The Washington Capitals may have won the Presidents' Trophy after having the best regular-season record for the second year in a row, but they are left grasping for their playoff lives as they prepare for Game 5 of their conference semifinal series with the Pittsburgh Penguins Saturday night.The Penguins have a 3-1 lead in the series, and they will knock out the Capitals if they can secure one more win in the next three games.Pittsburgh got the first win in the series by a home team when they earned a 3-2 victory in Game 4 of the series Wednesday night. The Pens were able to pull off the win without Sidney Crosby, who suffered a concussion in Game 3 after colliding with Washington's Matt Niskanen.Crosby resumed skating Thursday, but that does not mean he will be able to return to the lineup for the fifth game or any time in the foreseeable future, according to head coach Mike Sullivan."I'm not going to elaborate on the process he's going through,"Sullivan said, per Sam Werner of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "We really rely on our medical staff in that regard. These guys advise us, and they're very good at what they do. He is in the process right now and will continue to be."The Penguins are favored to win the Stanley Cup at odds of 23-10, according to OddsShark. The Nashville Predators, who have a 3-1 lead in their series with the St. Louis Blues, are the second choice at 33-10.The Edmonton Oilers follow at 11-2, while the Anaheim Ducks are 7-1. Those two teams are tied in their playoff series at 2-2.The Ottawa Senators are 19-2, while the New York Rangers are 11-1. The Sens and Rangers are tied at two games each following New York's 4-1 win at Madison Square Garden Thursday night. While road teams have been winning regularly during the postseason, the home team has all four games in this series.The Capitals are 45-4 to win the Stanley Cup, while the Blues are the outsider at 30-1.The Predators will move on to the Western Conference Final if they win in St. Louis Friday night.Nashville is one of the hottest teams in the postseason, sweeping the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round and winning three of the first four games against the Blues.The Predators have been playing with speed and energy throughout the playoffs, and they have been getting tremendous production from their defensemen.Ryan Ellis has scored four goals in the postseason, while Roman Josi has added three goals. P.K. Subban has also been a big contributor, with a goal and five assists.In addition to the defensemen, centers Ryan Johansen and Filip Forsberg have scored seven points apiece, and they are both capable of leading head coach Peter Laviolette's team to the next round.PredictionsThe Penguins have the Capitals on the verge of getting knocked out in the playoffs again. While Washington will survive in Game 5 at home, the defending Stanley Cup champions will gain a victory in the series in Game 6.The other Eastern Conference series, between the Senators and Rangers, seems destined to go the distance. Both teams have won their home games in the series to this point.The Rangers turned things around at Madison Square Garden, where they struggled at the end of the regular season and in the early part of the playoffs. The Senators have played with passion and energy, but New York has slowed them down in the past two games.Look for the Rangers to end the home dominance in this series in Game 7.The Predators are in the same position as the Penguins, and they appear to be the sharper and more opportunistic team. While the Blues may be able to stay alive in Game 5 at home, the Predators will close them out in Game 6.The Oilers had an excellent chance to seize control of their series with the Ducks after winning the first two games in Anaheim, but the Ducks returned the favor in Edmonton. While Oilers captain Connor McDavid has explosive speed and can dominate, the experienced Ducks should survive and advance.
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