NHL 2nd Round Schedule: What to Expect

With the NHL playoffs in Full Swing we take a look at the schedule for the second round and what to expect from the remaining teams.

Introduction

After an exciting first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the NHL is back with more action in the second round. Eight teams will be vying for a spot in the Conference Finals and we can’t wait to see what happens. Let’s take a look at the schedule and find out what to expect from each series.

NHL 2nd Round Schedule

The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are down to the final eight teams. Here’s a look at the schedule for the second round.

(All times Eastern)

Boston Bruins vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
– Game 1: Thursday, April 25, 7 p.m., NBCSN
– Game 2: Saturday, April 27, 3 p.m., NBC
– Game 3: Monday, April 29, 7 p.m., NBCSN
– Game 4: Wednesda’, May 1, 7 p.m., NBCSN *
– Game 5: Friday, May 3, 7 p.m., NBCSN *
– Game 6: Sunday, May 5, 3 p.m., NBC *
– Game 7: Tuesday, May 7, 7 p.m., NBCSN *

Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders
– Game 1: Friday, April 26, 7 p.m., ESPN+
– Game 2: Sunday, April 28, 3 p.m., ESPN+
– Game 3: Tuesday, April 30, 7 p.m., ESPN2
– Game 4: Thursda’, May 2 ,7 p.m., ESPN2 *
– Game 5: Saturday’, May 4 ,7p.m., ESPN+ *
-Game 6: Monday’, May 6 ,7p . m . , ESPN2 * -Game 7:’ Wednesda’, May 8 ,7p . m . , ESPN+ *

What to Expect

The first round of the NHL playoffs is in the books, and we now know the schedule for the second round. Here’s a look at what to expect.

The second round of the NHL Playoffs is upon us, and it should be just as exciting as the first round. We’ve seen some Great Hockey so far, and there’s no reason to think that won’t continue.

There are some fantastic match-ups in the second round, and we can’t wait to see what happens. Here’s a look at the schedule and what to expect from each series.

The Matchups

The first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs is in the books and we now know the eight teams that will be moving on to the second round. The top seed in each conference, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Calgary Flames both advanced in convincing fashion and will have a few extra days of rest before taking on their second-round opponents. In the East, it will be the Lightning taking on the Columbus Blue Jackets while out West it will be the Flames squaring off against the Colorado Avalanche

Meanwhile, things are getting started a little earlier in the second round than they did in the first. In fact, four of the five series will get underway before Wednesday night is even over. Here’s a look at each of the second-round matchups and what you can expect from them:

(1) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (6) Columbus Blue Jackets
This is a matchup of two teams that were among the best in the league all season long The Lightning won a league-best 62 games during the regular season while the Blue Jackets were right behind them with 58 wins. The two teams also met twice during the regular season with each team winning once on home ice.

The Lightning are obviously still heavy favorites here, but don’t sleep on Columbus. The Blue Jackets proved in Round 1 that they are more than capable of pulling off an upset, as they took down one of last year’s Stanley Cup finalists, the Washington Capitals in four games. The Blue Jackets also have one of if not THE best player in this year’s playoffs so far in goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who posted a .932 save percentage and 1.90 GAA against Washington. If Bobrovsky can keep up that level of play against Tampa Bay’s high-powered offense, then Columbus could very well find themselves playing for a trip to Round 3 come Monday Night

(2) Boston Bruins vs. (4) Carolina Hurricanes
This is a tough one to call as both teams have looked very good so far in these playoffs. The Bruins dispatched of a very good Toronto Maple Leafs team in seven games during Round 1, while Carolina swept away last year’s Eastern Conference champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins These two teams also met four times during the Regular Season with each team winning twice on home ice..

One thing working in Carolina’s favor is that they seem to have found their scoring touch again after struggling to put up goals for much of March and April. The Hurricanes averaged 3.25 goals per game against Pittsburgh and got production from up and down their lineup as 11 different players scored at least one goal during the series sweep..

In terms of goaltending this looks like it could be a wash as both Tuukka Rask and Petr Mrazek have been solid so far this postseason.. In seven games against Toronto, Rask posted a .928 save percentage and 2.02 GAA., while Mrazek was even better for Carolina against Pittsburgh as he put up .947/.858 splits.. This series could easily go either way , but if I had to pick one team to come out on top I would lean slightly towards Boston because they seem to have more scoring depth than Carolina does..

(3) New York Islanders vs.(5) Pittsburgh Penguins
This is another tough one to predict as both teams had very different experiences in Round 1.. For starters ,the Islanders are coming off an emotionally draining seven-game series victory over last year’s Presidents’ Trophy winners ,the Nashville Predators . That win didn’t come easy for New York either ,as they had to rally from behind late in Game 7 to seal victory.. Meanwhile ,the Penguins cruised past an injury-riddled Montreal Canadiens team in Round 1 ,winning that series four games to none.. And now these two tired teams have to turn around and face each other just days after finishing up their previous series.. To make matters worse for New York ,they will also be without star forward Anders Lee for this entire series as he suffered a torn ACL during Game 6 against Nashville.. Given all that information it would appear that Pittsburgh should be favored here ,but with how unpredictable these playoffs have been so far I wouldn’t be surprised if this one went either way..

The Favorites

It’s do or die time in the NHL as the Stanley Cup Playoffs move on to the second round. Eight teams have advanced, and each has its own story; some are coming off easier first rounds than others, some have had more time to rest up between games, but all are hungry for the win. Who will come out on top? Here’s a look at the favorites for each matchup.

