The Penguins’ second-round playoff series will begin Thursday night in Washington.
Game 1 against the Capitals is scheduled for 8 p.m. at Verizon Center.
Game 2 will be played there at 8 p.m. Saturday before the series shifts to Consol Energy Center Monday for Game 3 and two nights later for Game 4.
Both games here will begin at 8 p.m., as well.
Games 1, 3 and 4 will be televised on NBC Sports Network. Game 2 will be on NBC.
Game 5, if necessary, will be May 7 in Washington May 7.
Game 6 would be May 10 at Consol Energy Center, with Game 7 May 12 at Verizon Center.
The starting times and broadcast outlets for Games 5-7 have not been announced.
Going deep
The headlines and hype in Round 2 likely will focus on the high-profile likes of forwards Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin and Nicklas Backstrom.
Understandably so, because they are among the finest players in the world.
But that doesn’t mean those guys — along with big-time talents such as defenseman Kris Letang and goaltender Braden Holtby — will be the only ones who might have a profound impact on which team advances to the Eastern Conference final.
The Penguins surged down the stretch and eliminated the New York Rangers in five games in Round 1 partly because of contributions from the lower part of their depth chart. Similarly, the Capitals posted the NHL’s finest regular-season record not only because of what their stars did, but because everyone on the roster chipped in.
“They’ve added guys like [T.J.] Oshie and [Justin] Williams, and [Evgeny] Kuznetsov has become a really dangerous player,” Penguins center Matt Cullen said Tuesday. “And [Marcus] Johansson.
“They have a lot of depth now. They’re not just Backstrom and Ovechkin. They have quite a few guys who can hurt you. They’re a lot like us.”
Easy does it
Letang and winger Conor Sheary sat out of the Penguins’ practice Tuesday in Cranberry, the team’s first full workout since winning Game 5 Saturday against the New York Rangers — but coach Mike Sullivan said they simply were given “maintenance days.”
Sullivan added he had “no concerns” that either might be unavailable for Game 1 in Washington.
Letang had skated Monday in an optional workout in which six other players participated.
Blackhawks-Blues a winner
Game 7 of a Western Conference first-round series between Chicago and St. Louis, in which the host Blues beat the Blackhawks, 3-2, to end their bid to become repeat champions, captivated fans across North America. Including quite a few in the Penguins locker room.
“It was unbelievable,” Crosby said.
Defenseman Ian Cole praised the Blackhawks, who were seeking their fourth Stanley Cup in seven years, as “professional winners,” but they couldn’t prevent St. Louis from securing a spot in Round 2 opposite Dallas.
“It was awesome,” center Nick Bonino said. “An intense Game 7. That’s the way it should be. … It was fun to watch. Good for hockey.”
Pouliot learning a lot
Defenseman Derrick Pouliot was a healthy scratch for all five games in Round 1, and there’s no guarantee he will get into a game against Washington, either.
Nonetheless, Sullivan said he believes Pouliot is benefiting from being in the NHL at this time of year, and doesn’t think he would be better off playing for the Penguins’ American Hockey League affiliate in the Calder Cup playoffs.
“I think it’s a great experience for Derrick,” he said. “He’s been around this team for a while now, he’s played in a fair amount of games.
“He’s been in the press box for a handful of games down the stretch, but I think it’s still a great learning experience for him. He’s a good young player, and we know he’s going to get better.”
Dave Molinari: Dmolinari@Post-Gazette.com and Twitter @MolinariPG.
First Published: April 26, 2016, 9:16 p.m.
Updated: April 27, 2016, 3:57 a.m.
