The playoffs kicked off last night and home teams are off to a 3-0 start. Will that change tonight? We certainly have some interesting lower seed teams in the mix.
Philadelphia Flyers at Washington Capitals (Game 1)
Tonight’s action will kick off with the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Capitals looking to gain an edge on a Flyers squad that had to claw their way into the playoffs. For the Capitals, this is the first high-stakes game they’ve had to play in a while.
The game is scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m. ET and you can watch it on NBCSN or by clicking on the link below:
If you want some pregame reading material:
Caps GM on Holtby’s Vezina chances: ‘I think he’ll get it’
Series odds: Flyers are biggest underdogs of first round
Capitals ‘entitled to nothing’ as NHL’s top regular season team entering playoffs
Will Richards, Williams’ past success guide the Capitals?
New York Islanders at Florida Panthers (Game 1)
After taking the Atlantic Division title, the Panthers are looking to claim their first playoff series since 1996. Meanwhile, the Islanders are hoping for their first series win since 1993.
The game will start at 8:00 p.m. ET and will air on CNBC. It also can be streamed here:
Some notes:
Tavares knows Isles fans are ‘dying’ for first series win since ’93
Report: Panthers likely won’t have Trocheck, Kampfer until Game 5 at the earliest
Isles rule out Halak for first round series versus Panthers
Huge boost for Isles as Hamonic returns for Game 1
Minnesota Wild at Dallas Stars (Game 1)
Minnesota would be facing tough odds against Dallas under ideal circumstances, but with forward Zach Parise and Thomas Vanek sidelined, you could make an argument that this is the most one-sided of the first round series. Even still, the Wild might turn some heads and upset Dallas in the process.
The puck is set to drop at 9:30 p.m. ET and you can watch the game on NBCSN or online:
Here’s some more information about the series:
Seguin to miss Game 1, but Ruff expects him back for Game 2
For Wild, no Parise affects ‘every area of the game’
San Jose Sharks at Los Angeles Kings (Game 1)
This is the fourth playoff series between these two franchises in the last six years and the last time they met, San Jose took a 3-0 series lead only to suffer a rare reverse sweep. There is no shortage of first round series featuring good teams and interesting storylines, but if you want two squads with a recent and bitter history against each other doing battle, then this series is tailor-made for you.
The opener is set to begin at 10:30 p.m. ET and will be on CNBC. As with all the other games, NBC Sports is also offering a livestream:
Here’s some links:
Kings’ defensive depth goes under the microscope
‘It’s not the highlight-film position’: Kings GM believes Doughty should win Norris Trophy