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NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoffs Game 1 schedule released
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- NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoffs Game 1 schedule released
NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoffs Game 1 schedule released appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The regular-season of the National Hockey League officially ends on Thursday night. The Stanley Cup Playoffs will begin on Saturday. As teams prepare for massive first-round matchups in the Stanley Cup Playoffs , they now know when they will be playing Game 1.
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The NHL announced on X, formerly Twitter, the dates for each of the Game 1 matchups of the first round.
Saturday, April 18, will open with an afternoon game featuring the Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Ottawa Senators . The playoff triple header continues in the early evening with the Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars in Texas. The triple header ends at 8 p.m. ET with a puck drop between cross-state rivals as the Philadelphia Flyers visit the Pittsburgh Penguins .
Sunday will feature a slate of four games, two from each conference, but times have yet to be determined. In the Eastern Conference, the Montreal Canadiens will visit the Tampa Bay Lightning . Meanwhile, the Buffalo Sabres will host their first playoff game since 2011, as the Boston Bruins come to town.
In the Western Conference, the Utah Mammoth will play its first playoff game as a franchise, visiting the Vegas Golden Knights . The second game on Sunday will feature the Colorado Avalanche , but the opponent is yet to be determined. It will be the Western Conference’s second wild-card team. The second and third-place teams in the Pacific Division will kick off their series on Monday.
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Currently, the Los Angeles Kings are slated to be the second wild-card team. Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks are ahead of the Kings in the division. If the Oilers secure one point on Thursday night, they will host a playoff game on Monday. If they lose in regulation, they could still host a Game 1, with losses from the Ducks and Kings. Either of those teams winning with an Oilers loss in regulation will send the Oilers on the road. If the Oilers lose in regulation and both the Ducks and Kings win, the Oilers will visit the Colorado Avalanche .
A win by the Ducks could get them a home Game 1 or place them in Edmonton. A loss and a Kings win will send them to Colorado. The Kings can only avoid Colorado with a win, plus a loss by the Ducks or an Oilers loss in regulation. They could host Game 1 if both losses happen.
Official times will be finalized in the coming days for each Game 1, with a full Round 1 schedule coming.
