NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Start Today. Full Schedule; How to Watch, Stream
Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images The NHL Stanley Cup playoffs begin this afternoon with a nice showdown in the Eastern Conference between Ottawa Senators and Carolina Hurricanes at 3 on ESPN. There are three opening games here on Opening Day of the postseason with the highly-anticipated Dallas/Minnesota series getting going with Philadelphia at Pittsburgh as the nightcap. Four more series get going on Sunday with the final one — and perhaps, the most lopsided matchup — starting Monday night when the seemingly just-happy-to-be-here Ducks travel to Edmonton for their opener.
All games will be widely available either through traditional cable/satellite television or through streaming options. ESPN/ABC and TNT/TBS/Tru have the first round games with ESPN getting the opening day. Odds are one of the three games is going to overtime, so pay attention; one game may be starting on a different channel while the previous one wraps up on ESPN.
Games that are being broadcast on ESPN can be accessed on the ESPN+ app if you subscribe; for TNT games, those will be streamed on HBO Max. Here is the complete first-round schedule — and how to watch them. Enjoy the march to Lord Stanley’s Cup!
EASTERN CONFERENCE Boston Bruins (WC1) vs. Buffalo Sabres (A1) — Game 1: at Buffalo, 7:30 Sunday (ESPN); Game 2: at Buffalo, 7:30 Tuesday (ESPN); Game 3: at Boston, 7 Thursday (TNT, truTV); Game 4: at Boston, 2 April 26 (TNT, truTV); *Game 5: at Buffalo, April 28 TBD; *Game 6: at Boston, May 1 TBD; *Game 7: at Buffalo, May 3 TBD Montreal Canadiens (A3) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (A2) — Game 1: at Tampa Bay, 5:45 Sunday (TNT, truTV); Game 2: at Tampa Bay, 7 Tuesday (ESPN2); Game 3: at Montreal, 7 Friday (TNT, truTV); Game 4: at Montreal, 7 April 26 (ESPN); *Game 5: at Tampa Bay, April 29 TBD; *Game 6: at Montreal, May 1 TBD; *Game 7: Montreal at Tampa Bay, May 3 TBD Ottawa Senators (WC2) vs.
Carolina Hurricanes (M1) — Game 1: at Carolina, 3 Saturday (ESPN); Game 2: at Carolina, 7:30 Monday (ESPN2); Game 3: at Ottawa, 7:30 Thursday (TBS); Game 4: at Ottawa, 3 April 25 (TBS, truTV); *Game 5: at Carolina, April 27 TBD; *Game 6: at Ottawa, April 30 TBD; *Game 7: at Carolina, May 2 TBD Philadelphia Flyers (M3) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (M2) — Game 1: at Pittsburgh, 8 Saturday (ESPN); Game 2: at Pittsburgh, 7 Monday (ESPN); Game 3: at Philadelphia, 7 Wednesday (TNT, truTV); Game 4: at Philadelphia, 8 April 25 (TBS, truTV); *Game 5: at Pittsburgh, April 27 TBD; *Game 6: at Philadelphia, April 29 TBD; *Game 7: at Pittsburgh, May 2 TBD WESTERN CONFERENCE Los Angeles Kings (WC2) vs. Colorado Avalanche (C1) — Game 1: at Colorado, 3 Sunday (TNT, truTV); Game 2: at Colorado, 10 Tuesday (ESPN); Game 3: at Los Angeles, 10 Thursday (TNT, truTV); Game 4: at Los Angeles, 4:30 April 26 (TNT, truTV); *Game 5: at Colorado, April 29 TBD; *Game 6: at Los Angeles, May 1 TBD; *Game 7: at Colorado, May 3 TBD Minnesota Wild (C3) vs.