The NHL has revealed when the first-round series between the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning will begin.
According to a social media post published by the NHL’s public relations account, Game One of the first-round series featuring the Canadiens and Lightning is scheduled for Sunday, April 19.
With that in mind, series between the Ottawa Senators and Carolina Hurricanes, the Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars and the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins begin on Saturday, April 18.
There will be three other series joining the Canadiens on Sunday: Boston Bruins vs. Buffalo Sabres, and Utah Mammoth vs. Vegas Golden Knights. Unfortunately, despite knowing that games will take place on Sunday, the NHL has yet to confirm an exact start time.
Given that there are still two series to be determined due to the remaining games in the regular season scheduled for Thursday, the Colorado Avalanche’s official opponent has yet to be revealed, while the participants in the Western Conference Finals series have yet to be determined. All things considered, this is a pretty chaotic finale to the NHL regular season. In most years, teams can begin setting up their plans for the playoffs more than 48 hours before they expect to host thousands of fans.
2026 #Stanley Cup Playoffs start Saturday!
There is only one guarantee this year: there will be a new champion.
turn on @ESPN, @NHL_On_TNT, @sportsnet And @TVASports. The full schedule will be announced tonight after all first-round matchups have been determined.
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– NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) 16 April 2026
Montreal Canadiens Brass Tacks
We can expect the NHL to play with a normal schedule, which means the first two home playoff games at the Bell Center should take place on Thursday and Saturday.
Of course, they have actually modified the usual alternate schedule in the past, but if my memory serves, that was only when the Toronto Maple Leafs were involved, which means we should finally be able to celebrate a home game on a Saturday at the Bell Center for the first time in many years.
There’s no better hockey in the NHL than springtime hockey at the best arena on Earth.
#Canadiens #electricity #starts #sunday
