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Stanley Cup Playoffs: NHL announces second round openers




Thursday, April 26

• The Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals will kick off at 7 p.m. ET (NBCSN) from Capital One Center in Washington, D.C.

• Out West, the San Jose Sharks will visit T-Mobile Arena and the Vegas Golden Knights for their opener at 10 p.m. ET (NBCSN).

Friday, April 27

• The top two teams in the NHL will meet in the first game of their best-of-7 at 8 p.m. ET (NBCSN) as the Nashville Predators play host to Patrik Laine and the Winnipeg Jets.

Saturday, April 28

If Boston advances, the Bruins and Lightning will play Game 1 at 3 p.m. ET (NBC) at AMALIE Arena in Tampa.

If Toronto advances, the Maple Leafs will get their Hockey Night in Canada timeslot and visit the Lightning at 8 p.m. ET (NBCSN)

 
No Malkin and no Hagelin for the Pens tomorrow. I'm not real excited about that. Not sure what's going on with Hagelin. Hopefully not a concussion.

 
Boston looked tired early in the 3rd period of game 6.  I don't know what to expect tonight.  They've outplayed the Leafs some nights and either won or lost depending on Fred A. more than anything.  Rask doesn't deserve all the grief he gets either.  I didn't even think he was that terrible the night he gave up 4 and they brought in Khudobin.  Cassidy even had at least one costly lapse of attention/judgment in terms of rolling lines for matchups this series.

McAvoy hasn't had a good series.  The B's first line doesn't have a great +/-.  Nash hasn't exactly been worth the money but I don't know why anybody would have expected him to dominate at this point.  I have to point out that, for all the "bad press" Marchand deserves, he usually admits he was stupid about the stupid stuff he does.  Kadri tried to hip check a player on his knees from behind and argued against his suspension.

 
Bruins avoid the choke by winning tonight.


I suppose you could say that but, when you're a 2-seed fighting off a 3-seed (talking overall for the East besides with these seedings - maybe Washington was tied for points with the Leafs, though) in the FIRST ROUND, I don't know that it has the same kind of feel to it as if you were talking about a 2-seed playing a 7-seed.  Toronto is pretty solid and gave the B's all they could handle.  I just hope they aren't hurting too badly afterward considering it won't get any easier...

 
That last minute goal by Ovechkin to give the Caps the win was remarkable.   The hand-to-eye coordination of those guys is phenomenal.   :thumbs

 
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