Afternoon Player Notes in the Playoffs (Apr 21)

The first of two elimination games in one of the early slots tonight, as the Tampa Bay Lightning can move on to the Atlantic Division Finals with a win over the Detroit Red Wings at home. The Lightning took the first two games in their own building and have been playing with a definite speed advantage in this series.

Detroit will need something to happen from their top two veterans in Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, as they share one goal between the two of them in this series.  If anyone was to make some noise tonight, it will have to be them.

Ben Bishop is expected to keep his spot in the Tampa crease tonight and the belief is that Petr Mrazek will get another go in the Detroit net at the other end.

The Penguins found a way to scratch out a win on Broadway in Game 3 of this series, on the shoulders of rookie goalie Matt Murray and tonight, in Game 4, they have the chance of taking a 3-1 series lead back home to the Igloo, if they can work that same kind of magic again in hostile territory, against an agitated Rangers team.

The Rangers, who are the underdogs in this series, are the healthiest of the two teams, only without defenseman Dan Girardi, who is still day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, at least has their number one goalie, Henrik Lundqvist, who will need to be at the top of his game against a high-powered offense tonight.

Murray versus Lundqvist again tonight, who will come out on top?

It has been a road team series between the Anaheim Ducks and the Nashville Predators and tonight's Game 4 will the an opportunity for the Ducks to even up the series with another win in Nashville.  The Ducks are coming off a 3-0 shutout in Game 3, so there must be a certain comfort level about playing away from home in this series.

The Ducks have no plans to change up their lineup, nor should they, and I would imagine that the Predators are not going to be one of those teams that changes their goalie at the first sign of turbulence.  Expect Frederik Andersen against Pekka Rinne again tonight.

The second elimination game ends up being the late game from St. Louis, as the Blues will host the Blackhawks in Game 5, trying to move into the Central Division Finals.  We know that the Blackhawks are going to be shorthanded, playing without Andrew Shaw, due to his suspension, but it doesn't exactly make this game into a cake walk for the Blues, who still have plenty of weapons and options to consider, when facing this high-powered Chicago team.

These two teams split the series in St. Louis, so it isn't like the Blues were perfect at home and are hanging that in front of a desperate Chicago team.  I don't think there will be any surprise, whichever direction it decides to go in.

The expectation is that it will be Corey Crawford against Brian Elliott again tonight... I mean, why not?