NHL Playoff Bracket 2018: Remaining Stanley Cup TV, Live-Stream Schedule Guide

Unlike the first round of the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs in which one series went to a Game 7, the second round is trending toward having a series decided through a full complement of games. 

Three of the four conference semifinals are tied at two games apiece entering critical Game 5s on Friday and Saturday.

In the other series, Tampa Bay holds a 2-1 lead over Boston, with the Bruins facing plenty of pressure on home ice in Friday's Game 4.

Given the way each of the series have gone so far, it's not wrong to think we'll see multiple Game 7s, or at the bare minimum four that go at least six games.

Stanley Cup Playoffs Schedule

All times ET

Friday, May 4

Game 4: Tampa Bay at Boston (7 p.m., NBCSN)

Game 5: San Jose at Vegas (10 p.m., NBCSN)

Saturday, May 5

Game 5: Pittsburgh at Washington (7 p.m., NBC)

Game 5: Winnipeg at Nashville (9:30 p.m., NBCSN)

Sunday, May 6

Game 5: Boston at Tampa Bay (3 p.m., NBC)

Game 6: Vegas at San Jose (7:30 p.m., NBCSN)

Monday, May 7

Game 6: Washington at Pittsburgh (7 p.m., NBCSN)

Game 6: Nashville at Winnipeg (Time TBD, NBCSN)

Tuesday, May 8

Game 6: Tampa Bay at Boston (Time TBD, NBCSN)*

Game 7: San Jose at Vegas (Time TBD, NBCSN)*

Wednesday, May 9

Game 7: Pittsburgh at Washington (7:30 p.m., NBCSN)*

Thursday, May 10

Game 7: Boston at Tampa Bay (Time TBD, NBCSN)*

Game 7: Winnipeg at Nashville (Time TBD, NBCSN)*

Games can be live-streamed on NBC Sports Live or NBC Sports App.

* if necessary

Boston Needs to Rebound at Home

The Bruins became the latest team to surrender home-ice advantage in the second round, as they fell in Game 3 to the Lightning.

Boston gained the upper hand in the Atlantic Division series by way of a Game 1 thumping of Tampa Bay at Amalie Arena, but the Lightning have responded with two consecutive victories.

In order to stop the series from getting out of hand, the Bruins must take back home ice Friday and level the series as it heads back to Tampa for Game 5.

One of the many keys for Bruce Cassidy's team is to avoid going down early, like it did in Games 2 and 3 when Tampa Bay opened the scoring.

In addition to scoring first, the Bruins need more out of their marquee line of Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand.

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Bergeron has been the most productive of the trio in the last two games with a goal off eight shots, moving his team-leading total to 13 shots that produced three goals.

Marchand's spent too much time in the penalty box, as he leads the Bruins with 12 penalty minutes while taking six shots.

What the Bruins need out of their top line is a level of production similar to Game 1, when Bergeron scored twice and Marchand handed out three assists in addition to scoring a goal. 

While it doesn't have to score six times like it did in Game 1, the Bruins' top line needs to put pressure on Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy right away in order to set the tone and put the visitors under duress.

If that is able to happen, the Bruins should put all four conference semifinals level at two games apiece. 

San Jose Tries to Continue Momentum

San Jose handed Vegas a taste of its own medicine in Game 4, as goalie Martin Jones shut out the Golden Knights to even the series heading back to T-Mobile Arena. The expansion team won 7-0 in Game 1. 

Jones stopped 34 shots in the 4-0 victory in which the Sharks pounced early against Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury with a pair of first-period goals. 

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

With the Sharks in possession of the latest momentum swing in the series that's featured three overtime periods, they must find a way to capitalize on it to put Vegas under the most pressure it's faced this season. 

The good news for the Sharks is not just one line is contributing to the scoring, as eight different players scored in the first four games, with three of them earning two tallies.

The top defensemen on the Sharks roster must continue to be the X-factors, as they spend the most time on ice of any players in the series. 

Brent Burns, Justin Braun and Marc-Edouard Vlasic have all logged over 100 minutes of ice time, and they're expected to once again have a heavy presence in Game 5. 

From the Vegas perspective, it has to put the third period of Game 4, in which it committed six penalties, in the back of its mind and focus on the task at hand. 

There's no doubt Fleury is going to come out motivated after conceding four goals, but the key for the Golden Knights is to not let Jones settle into a rhythm, as he could end up being the difference-maker in determining if Vegas faces the first elimination game in franchise history in Game 6. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.