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Playoffs Tonight: Sharks aim to sweep Canucks

Antti Niemi, Joe Thornton

SAN JOSE, CA - MAY 05: Goaltender Antti Niemi #31 and Joe Thornton #19 of the San Jose Sharks skate out onto the ice before Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the Vancouver Canucks during the 2013 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at HP Pavilion on May 5, 2013 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

This should be an eventful night. We got two series that have been great clashes at 7:00 p.m. ET and we’ll end the night with the first match of the playoffs that’s a must-win for one of the teams.

Before we go into detail about the coming attractions, keep in mind that you can watch all these games online in addition to the channels listed below:

Game 4: New York Islanders host Pittsburgh Penguins (7:00 p.m. ET, NBCSN)
Penguins lead series 2-1

The New York Islanders have shown over the last two games that they’re capable of matching the Penguins goal-for-goal. That’s impressive considering they’re a young, eighth seed team with several core players that had no postseason experience going into this series.

They fell short in Game 3, but at least they kept things interesting.

“If you’re satisfied with just being able to compete, that’s a recipe for losing,” Islanders forward Josh Bailey told Newsday. “We’re not here to try and hang with them and go home having put up a good fight. We’re here to win.”

If the Islanders want something more than a moral victory, they’ll need to play a very disciplined game. Thus far, they’ve been unable to contain the Penguins when Pittsburgh has the man advantage and it’s been the difference in this series.

Game 4: Ottawa Senators host Montreal Canadiens (7:00 p.m. ET, CNBC)
Senators lead series 2-1

These two teams combined for 210 penalty minutes in the third period of Ottawa’s 6-1 victory on Sunday. There were eight game misconducts, a questionable elbowing, more postgame verbal sparring between the coaches, but no suspensions were handed out.

In other words, almost all of the same players will be on hand for what’s likely to be another heated and gritty game tonight. On top of that Ottawa defenseman Eric Gryba is likely to play after serving his two-game suspension for his hit that hospitalized Montreal forward Lars Eller.

How the Canadiens will react to Gryba given everything that’s happened since is something Senators coach Paul MacLean “will be interested to see.”

Of course, as physical as this game might be, Montreal obviously needs a win far more than they need to make a statement.

Game 4: Minnesota Wild host Chicago Blackhawks
Blackhawks lead series 2-1

Minnesota Wild Jason Zucker had just four career NHL goals going into the playoffs. On Sunday, he came up big, scoring the game-winning goal in overtime to put the Wild back in this series.

Prior to that contest, Wild coach Mike Yeo talked about his team’s need to get “desperate” and the need to hate the Blackhawks. After suffering their first loss of the postseason, Blackhawks bench boss Joel Quenneville would like to see the same from his club.

“We want to make sure we have more urgency to our game, more directness, and the passion that comes with playoff hockey,” Quenneville told CSN Chicago. “I’d like to see a very intense team. You watch other playoff series, you can see whether it’s the animosity, the hatred, the battles, that’s playoff hockey. That’s the level we have to get to and go from there.”

We’ll see which team is able to play with more urgency tonight.

Game 4: San Jose Sharks host Vancouver Canucks
Sharks lead series 3-0

After coming just one game short of the Stanley Cup in 2011, the Canucks are on the brink of being eliminated in the first round for the second straight year.

It will be interesting to see which goaltender the Vancouver Canucks go with in this contest. Cory Schneider was injured going into this series, so they went with Roberto Luongo, who held his own despite losing the first two games. Schneider was healthy for Game 3, so the Canucks had him start over Luongo, but Schneider ended up getting yanked after allowing five goals.

To pour salt in the wound, Sharks captain Joe Thornton said that they felt “lucky not to play against Lou.”

Of course, who the Canucks go with between the pipes will be moot if the rest of the team doesn’t step up. They’ve scored just four goals in three games.