Montreal Canadiens centre Jake Evans (71) tries to tip the puck past Ottawa Senators goaltender Leevi Merilainen (1) as he is pressured by Senators defenceman Artem Zub (2) during first period NHL action, in Ottawa, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
NHL announces Game 1 start dates for all playoff matchups
Apr 16, 2026 | 10:16 AM
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NEW YORK — The NHL has unveiled when playoff-bound teams will begin their quests for the Stanley Cup.
The league released start dates and times for Game 1 of each first-round series on Thursday.
The playoffs begin Saturday with the Ottawa Senators facing the Hurricanes in Carolina (3 p.m. ET), followed by the Dallas Stars hosting the Minnesota Wild (5:30 p.m.) and the Philadelphia Flyers visiting the Pittsburgh Penguins (8 p.m.).
On Sunday, the Colorado Avalanche will entertain the Los Angeles Kings (3 p.m.), who lost 3-1 to the Calgary Flames on Thursday night and finished their regular season in the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot.
