NHL Playoff Bracket 2019: TV, Live Stream Schedule for Friday's Round 1 Matchups

A 2-0 deficit is a bad thing to face during a best-of-seven playoff series—especially if those losses came at home.

On Friday night, four teams will be looking to avoid falling into that hole as another full slate of NHL playoff action takes place. The Tampa Bay Lightning and Winnipeg Jets will look to even their series at home, while the Pittsburgh Penguins and Vegas Golden Knights try to do it on the road.

Each of Friday's games will either put one team in a great spot or effectively reset the series.

Friday Stanley Cup Playoffs Schedule (All Times ET)

Game 2: Columbus at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m., CNBC

Game 2: Pittsburgh at N.Y. Islanders, 7:30 p.m., NBC Sports Network

Game 2: St. Louis at Winnipeg, 9:30 p.m., CNBC

Game 2: Vegas at San Jose, 10:30 p.m., NBC Sports Network

Games can be live-streamed via NBC Sports Live.

Friday Preview

The Tampa Bay Lightning lost only 20 games during the regular season. On Friday, they could lose their second of the playoffs.

After a dominant regular season that resulted in winning the Presidents' Trophy in mid-March, the Lightning face adversity if they drop Game 2 to the Columbus Blue Jackets. In Game 1, the Blue Jackets overcame a 3-0 deficit to win 4-3.

For Columbus, which won seven of its final eight games in the regular season to secure the No. 2 wild card in the Eastern Conference, this is a major opportunity. The Blue Jackets could have a 2-0 lead over the Lightning when the series moves to Columbus for Game 3.

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

"We're quietly confident," Blue Jackets forward Nick Foligno said, according to Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch. "We're not getting ahead of ourselves. It's one win. We've been in this position before, and we need to learn from the past and know it's a great start, but it's a long series and they're going to be better."

The other three series resuming Friday should be competitive and reach six or seven games. One to keep an eye on is the Vegas-San Jose matchup.

The Golden Knights are looking to make another deep postseason run after reaching the Stanley Cup Final last year in their inaugural season. However, they dropped Game 1 to the Sharks on Monday, allowing three second-period goals and falling 5-2.

"We didn't shoot enough, and when we did, they blocked our shots," Knights left wing Will Carrier said, according to Justin Emerson of the Las Vegas Sun. "We've got to get pucks to the net and get bodies there."

If the Golden Knights can notch a road win in San Jose on Friday to tie the series, they will be in a good spot ahead of Games 3 and 4 in Las Vegas.