Will the Tampa Bay Lightning keep their tripleheader bid or will the Toronto Maple Leafs win a playoff series for the first time since 2004?
Will the Carolina Hurricanes advance with a home win or will the Boston Bruins become the first team in this series to earn a road win?
Does Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid have another big game in him to reach the second round for the second time in his career or does Los Angeles Kings forward Dustin Brown have a chance to extend his career?
These questions will be decided as three first-round series go to Game 7 on Saturday.
USA TODAY Sports NHL pundits Jimmy Hascup, Jace Evans weigh in with their predictions:
Boston Bruins at Carolina Hurricanes
4:30 p.m. ET Saturday, ET
Hascup: Bruins 3, Hurricanes 2. Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman will have to prove that the Game 6 win in a do-or-die situation was no fluke, but secondary scoring matters when the Hurricanes can contend against them, too. Game 6 was a good sign as Erik Haula and Curtis Lazar each scored their first of the playoffs, while Charlie Coyle got his second.
Brehm: Hurricanes 4, Bruins 2. I said in my series prediction that the Hurricanes would win in seven because coach Rod Brind’Amour would have ice at home in the deciding game. The series has developed that way, so I’ll stick with Carolina.
Evans: Hurricanes 5, Bruins 3. Home ice has made the difference in this series and Carolina has it for Game 7.
Tampa Bay Lightning at Toronto Maple Leafs
7 p.m. ET Saturday, TNT
Hascup: Lightning 4, Maple Leaves 2. The Lightning have too much playoff experience, so the pressure of a Game 7 on the road won’t be too much … and until the two-time defending champions are eliminated, they’re tough to face. The Maple Leafs, on the other hand … well, they haven’t gotten past the first round since the 2003-04 playoffs, and while they’ve made it to the postseason six straight seasons, they’ve lost three Game 7s in that span. .
Brehm: Lightning 5, Maple Leaves 3. The Maple Leafs have lost eight consecutive potential deciding games since 2018. That will be nine. The Lightning dug deep to win Game 6 and have the championship pedigree to do it again in Toronto.
Evans: Lightning 3, Maple Leafs 1. No group will be under more pressure to win on Saturday night than the Maple Leafs. They’ve been by far the best team in this series, but this group has burned me too many times to believe this winner-takes-all game will be any different.
Los Angeles Kings at Edmonton Oilers
10 p.m. ET, Saturday, ESPN
Hascup: Kings 4, Oilers 3. I realize it’s not wise to pick against the team that has Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and the Oilers have outscored Los Angeles in the series overall. But I picked the Kings in seven and I’m sticking with that…plus, the Oilers are trying to win a Stanley Cup with Mike Smith in the net.
Brehm: Greasers 4, Kings 3. I also have questions about Mike Smith at the net, but Connor McDavid can up his game once again and get past the Kings.
Evans: Oilers 4, Kings 2. LA has put up a brave fight but Edmonton has, for my money, the best player in the world. Connor McDavid was a beast in Game 6 and I think he’s up to the task again to drag his flawed team into the second round.
Reference-www.usatoday.com