Montreal’s Bell Centre was rocking at the final buzzer on Wednesday night, as the Canadiens ended a three-year playoff drought and finalized the bracket for this season’s playoffs.
The postseason will begin Saturday in Winnipeg, with Game 1 between the St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets, the NHL announced.
The opening round is filled with intriguing matchups. The Eastern Conference will feature the first “Battle of Ontario” in 21 years, with the Atlantic Division champion Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Ottawa Senators. In another regional rivalry, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers face off for the second year in a row, while the Carolina Hurricanes will host the New Jersey Devils for Game 1 on Sunday. The last-in Canadiens will face the Washington Capitals, the top team in the East this season, starting on Monday.
The Western Conference is headlined by a heavyweight fight between the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars. The Stars came out on top of that matchup in the second round last season, and now have Mikko Rantanen on their side.
The Presidents’ Trophy-winning Jets will host the red-hot Blues — who won 19 of their final 25 games — for Game 1 on Saturday. After winning their fourth Pacific Division in eight years, the Vegas Golden Knights will host the Minnesota Wild for Game 1 on Sunday, while the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings face off in the first round for the fourth consecutive season.
Here’s the full schedule for all eight series:
Eastern Conference
Washington Capitals vs. Montreal Canadiens Game 1: Canadiens at Capitals, Monday, April 21, 7 p.m. ET; ESPN, Sportsnet Game 2: Canadiens at Capitals, Wednesday, April 23, 7 p.m. ET; ESPN, Sportsnet, CBC Game 3: Capitals at Canadiens, Friday, April 25, 7 p.m. ET; TNT/Max, Sportsnet, CBC Game 4: Capitals at Canadiens, Sunday, April 27, 6:30 p.m. ET; TBS/Max, Sportsnet, CBC *Game 5: Canadiens at Capitals, Wednesday, April 30, TBD *Game 6: Capitals at Canadiens, Friday, May 2, TBD
*Game 7: Canadiens at Capitals, Sunday, May 4, TBD
Carolina Hurricanes vs. New Jersey Devils Game 1: Devils at Hurricanes, Sunday, April 20, 3 p.m. ET; ESPN, Sportsnet Game 2: Devils at Hurricanes, Tuesday, April 22, 6 p.m. ET; ESPN, Sportsnet360 Game 3: Hurricanes at Devils, Friday, April 25, 8 p.m. ET; TBS/Max, Sportsnet360 Game 4: Hurricanes at Devils, Sunday, April 27, 3:30 p.m. ET; TBS/Max, Sportsnet *Game 5: Devils at Hurricanes, Tuesday, April 29, TBD *Game 6: Hurricanes at Devils, Friday, May 2, TBD
*Game 7: Devils at Hurricanes, Sunday, May 4, TBD
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Ottawa Senators Game 1: Senators at Maple Leafs, Sunday, April 20, 7 p.m. ET; ESPN2, Sportsnet, CBC Game 2: Senators at Maple Leafs, Tuesday, April 22, 7:30 p.m. ET; ESPN2, Sportsnet, CBC Game 3: Maple Leafs at Senators, Thursday, April 24, 7 p.m. ET; ESPN2, Sportsnet, CBC Game 4: Maple Leafs at Senators, Saturday, April 26, 7 p.m. ET; TBS/Max, Sportsnet, CBC *Game 5: Senators at Maple Leafs, Tuesday, April 29, TBD *Game 6: Maple Leafs at Senators, Thursday, May 1, TBD
*Game 7: Senators at Maple Leafs, Saturday, May 3, TBD
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers Game 1: Panthers at Lightning, Tuesday, April 22, 8:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, Sportsnet360 Game 2: Panthers at Lightning, Thursday, April 24, 6:30 p.m. ET; TBS/Max, Sportsnet360 Game 3: Lightning at Panthers, Saturday, April 26, 1 p.m. ET; TBS/Max, Spotsnet Game 4: Lightning at Panthers, Monday, April 28, TBD *Game 5: Panthers at Lightning, Wednesday, April 30, TBD *Game 6: Lightning at Panthers, Friday, May 2, TBD
*Game 7: Panthers at Lightning, Sunday, May 4, TBD
Western Conference
Winnipeg Jets vs. St. Louis Blues Game 1: Blues at Jets, Saturday, April 19, 6 p.m. ET; TNT/Max, Sportsnet, CBC Game 2: Blues at Jets, Monday, April 21, 7:30 p.m. ET; ESPN2, CBC Game 3: Jets at Blues, Thursday, April 24, 9:30 p.m. ET; ESPN2, Sportsnet, CBC Game 4: Jets at Blues, Sunday, April 27, 1 p.m. ET; TBS/Max, Sportsnet, CBC *Game 5: Blues at Jets, Wednesday, April 30, TBD *Game 6: Jets at Blues, Friday, May 2, TBD
*Game 7: Blues at Jets, Sunday, May 4, TBD
Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche Game 1: Avalanche at Stars, Saturday, April 19, 8:30 p.m. ET; TNT/Max, Sportsnet Game 2: Avalanche at Stars, Monday, April 21, 8:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, Sportsnet360 Game 3: Stars at Avalanche, Wednesday, April 23, 9:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, Sportsnet360 Game 4: Stars at Avalanche, Saturday, April 26, 9:30 p.m. ET; TBS/Max, Sportsnet *Game 5: Avalanche at Stars, Monday, April 28, TBD *Game 6: Stars at Avalanche, Thursday, May 1, TBD
*Game 7: Avalanche at Stars, Saturday, May 3, TBD
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Minnesota Wild Game 1: Wild at Golden Knights, Sunday, April 20, 10 p.m. ET; ESPN, Sportsnet Game 2: Wild at Golden Knights, Tuesday, April 22, 11 p.m. ET; ESPN, Sportsnet Game 3: Golden Knights at Wild, Thursday, April 24, 9 p.m. ET; TBS/Max, Sportsnet360 Game 4: Golden Knights at Wild, Saturday, April 26, 4 p.m. ET; TBS/Max, Sportsnet *Game 5: Wild at Golden Knights, Tuesday, April 29, TBD *Game 6: Golden Knights at Wild, Thursday, May 1, TBD
*Game 7: Wild at Golden Knights, Saturday, May 3, TBD
Los Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers Game 1: Oilers at Kings, Monday, April 21, 10 p.m. ET; ESPN2, Sportsnet Game 2: Oilers at Kings, Wednesday, April 23, 10 p.m. ET; TBS/Max, Sportsnet, CBC Game 3: Kings at Oilers, Friday, April 25, 10 p.m. ET; TNT/Max, Sportsnet, CBC Game 4: Kings at Oilers, Sunday, April 27, 9:30 p.m. ET; TBS/Max, Sportsnet, CBC *Game 5: Oilers at Kings, Tuesday, April 29, TBD *Game 6: Kings at Oilers, Thursday, May 1, TBD
*Game 7: Oilers at Kings, Saturday, May 3, TBD
*if necessary
(Photo of Ottawa’s Brady Tkachuk and Toronto’s William Nylander: Claus Andersen / Getty Images)
