Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press
With the Anaheim Ducks' win over the Calgary Flames on Sunday night, only two more series remain in the second round of the 2015 NHL playoffs.
The New York Rangers and Washington Capitals are tied at 3-3, while the Tampa Bay Lightning own a slim 3-2 lead in their battle with the Montreal Canadiens.
Here's a brief forecast for how each of the remaining series will unfold from here.
Tues., May 12 7:30 p.m. Montreal Canadiens Tampa Bay Lightning NBCSN Wed., May 13 7:30 p.m. Washington Capitals New York Rangers NBCSN Thurs., May 14 TBD Tampa Bay Lightning Montreal Canadiens TBD* denotes game may not be necessary
Series Predictions
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Montreal Canadiens
The Lightning have had two chances to close out this series so far. Seriously, they can't take a 3-0 lead and fail to advance against the Canadiens. That would be a postseason collapse of epic proportions.
Montreal won 6-2 in Game 4 and 2-1 in Game 5. Speaking after the Lightning's Game 5 loss, Steven Stamkos talked about his desire to close out the series at home.
"There's pressure for [Montreal] knowing it could be the last game of the year," he said, per the Associated Press (via CBSSports.com). "We're coming in to our home rink where we've played very well. We have to go prove that last home game we played was unacceptable and I believe we'll do that. Our fans deserve for us to win a game in front of them."
Few teams have been more affected by the low-scoring nature of this postseason than the Lightning. Their 3.16 goals per game ranked first in the regular season, but they're averaging just 2.6 a game against the Canadiens. Take out their six goals in Game 2, and the number falls to 1.75.
Lighting coach Jon Cooper offered up his reasoning for why scoring is down in the postseason, per USA Today's Kevin Allen:
There are top offensive players who are really paying attention to defense. I think that is what has kind of smothered (offense). There is such a commitment to playing defense now because teams know you really only need to get one, maybe even two (goals), there is a real good possibility you are going to win the game. That's probably what's stifling a lot of the offense.
Should Tampa Bay fail to win Game 6, things could really get interesting. But the Lighting should prevail in Game 6. Their offense is too good to fall on its face three games in a row.
New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals
The No. 1 overall seed in the Eastern Conference is in serious danger of elimination in the second round. Were it not for Henrik Lundqvist making some big saves, the Rangers likely would have been packing their bags Sunday night:
Relying too heavily on a goaltender can be a recipe for disaster in the postseason, even more so for a team that ranks 15th out of 16 playoff teams in average scoring. New York was one of the higher-scoring teams during the regular season, but it's putting a lot of stress on Lundqvist and the blueliners.
ESPN Stats & Info also highlighted how the Rangers have been unable to win without some sort of drama in the postseason:
It would be unfair to say that New York has simply gotten lucky in the playoffs, but nobody can deny that luck has played a factor for the Rangers so far. You can't have that many one-goal games otherwise.
The question regarding the Rangers is whether that luck might run out in Game 7.
CBS Sports' Adam Gretz drew attention after Game 6 to the Capitals' anemic power-play unit. The No. 1 power-play team during the regular season is just a paltry 3-of-25 in the playoffs and 1-of-12 in this series.
It sounds like Washington is due for some success on the power play, while the Rangers' continued reliance on their defense might end up being their undoing.
Maybe Sunday's offensive outburst was a sign that New York is getting back to the perfect balance that resulted in so much regular-season success. In addition, NHL.com's Dan Rosen added that history is in the Rangers' favor:
If the Capitals can make the most of their power-play opportunities in Game 7, they'll walk out of Madison Square Garden with a win.
Note: All stats are courtesy of NHL.com unless otherwise noted.
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2460470-nhl-playoffs-2015-updated-schedule-predictions-for-remaining-2nd-round-series
