The Nashville Predators and Anaheim Ducks have a chance to punch their respective tickets to the Western Conference Final as the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs continue Sunday. The St. Louis Blues and Edmonton Oilers are each seeking to force Game 7.Both series in the West have been remarkably close throughout. Of the 10 combined games, seven have been decided by a single goal and only one was decided by more than two goals. Expect more of the same drama-filled hockey with two teams' championship dreams hanging in the balance.Let's check out all of the important details for Sunday's NHL postseason slate. That's followed by a preview and prediction for each contest.Sunday's Viewing InformationSt. Louis Blues at Nashville Predators (NSH leads 3-2)The Blues offense has been stuck in neutral for most of the past three games. They've scored just four goals during that stretch after finding the net six times in the first two contests. They still managed to stave off elimination Friday night thanks to a strong defensive effort in a 2-1 win.Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted head coach Mike Yeo said afterward he remained "confident" in his team despite falling into a 3-1 series hole. He understands pulling out a victory on the road to keep the series alive will be tougher, though."We know that we're going to have to be even better next game, he said. "But our guys, we asked them to win one game, and so nothing changes for us. It's the same mentality. We lost home ice along the way here, so we have to find a way to win a game in their building, and we know it won't be an easy challenge for us, but we'll be up for it."Meanwhile, Robby Stanley of NHL.com didn't think the Preds showcased enough energy in Game 5 to offset a desperate Blues squad:Nashville is going to need its forwards to step up to close out this series. Three of the team's top six playoff scorers are defensemen, including leading point-getter Ryan Ellis. While that's a nice trend, it's likely unsustainable over the course of an entire postseason.The likes of Filip Forsberg and Ryan Johansen need to lead the charge, while James Neal and Viktor Arvidsson must step up in Game 6.Prediction: 3-2 PredatorsAnaheim Ducks at Edmonton Oilers (ANA leads 3-2)The Ducks' stunning victory in Game 5 was either one of the greatest comebacks in NHL playoff history or a farce that should have never happened, depending on where your fandom lies. Either way, they scored three goals in the final four minutes to force overtime before winning in double OT.Most controversial was Rickard Rakell'stying goal with 15 seconds left, which came with Ryan Kesler draped on Edmonton netminder Cam Talbot after being pushed into the crease. The league deemed there was no goaltender interference after review, much to the Oilers' dismay.Paul Almeida of TSN1260 highlighted the mindset of many Edmonton fans after Friday's game:The question is how an inexperienced Oilers group will respond to the setback against a battle-tested Ducks squad that knows the up-and-down nature of playoff hockey. It's a situation where getting to play at home could have a tangible effect for Connor McDavid and Co.The 20-year-old future face of the NHL made a bold declaration after the Game 5 loss, per Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun:"There's not much that can really be said right now. It sucks. But we'll be back here Wednesday."Bet against him at your own risk.Prediction: 4-3 Oilers
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