The Tampa Bay Lightning made fairly easy work of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round, winning in five games. They’ll face off against the Boston Bruins who had a bit more of a battle in their series against the Toronto Maple Leafs it went to seven games before Boston finally emerged victorious. These two teams met twice in the regular season with Tampa Bay winning both games handily; they’re definitely the favorites here.

In the other Eastern Conference matchup, the Washington Capitals will take on the Carolina Hurricanes The Capitals had a tough series against the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins but they ultimately prevailed in six games. Carolina had an easier time in their first round series against the New York Islanders but they’re still relatively inexperienced when it comes to playoff hockey they haven’t made it past the second round since 2009. Washington is definitely the favorite here.

Out west, things are a little more wide open. The Nashville Predators knocked out the Dallas Stars in six games, while the Winnipeg Jets needed seven to get past the St. Louis Blues These two teams met four times during Regular Season play and split those games evenly; it should be a close series.

Finally, perhaps most anticipated matchup of them all: The Vegas Golden Knights will take on The San Jose Sharks . Vegas was dominant in their first round sweep of Los Angeles Kings , while San Jose needed six games to eliminate Anaheim Ducks . These California rivals met four times during regular season play, with Vegas winning three of those matchups; they’re looking strong heading into this series as well.

The Underdogs

The Pittsburgh Penguins Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets were the top three teams in the NHL this regular season But they all have one thing in common: they’re underdogs in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs

The Stanley Cup playoffs are a best-of-seven tournament, meaning the first team to win four games advances to the next round. The second round schedule has not been released yet, but here’s a look at what to expect:

The Pittsburgh Penguins are the defending Stanley Cup champions and they finished with the most points in the NHL this season. They’re also the only team in the second round that doesn’t have home-ice advantage.

The Nashville Predators had the best record in the Western Conference and they’re Playing a Winnipeg Jets team that many believe is underestimating them.

The Winnipeg Jets are one of the hottest teams in the NHL right now. They’re playing a Nashville Predators team that is without their top defenseman, Roman Josi.

The Wildcards

In the first round of the playoffs, the four division winners are given a bye to the second round while the remaining eight teams play each other in best-of-seven series. Of those eight teams, the two that win their first-round matchup are given Wild Card spots in the second round.

This year, those two teams are the Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Ducks The Penguins, who are seeded fifth in the Eastern Conference dispatched of the fourth-seeded Columbus Blue Jackets in five games. The Ducks, seeded sixth in the Western Conference did one better and eliminated their first-round opponent, the third-seeded Calgary Flames in four games.

The X-Factors

What will be the key deciding factor in each of the second-round series in the NHL playoffs?

In the Eastern Conference the Pittsburgh Penguins will take on the Washington Capitals. The winner of this series will likely be determined by which team can better solve the opposing goalie. Both Braden Holtby and Marc-Andre Fleury have been outstanding so far in these playoffs, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see either one steal a series for his team.

The other Eastern Conference matchup features the Ottawa Senators and the New York Rangers This should be a very evenly matched series, but the X-factor may be Sens goalie Craig Anderson. Anderson has been excellent in these playoffs, and if he can continue to play at a high level, Ottawa has a good chance to advance.

In the Western Conference the Nashville Predators will take on the St. Louis Blues The big question in this series is whether Nashville’s top forwards can keep up their scoring pace against a very stingy St. Louis defense. The Blues have only given up 2.33 goals per game in these playoffs, so the Preds will need to find a way to solve goaltender Jake Allen if they want to win this series.

The final matchup in the West is between the Anaheim Ducks and Edmonton Oilers This should be a very exciting series, as it features two young teams on the rise. The X-factor in this one may be which Duck steps up to fill Ryan Getzlaf’s shoes, as he is out with an injury. Anaheim will need someone to step up and provide some offense if they want to win this series against a very dangerous Edmonton team.

The Predictions

After a long and gruelling first two rounds, we are finally down to the last eight teams in the hunt for the Stanley Cup
The Nashville Predators Winnipeg Jets, Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks will battle it out in the West, while the Tampa Bay Lightning Boston Bruins Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins will duke it out in the East.
Here are my predictions for each series:

Nashville Predators vs. Winnipeg Jets

I have to give the edge to the Nashville Predators in this one. They have been one of the best teams in the league all season long, and they have proven that they can win postseason games. The Winnipeg Jets are a good team, but I think they will ultimately fall short against the Predators.

Vegas Golden Knights vs. San Jose Sharks

This is going to be a close series, but I ultimately think that the Vegas Golden Knights will come out on top. They have been one of the best expansion teams in NHL history and I think they will continue their run all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Boston Bruins

This is going to be another close series, but I ultimately think that the Tampa Bay Lightning will come out on top. They have been one of the best teams in the league all season long, and I think they will continue their run all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals

The Conclusion

After a long Regular season and an exciting first round of the playoffs, the NHL is finally ready to move on to the next stage. The second round of the playoffs is set to begin on April 26th and will feature some of the best Hockey teams in the league. Here is a look at the schedule for the second round of the playoffs:

April 26:

Boston Bruins vs. Columbus Blue Jackets

St. Louis Blues vs. Dallas Stars

San Jose Sharks vs. Colorado Avalanche

April 27:

Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders

Nashville Predators vs. Winnipeg Jets

April 28:

Boston Bruins vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (Game 2)
Resume on NBCSN

St. Louis Blues vs. Dallas Stars (Game 2)

Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders

Nashville Predators vs. Winnipeg Jets