NHL Playoffs 2018: Schedule, How To Watch & Everything Else You Need To Know

Drop the puck! The 2018 NHL playoffs are just around the corner. As 16 teams fight for the Stanley Cup, find out who’s playing, how to watch, and all the rest need-to-know info.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs begin on April 11. With the 2018 NHL season wrapped up, the best of the best will go skate-to-skate for a shot at immortality. 16 NHL teams all want to see their names inscribed on the Stanley Cup, but only one squad will raise the trophy in victory. Settle in. Spring may be half-over, but there’s plenty of hockey left, and it all starts tomorrow.

NBC has all the streams. For those with television and traditional cable set-ups, the games will air on NBC, NBC Sports Network, CNBC, USA and the NHL Network. For those who are on the go or have cut the cord, the NBC Sports website (for USA fans) will have a stream for every game, according to NESN. A television subscription info will be needed, FYI.

Here are your first round matches: In the Western Conference, the Nashville Predators will battle the Colorado Avalanche, who came from last place in the NHL last year to make the playoffs for the first time since 2014. The Winnipeg Jets will challenge the Minnesota Wild, while the newly minted Las Vegas Golden Knights will play the Los Angeles Kings. Rounding off the first round in the West, the Anaheim Ducks meet the San Jose Sharks.

Over in the East, the Tampa Bay Lightning will meet the New Jersey Devils, who are returning to the NHL postseason for the first time since 2012. The Boston Bruins will clash sticks with the Toronto Maple Leafs while the Washington Capitals will try to overcome their history of playoff woes when they meet the Columbus Blue Jackets. Plus, the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins, engage in “the Battle Of Pennsylvania” when they meet their in-state rivals, the Philadelphia Fliers.

The Predators are favorites to win – or are they? Nashville is listed as a 4-1 favorites by the Westgate LV Superbook, according to CBS Sports. That should give Carrie Underwood something to smile about, since her hubby came out of retirement to re-join his squad. However, Sportsline’s David Kelly thinks the Preds are overrated going into the playoffs. “The Preds owe their special teams a great debt of gratitude this season, but history has taught us that penalty calls diminish rapidly during the NHL playoffs, so that advantage may be neutralized,” he said. Tampa Pay, Pittsburgh, Vegas, Winnipeg and Boston all seem to be threats, but that could change in a single game.

Here’s the full schedule of the opening round, courtesy of CBS Sports:

Wednesday, April 11

• Philadelphia Flyers at Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m. — NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports
• Minnesota Wild at Winnipeg Jets, 7 p.m. — CNBC, SN, TVA Sports
• Los Angeles Kings at Vegas Golden Knights, 10 p.m. — NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports

Thursday, April 12

• Toronto Maple Leafs at Boston Bruins, 7 p.m. — NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports
• New Jersey Devils at Tampa Bay Lightning, 7 p.m. — NHL Network, SN, TVA Sports
• Columbus Blue Jackets at Washington Capitals, 7:30 p.m. — USA, SN360, TVA Sports
• Colorado Avalanche at Nashville Predators, 9:30 p.m. — NBCSN, SN, TVA Sports
• San Jose Sharks at Anaheim Ducks, 10:30 p.m. — USA, SN360, TVA Sports

Friday, April 13

• Philadelphia Flyers at Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m. — NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports
• Minnesota Wild at Winnipeg Jets, 7:30 p.m. — USA, SN, TVA Sports
• Los Angeles Kings at Vegas Golden Knights, 10 p.m. — NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports

Saturday, April 14

• New Jersey Devils at Tampa Bay Lightning, 3 p.m. — NBC, CNBC, SN360, TVA Sports
• Colorado Avalanche at Nashville Predators, 3 p.m. — NBC, CNBC, SN, TVA Sports
• Toronto Maple Leafs at Boston Bruins, 8 p.m. – NBC, CBC, TVA Sports
• San Jose Sharks at Anaheim Ducks, 10:30 p.m. — NBCSN, SN360, TVA Sports

Sunday, April 15

• Pittsburgh Penguins at Philadelphia Flyers, 3 p.m. — NBC, CBC, TVA Sports
• Winnipeg Jets at Minnesota Wild, 7 p.m. — USA, SN, TVA Sports
• Columbus Blue Jackets at Washington Capitals, 7:30 p.m. – NBCSN, SN360, TVA Sports
• Vegas Golden Knights at Los Angeles Kings, 10:30 p.m. — NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports

Monday, April 16

• Boston Bruins at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. — NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports, 
• Tampa Bay Lightning at New Jersey Devils, 7:30 p.m. — CNBC, SN, TVA Sports
• Nashville Predators at Colorado Avalanche, 10 p.m. — NBCSN, SN, TVA Sports
• Anaheim Ducks at San Jose Sharks, 10:30 p.m. — CNBC, SN1, TVA Sports

Tuesday, April 17

• Washington Capitals at Columbus Blue Jackets, 7:30 p.m. — NBCSN, SN360, TVA Sports
• Winnipeg Jets at Minnesota Wild, 8 p.m. — CNBC, SN, TVA Sports
• Vegas Golden Knights at Los Angeles Kings, 10:30 p.m. — NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports

Wednesday, April 18

• Pittsburgh Penguins at Philadelphia Flyers, 7 p.m. — NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports
• Tampa Bay Lightning at New Jersey Devils, 7:30 p.m. — GOLF, SN, TVA Sports
• Nashville Predators at Colorado Avalanche, 10 p.m. — NBCSN, SN, TVA Sports
• Anaheim Ducks at San Jose Sharks, 10:30 pm – GOLF, SN1, TVA Sports

Thursday, April 19

• Boston Bruins at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. — CBC, TVA Sports, NBCSN
• Washington Capitals at Columbus Blue Jackets, 7:30 p.m. — USA, SN, TVA Sports
• *Los Angeles Kings at Vegas Golden Knights, 10 p.m. — TBD

Friday, April 20

• *Colorado Avalanche at Nashville Predators, TBD
• *Philadelphia Flyers at Pittsburgh Penguins, TBD
• *Minnesota Wild at Winnipeg Jets, TBD
• *San Jose Sharks at Anaheim Ducks, TBD

Saturday, April 21

• *Toronto Maple Leafs at Boston Bruins, TBD
• *New Jersey Devils at Tampa Bay Lightning, TBD
• *Columbus Blue Jackets at Washington Capitals, TBD
• *Vegas Golden Knights at Los Angeles Kings, TBD

Sunday, April 22

• *Nashville Predators at Colorado Avalanche, TBD
• *Pittsburgh Penguins at Philadelphia Flyers, TBD
• *Winnipeg Jets at Minnesota Wild, TBD
• *Anaheim Ducks at San Jose Sharks, TBD

Monday, April 23

• *Boston Bruins at Toronto Maple Leafs, TBD
• *Tampa Bay Lightning at New Jersey Devils, TBD
• *Washington Capitals at Columbus Blue Jackets, TBD
• *Los Angeles Kings at Vegas Golden Knights, TBD

Tuesday, April 24

• *Colorado Avalanche at Nashville Predators, TBD
• *Philadelphia Flyers at Pittsburgh Penguins, TBD
• *San Jose Sharks at Anaheim Ducks, TBD

Wednesday, April 25

• *Toronto Maple Leafs at Boston Bruins, TBD
• *New Jersey Devils at Tampa Bay Lightning, TBD
• *Columbus Blue Jackets at Washington Capitals, TBD
• *Minnesota Wild at Winnipeg Jets, TBD