Boston Bruins @ New York Rangers (7:00pm ET)
TV: TSN, RDS, CNBC
Series: 3-0 Bruins
The big story in this one may not be that the Bruins have the opportunity to sweep the Rangers and become the first team to punch their ticket to the conference finals, but that New York forward Brad Richards will be a healthy scratch tonight. The 2004 Conn Smythe trophy winner, who makes $6.67 million per year, has only one goal and is a minus three so far this post-season. The Rangers are going to need a full sixty minute effort from everyone on the roster, especially goalie Henrik Lundqvist, if they are to have any hope of the reverse sweep. Ironically, it was these same Bruins that allowed a 3-0 series lead to slip away from them in 2010, but they don't seem likely to do so this time. The team effort on defense and depth scoring have just been too much for the Rangers to match. Aside from the scratch to Richards, there will be no lineup changes for either side. Tuukka Rask gets the start in net for Boston opposite Lundqvist.
Prediciton: 2-1 Rangers.
Chicago Blackhawks @ Detroit Red Wings (8:00pm ET)
TV: CBC, RDS2, NBCSN
Series: 2-1 Red Wings
The Blackhawks are beginning to learn that defeating a veteran team like Detroit in these playoffs won't come as easily as it did for them against upstart Minnesota in the first round. In fact, with the risk of going down three games to one tonight, this may be the first time all season that Chicago has faced any real adversity. The key for the Blackhawks will be to find a way to get pucks behind Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard, who has allowed only two goals in the last two games. They'll need more offense from players such as Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, who only have two goals combined this post-season (both of which are Kane's). The Wings will just want to keep doing what they are doing, stopping the Chicago attack in the neutral zone and taking advantage of scoring opportunities when they present themselves. There's no line-up changes for either side tonight, and Corey Crawford will once again get the start versus Howard.
Prediction: 4-3 Hawks.
San Jose Sharks @ Los Angeles Kings (10:30pm ET)
TV: TSN, RDS, NBCSN
Series 2-2
So far it's been the battle of home ice advantage between the Sharks and the Kings, as both teams have won both their games on home ice. San Jose's Logan Couture will have something to say about that tonight, as the young forward has scored the game winning goal in consecutive games and now has 11 points in eight post-season games. The Kings will have to find a way to beat Shark's goalie Antti Niemi, who has allowed only four even strength goals against this series and sports a .930 save percentage in these playoffs. In the other end, Jonathan Quick has been even better, as the reigning Conn Smythe winner has a 1.64 goals against average and a .944 save percentage. If the Kings can find just a little bit of their scoring touch, particularly from star forward Anze Kopitar (who only has one goal through ten games), the goaltending should be enough to get them the win.
Prediction: 3-2 (OT) Kings.
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