The NHL playoffs tonight are hosted by teams deep in the south as the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Nashville Predators host game three of their series. The Lightning return home with a 2-0 lead as they host the Washington Capitals tonight. Note, the start for this game will be 6:30 p.m. for some reason. The Nashville Predators didn't return home with an advantage against the Vancouver Canucks, but they did earn the split in Vancouver. Including the San Jose Sharks, the southern teams are 5-1 so far in round two against their northern opponents.

Round two may not have been as exciting as round one, but the overtime theme has continued. With each series having finished two games, there has been one overtime game in each series so far. The Western Conference has averaged 2.5 goals/game so far, while the Eastern Conference has average 6.5 goals/game.

Meanwhile, the Binghamton Senators will attempt to close out their second round series and advance to the Eastern Conference final with a win tonight. The Senators lead 3-1 against the Portland Pirates. According to Joy Lindsay, Jared Cowen is on his way to Binghamton after he was eliminated in the WHL playoffs last night. He will not play tonight, but presumably would play in the next round (or game six).

Tonight's schedule

1) Washington Capitals at 5) Tampa Bay Lightning (6:30 p.m. on TSN, Lightning leads 2-0)

1) Vancouver Canucks at 5) Nashville Predators (9:00 p.m. on CBC, series tied 1-1)

1) Portland Pirates at 3) Binghamton Senators (7:00 p.m. on Team 1200, Senators lead 3-1)