games, the Jets were able to earn a split.

The Jets should come with with their best effort at home, and they will not be denied in Game 3. Winnipeg wins in impressive fashion.