8 ET, Phoenix at Chicago, Game 4 (CNBC)

This series thus far has been overshadowed by the extracurriculars and/or physical play. Andrew Shaw was suspended three games, Raffi Torres is out indefinitely for his hit that has Marian Hossa out for Game 4. One of the sad parts of that is that it's taking away from the exciting hockey.

We've had three games in the series so far and all three have gone to overtime. I don't envy the fans in Phoenix and Chicago you probably don't have enough hair on their head to last through the rest of this seven-game series at this rate.

The reason why is that the Coyotes have been able to get this series pretty much even in front of them to the point that it has become about the last line of defenses and this season that's going to tip the scales in Phoenix's favor with Mike Smith over Corey Crawford. Dave Tippett strikes again.

I'm stating the obvious here on this one but the Blackhawks aren't interested in going back to Phoenix for a potential close-out game. They need to find a way to generate some more offense if they want to pull back even in this series before Game 5. They certainly have the talent to do it.

7:30 ET, Boston at Washington, Game 4 (NBC Sports Network)

Game 1 and Game 2 in Boston were both very low-scoring, somewhat docile affairs. Well they were docile in comparison to what happened in Game 3 when the series started to look like one we've come to expect if the Bruins are in it. It got physical and nasty. In that kind of game, Boston has a decided advantage over the Capitals.

That nastiness in fact put the Caps in a hole for Game 4 as well. With his emotions boiling over at the end of Game 3, Nicklas Backstrom saw his captain Alex Ovechkin and Boston's Rich Peverley jostling and so he came in to help. But throwing a cross-check at a guy's face isn't the best way to do that because now he's suspended.

But this is nothing new. The Caps played half of the season without Backstrom on the ice. They certainly missed him but they know what they need to do when he's out.

Step 1 is to keep their composure. The Bruins are going to try and push a lot of teams around and there is a fine line between taking it lying down and fighting back, the Caps need not get involved in that with Boston, especially in regards to staying out of the penalty box.

7 ET, Florida at New Jersey, Game 4 (NHL Network)

By a lot of forecasters predictions the Panthers have already won more games in this series than they were supposed to. You remember the talk before the series about how the Panthers were the worst playoff team in the history of ever, or something like that. That was mostly all based around their plus/minus mark this season, which was awful.

But this is where I say the Panthers have been identified too singularly with that one stat. At some point it has to be recognized that they are where they are for a reason. Complain about their OT losses all you want to, but it shows they were in almost every game, one break here or there away from a win.

They are getting some of those breaks now. Or they're making their breaks, whichever way you want to look at it. They have actually found some offense, even more surprising because of who they are playing. The Devils don't usually give up much, especially on the penalty kill, but Florida has made its money on the man advantage thus far.

It's been a more competitive and interesting series than a lot of people imagined through three games. Florida's Game 3 comeback from three goals down has made it such. You know the Devils, who have had spurts of absolute domination in this series, will be champing at the bit for Game 4 after letting the last one slip away. The question is which goalie will they face, Jose Theodore or Scott Clemmensen?

10:30 ET, St. Louis at San Jose, Game 4 (NBC Sports Network)

Maybe it just took the Blues a game to get their feet wet in this series. Because since San Jose's Game 1 win in St. Louis, it's been all Blues all the time.

They have been as suffocating as ever on the San Jose offense. Yes, they did give up three goals to the Sharks in Game 3 but two of them came in the waning moments just in time to make the final faceoff slightly more interesting.

All four of the games tonight are what I'd call swing games. In each of them the road team carries a 2-1 series lead into Game 4, win that and they'll have a chance to close out the series on home ice in Game 5. It's critical for each of the teams in the holes. But I think it's most imperative for San Jos. Of the four teams behind right now, I'd give the Sharks the worst shot at overcoming a 3-1 series deficit.

San Jose needs to find a way to get more production from outside four or five guys. St. Louis is too good defensively that they can handle a threat that isn't overly deep and San Jose isn't all that deep.

Daily miscellany

  • Best of Wednesday
  • With the tenor of the postseason being so violent thus far, the NHL is hearings from its business partners. Yikes. (Globe & Mail)
  • If the Sharks make the series 2-2, Ken Hitchcock says it becomes about planes, trains and automobiles as much as hockey. (San Jose Mercury News)
  • Thankfully there was very little in the way of questionable hits to talk about after Wednesday, but this one from Henrik Sedin drew a little bit of attention. Dirty?

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