Every NHL Playoff First Round Matchup Is Set: Here's the Full Schedule You Need to Know

The wait is finally over for hockey fans across North America. The NHL has officially unveiled the complete schedule for every first-round playoff series, and there are some fascinating matchups on the horizon — including an unusual start time for the Montreal Canadiens that has people talking.

The regular season standings were incredibly tight in both conferences this year, which meant fans had to wait until the very last day of the season before all the matchups were finalized. While Montreal already knew they'd be facing the Tampa Bay Lightning for a few days, the exact dates and game times remained a mystery until the league made everything official.

The Canadiens Face Tampa Bay in a Blockbuster Third-Seed vs. Fourth-Seed Battle

Montreal will kick off their playoff journey this Sunday in Tampa Bay, but the start time is anything but ordinary — the puck drops at 5:45 PM. Game 2 follows on Tuesday, April 21st at 7:00 PM, still in Tampa. The series then shifts to Montreal for Game 3 on Friday, April 24th at 7:00 PM, with Game 4 on Sunday, April 26th at 7:00 PM. Should the series extend beyond four games, Game 5 would take place on Wednesday, April 29th, Game 6 on Friday, May 1st, and a potential Game 7 on Sunday, May 3rd — with times for those contests still to be determined.

The Canadiens-Lightning series is just one of four thrilling Eastern Conference matchups. The top-seeded Carolina Hurricanes will host the sixth-seeded Ottawa Senators starting Saturday, April 18th at 3:00 PM. The second-seeded Buffalo Sabres take on the fifth-seeded Boston Bruins beginning Sunday, April 19th at 7:30 PM, setting up a classic rivalry showdown. Meanwhile, the wild card battle between the seventh-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins and eighth-seeded Philadelphia Flyers gets underway Saturday, April 18th at 8:00 PM — a Pennsylvania grudge match that promises plenty of fireworks.

The Western Conference Is Loaded With Intriguing Matchups Too

Over in the West, the action looks equally compelling. The top-seeded Colorado Avalanche will face the eighth-seeded Los Angeles Kings starting Sunday, April 19th at 3:00 PM. The second-seeded Dallas Stars square off against the third-seeded Minnesota Wild beginning Saturday, April 18th at 5:30 PM, a matchup that could easily be a conference final in terms of quality.

The fourth-seeded Vegas Golden Knights draw the sixth-seeded Utah Hockey Club, with their series beginning Sunday, April 19th at 10:00 PM. Rounding out the Western Conference bracket, the fifth-seeded Edmonton Oilers take on the seventh-seeded Anaheim Ducks starting Monday, April 20th at 10:00 PM.

What makes this year's first round particularly exciting is the razor-thin margins that separated teams throughout the regular season. The parity across both conferences means there are no easy matchups, and every series has the potential to go the distance. Several of these contests could easily produce upsets, which is exactly what makes playoff hockey so thrilling.

For Canadiens fans specifically, facing the Lightning as the fourth seed against the third seed means Montreal will need to steal at least one game on the road in Tampa to have a realistic shot at advancing. That unusual Sunday afternoon start time for Game 1 adds an extra wrinkle, as players and fans alike adjust to a non-traditional puck drop.

With the first games getting underway this Saturday, hockey fans won't have to wait much longer to see which teams rise to the occasion and which ones fall short. If the regular season was any indication, this first round is shaping up to be absolutely wild from start to finish.