NHL Playoff Bracket 2018: TV Start Times, Live-Stream Schedule and More

The Boston Bruins and San Jose Sharks find themselves in critical condition as they take the ice for their NHL playoff games Sunday.

Of the two, the Bruins are in worse shape in their series against the Tampa Bay Lightning than the Sharks are in against the expansion Vegas Golden Knights.

The Bruins are in a 3-1 hole against the Bolts, and they must find a way to win at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, at 3 p.m. ET if they are going to send the series back to Boston for Game 6 on Tuesday.

The Lightning have won three consecutive games in the series after dropping the opener, and their 4-3 overtime victory Friday night in Boston may turn out to be the backbreaker in the series.

The Bruins rallied from a 2-0 deficit in that game and had a 3-2 lead past the midway point of the third period. Patrice Bergeron had given the Bruins a late lead with a spectacular redirect of a Brad Marchand pass for a short-handed goal.

However, Steven Stamkos tied the game for Tampa Bay with a third-period strike, and Dan Girardi won the game early in the extra session when he got his stick on a pass from Alex Killorn, sending the puck past Bruins netminder Tuukka Rask for the game-winning goal.

In addition to losing a game that could have tied the series, Boston also lost defenseman and power-play quarterback Torey Krug to a lower-body injury. Krug crashed into the corner boards skates first in the third period, and he never returned after laboring to get off the ice.

The Bruins announced Saturday that Krug would not play the rest of the series against Tampa Bay. Nick Holden will replace the 27-year-old in the lineup.

"Nick will go in," said Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy, per Jim McBride of the Boston Globe. "He's done a good job for us. Obviously we're going to miss Torey. He's a good player for us. He really adds to our offensive side of things."

The Lightning have been opportunistic and have been able to jump to the lead in each of the past three games. They played with desperation in Game 2 to square the series at home and then took it to Boston in Game 3 prior to their overtime win in Game 4.

If the Bruins are forced to play come-from-behind hockey in Game 5, it could mean the end of their season. If they can take an early lead and press their hosts, a return trip to Boston for Game 6 is a possibility.

Sunday's Stanley Cup Playoff Schedule

Game 5: Boston Bruins at Tampa Bay Lightning, 3 p.m., NBC. Tampa Bay leads series 3-1.

Game 6: Vegas Golden Knights at San Jose Sharks, 7:30 p.m., NBCSN. Vegas leads series 3-2.

Upcoming Playoff Schedule

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. All times ET.

John Locher/Associated Press/Associated Press

The Sharks need to win at home Sunday if they are going to stay alive against the Golden Knights.

This second-round series has seen each team win one game on the opponent's home ice, as San Jose won in double overtime in Game 2 on the strip, while the Golden Knights returned the favor in Game 3 in Northern California.

Vegas had a 4-0 lead at the 8:36 mark of the third period of Game 5 before the Sharks charged back with three straight goals to scare the home team. However, Jonathan Marchessault put an end to the rally with an empty-net goal.

The Golden Knights can earn a trip to the Western Conference Final with a win over the Sharks on Sunday, and that mean they have won two playoff series in their expansion year.

"I think one thing we've been good at is just focusing on the next game and nothing else," center Pierre-Edouard Bellemare said, per NHL.com's Nicholas J. Cotsonika. "During the year, a lot of those records came out, and we had absolutely no clue because that's the last thing we're thinking about. If you start thinking about those, it's impossible to play, I think. Don't think about it. Right now I don't really care about it. My focus is all about [Game 6], and that's it."

Vegas has gone above and beyond all expectations. The team continues to win games in the postseason after a spectacular regular season, and it may take a superior effort from the Sharks or the winner of the Winnipeg Jets-Nashville Predators series to keep the Golden Knights from reaching the Stanley Cup Final.