 |
| Via: si.com |
Pittsburgh Penguins @ New York Islanders (12:00pm ET)
TV: NBC, RDS, TSN
Series: 1-1
It was a completely different Islanders team that Pittsburgh saw in game two, as the Isles worked hard, put up tons of shots and played with a confidence that was completely missing in game one. The Islanders will be pumped up tonight, playing their first playoff game at home since 2007. Sidney Crosby scored two goals in the last game, his first back after missing 13 with a broken jaw, and has a whopping 77 points in 42 career games against the Isles. James Neal skated for the Penguins briefly yesterday, but isn't expected to play tonight, nor is defenseman Brooks Orpik who has yet to appear in the post-season. The Islanders will take to the ice with a fully healthy lineup. Evgeni Nabokov gets the start for New York, while the Penguins will once again turn to Marc-Andre Fleury. Prediction: 4-3 Pens.
Chicago Blackhawks @ Minnesota Wild (3:00pm ET)
TV: CBC, NBC, RDS
Series: 2-0 Blackhawks
The Wild are going to have to play their best game of the year if they are to have any hope of avoiding a
3-0 series deficit which might be insurmountable. The Hawks showed their skill and depth in game two, scoring three goals in the third period to put the Wild on their heels. Chicago has gotten scoring from all four lines so far in this series, and goaltender Corey Crawford has been outstanding, stopping 52 of 55 shots. The Wild will need to take advantage of the great home crowd in Minnesota, get in hard on the forecheck and try to create some offense to have a chance. Nicklas Backstrom and Jason Pominville missed the first two games of the series for the Wild and are questionable for tonight. For Chicago, Ray Emery and Dave Bolland remain day to day. If Backstrom can't go, Josh Harding will get his third straight start against Crawford. Prediction: 3-1 Hawks.
Montreal Canadiens @ Ottawa Senators (7:00pm ET)
TV: CBC, RDS, NBCSN
Series: 1-1
Montreal fought back hard in game two, playing a clean game and using their speed to kill in a 3-1 victory. Carey Price also rebounded after a poor showing in game one and will need to continue that against a great defensive team in Ottawa that won't allow many goals. The Senators will be looking for some offense, they haven't scored on the power play yet this series, and coach Paul MacLean has shuffled up the lines as a result. In injury news, the Canadiens will of course be without Lars Eller and Alexei Emelin, which Max Pacioretty and Brian Gionta are still day to day. The Senators will ice a full line-up with the exception of Jason Spezza who has been out long-term and Eric Gryba who is serving his suspension. It's Anderson versus Price again between the pipes. Prediction: 2-1 Sens.
Vancouver Canucks @ San Jose Sharks (10:00pm ET)
TV: TSN, RDS, NBCSN, CSN-CA
Series: 2-0 Sharks
The Canucks have their backs up against the wall and will be in tough against a San Jose team that has only lost twice in regulation on home ice all season. Though the Canucks had an outstanding effort in game two, led by Ryan Kesler's two goals, defensive breakdowns in the third period and overtime ultimately cost them the game. Vancouver, after making the Stanley Cup finals in 2011, have now gone down 2-0 in the first round for the second straight year. Patrick Marleau has two goals this series, including the game tying marker in the final minute of game two, and sits second among active players with 54 career playoff goals. San Jose's Scott Gomez, Martin Havlat and Jason Demers all missed game two and are questionable to draw into the line-up tonight. For Vancouver the big question is if Cory Schneider will replace Roberto Luongo in goal. Schneider made the trip to San Jose, but his status is known. Even if he is healthy, it's hard to tell whether he would draw in, as Luongo has made some outstanding saves in this series and kept the Canucks in both games. Prediction: 3-2(OT) Canucks.
It was some scheduling genuis by the NHL on a Sunday, as each game follows the next for what could be twelve consecutive hours of playoff hockey! Thanks for reading everyone, I would love to hear your predictions for the games in the comments section, and please share if you like the content here at WAAP. And don't forget about my new header image contest, you can find more info here.
Earlier today I showed you Sweden's goal of the year, check out this one from Finland which is even better!
No comments:
Post a Comment