NHL Playoffs: What time, channel is Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Game 7? (5/26/16)

Tampa Bay Lightning vs Pittsburgh Penguins. 2016 NHL Playoffs. ECF. Game 7. 05.26.2016. (HD)

The Tampa Bay Lightning and the Pittsburgh Penguins meet in a deciding Game 7 of the NHL Eastern Conference Finalson Thursday, May 26, 2016, at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh.

The winner advances to the Stanley Cup Finals against the winner of the Western Conference Finals, the San Jose Sharks.

Here"s what you need to know:

Who:Tampa Bay Lightning at Pittsburgh Penguins

What: Game 7, Eastern Conference Finals (best of seven)

Where: Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh

When: Thursday, May 26, 2016

Start: 8 p.m. Eastern

TV: NBC Sports Network

Livestream:NBC Sports Live Extra

Line: Penguins -1.5

DeBoer leads Sharks into Stanley Cup Finals

With all that"s on the line, Sidney Crosby is in no mood to get caught up in his own narrative.

Forget that Crosby has the game-winning goal in each of Pittsburgh"s victories in its entertaining back-and-forth with the resilient Lightning. Forget that he hasn"t been on the winning side of a post-series handshake line this deep into the playoffs in seven years -- when he hoisted thePenguins" third Stanley Cup.

Yes, he"s playing well. Yes, his dazzling, imminently GIF-able sprint through the Tampa Bay zone late in the second period of Game 6 added another signature moment to a career full of them.

But depth has carried thePenguinsthis far. Crosby insists Game 7 will be about the team, not him.

"You give yourself the best chance of winning by keeping it simple and not putting too much emphasis on kind of the story line around it," Crosby said.

Even if it"s easy to get lost in those story lines. The Lightning are on the verge of a second straight berth in the final despite playing the entire postseason without captain Steven Stamkos and losing Vezina Trophy finalist Ben Bishop in the first period of the conference finals when he twisted his left leg.

Tampa Bay has stuck around, ceding the ice to thePenguinsfor significant stretches but using their speed to counterattack brilliantly while relying on 21-year-old goaltender Andrei Vasilevski. The Lightning are hardly intimidated by having to go on the road in a series decider. They did it a year ago in the Eastern final against New York, beating the Rangers 2-0 in Madison Square Garden.

Series at a glance

Friday, May 13: Tampa Bay 3, Pittsburgh 1

Monday, May 16: Pittsburgh 3, Tampa Bay 2, OT

Wednesday, May 18: Pittsburgh 4, Tampa Bay 2

Friday, May 20: Tampa Bay 4, Pittsburgh 3

Sunday, May 22: Tampa Bay 4, Pittsburgh 3, OT

Tuesday, May 24: Pittsburgh 5, Tampa Bay 2

Thursday, May 26:Pittsburgh, 8 p.m.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Randy Miller may be reached atrmiller@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@RandyJMiller.FindNJ.com on Facebook.

Source: http://www.nj.com/rangers/index.ssf/2016/05/nhl_playoffs_what_time_channel_is_tampa_bay_lightn.html