This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
Around the Rink
Sunday sees three Game 2 match ups on tap. Tampa Bay and Chicago both squeaked out one-goal wins in the first game of their series, while Anaheim delivered a 6-1 beating to the Flames.
The Minnesota Wild would certainly prefer a tighter game than the 4-3 one they lost in Game 1. Chicago probably would too, but their goaltending remains a question and their offense is running hot right now. Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk hasn't lost consecutive games since he joined Minnesota in January, which is one more reason to expect this to be a long tough series.
The Lightning needed double-overtime and a phenomenal performance from goaltender en Bishop to beat the Habs in Game 1. When your goalie outplays the probably Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL's best goalie, you've got to be happy. Carey Price did his usual routine carrying his offensively challenged Montreal teammates. It's a recipe that has worked all year to date, but Ottawa showed in the first round that if Price is the second best goalie on the ice the Habs can be in trouble.
The Flames look to put their Game 1 debacle against Anaheim in the rear view mirror and will turn to Kari Ramo in net to help them do so. The Ducks area confounding team, but there is no denying their success. They swept a Jets team in the first round that many predicted would knock them off and were tied for the third in the league with 109 points. The Flames are in tough, but have shown repeatedly that you count them out at your peril.
Now, here is what you need to know for Sunday's games.
Projected Goalie Starters (all times Eastern)
For updates on the projected goalies later in the day, check out our Projected Goalies Grid.
Tampa Bay Lightning (Ben Bishop) at Montreal Canadiens (Carey Price), 6:00 PM
Minnesota Wild (Devan Dubnyk) at Chicago Blackhawks (Corey Crawford), 8:30 PM
Calgary Flames (Karri Ramo) at Anaheim Ducks (Frederik Andersen), 10:00 PM
*Confirmed Starters
Injury News For Teams Playing Wednesday
Tampa Bay Lightning
No news
Montreal Canadiens
Michael Bournival, C - Bournival (concussion) skated Thursday morning, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports. (4/30/2015)
Nathan Beaulieu, D - Beaulieu (upper body) will miss at least the first four games of Montreal's second-round playoff series. (4/29/2015)
Minnesota Wild
Justin Fontaine, RW - Fontaine suffered a lower body injury in Friday's Game 1 that will force him to miss Sunday's Game 2 against the Blackhawks, Chad Graff of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. (5/2/2015)
Chicago Blackhawks
Kris Versteeg, RW - Versteeg (lower body) was not at Friday's morning skate ahead of Game 1 against the Wild, ESPN Chicago reports. (5/1/2015)
Calgary Flames
Jiri Hudler, RW - Hudler (undisclosed) was able to participate in the Flames' practice on Saturday, Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Sun reports. (5/2/2015)
Mark Giordano, D - Giordano (biceps) was able to fully participate in the Flames' practice on Saturday. (5/2/2015)
Lance Bouma, C - Bouma (upper body) participated in the Flames' optional practice on Friday, Randy Sportak of the Calgary Sun reports. (5/1/2015)
Raphael Diaz, D - Diaz (lower body) fully participated in the Flames' practice on Saturday. (5/2/2015)
Micheal Ferland, LW - Ferland (undisclosed) did not participate in the Flames' practice on Saturday, Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Sun reports. (5/2/2015)
Anaheim Ducks
John Gibson, G - Gibson was a late scratch for the Ducks for Thursday's Game 1 against the Flames due to the flu, Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times reports. (4/30/2015)
Hot
Tyler Johnson, C – Johnson has taken over the playoff goal scoring lead with seven, including one tally in Game 1. He has scored in every other game so far in the playoffs, which would mean he would not score in Game 2, if that pattern were to hold, but he has carried over his success from a 72-point regular season, and opponents have to key on stopping teammate Steven Stamkos (see below), so keep betting on him throughout the rest of the Lightning's run.
Zach Parise, LW – Parise has a three-game point streak going that has pushed him to second in playoff scoring with nine points. He had two points in the series-clinching game against the Blues and Game 1 against the Blackhawks, which gives him four multi-point games in the playoffs. The Wild would prefer lower scoring affairs than Game 1, but Parise is willing himself to keep the Wild in every game.
Cold
Steven Stamkos, C – Coming off a horrific leg injury last year, Stamkos put up 43 goals to finish second in the NHL during the regular season. So far through eight playoff games, however, he hasn't found the back of the net even once and has just three points. The Lightning could make a deep playoff run, they have good goaltending and a deep lineup, but they will need more production from the captain to do so.
Tomas Plekanec, C – On the heels of a 60-point season, Plekanec has been too easy to contain in the playoffs so far, with just one goal and three points in series with Ottawa. He is the kind of two-way player whose skills defensively and in the face-off circle are incredibly valuable in real life, but most fantasy owners are looking for the guy who scored 26 goals. So are the Habs if they hope to move on.
Recommended Value Play
Nino Niederreiter, LW – Niederreiter started off slowly in the playoffs, not registering a point in the first three games of the series with St. Louis, before kicking into gear to score three times and register four points in the final four games. He had three shots and two hits against Chicago in Game 1 and plays a "heavy" style geared for the playoffs.
