The best time of the year for hockey types like me is just a couple of days away. As the NHL’s season comes to a conclusion, the circuit quickly put out the postseason schedule for round one. There is one observation worth making: you can tell that perhaps the Canadian networks got a bit of the short shrift.
Not only does CBC not get the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday nights during this first round, the public broadcaster will only have one Saturday night broadcast guaranteed during the opening two weeks. The rest of the schedule is pretty stacked against Canada regardless of year. However, it is pretty notable that these slates seem well more tailored to U.S. interests in the year before Rogers has their dollars in the collection basket.
Speaking of NBC, they get it pretty good in round one, with an original six battle (Boston and Detroit), two massive hockey market showdowns (Philadelphia vs. New York and St. Louis vs. Chicago) and plenty of other intriguing series. They will televise three games per weekend, while NBCSN, CNBC and the NHL Network pick up the rest of the slack. Here are the Stanley Cup Playoff first round schedules by nation.
CBC and TSN have already announced their coverage plans. For CBC, Don Cherry will appear first on Wednesday and will likely work during nights the Canadiens are playing, while their lead broadcast crew of Jim Hughson, Craig Simpson, Glenn Healy and David Amber will also be assigned to the Montreal/Tampa series. TSN will finally try to cash in on Roberto Luongo’s vast potential as a television personality for a few nights in round one, and boy I cannot wait to see that.
United States
Wednesday, April 16
Game 1: Montreal vs. Tampa Bay, 7 p.m. ET (CNBC)
Game 1: Columbus vs. Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Game 1: Dallas vs. Anaheim, 10 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Thursday, April 17
Game 1: Philadelphia vs. NY Rangers, 7 p.m. ET (CNBC)
Game 1: Chicago vs. St. Louis, 8 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Game 1: Minnesota vs. Colorado, 9:30 p.m. ET (CNBC)
Game 1: Los Angeles vs. San Jose, 10:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Friday, April 18
Game 2: Montreal vs. Tampa Bay, 7 p.m. ET (CNBC)
Game 1: Detroit vs. Boston, 7:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Game 2: Dallas vs. Anaheim, 10 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Saturday, April 19
Game 2: Chicago vs. St. Louis, 3 p.m. ET (NBC)
Game 2: Columbus vs. Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Game 2: Minnesota vs. Colorado, 9:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Sunday, April 20
Game 2: Philadelphia vs. NY Rangers, 12 p.m. ET (NBC)
Game 2: Detroit vs. Boston, 3 p.m. ET (NBC)
Game 3: Tampa Bay vs. Montreal, 7 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Game 2: Los Angeles vs. San Jose, 10 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Monday, April 21
Game 3: Pittsburgh vs. Columbus, 7 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Game 3: Colorado vs. Minnesota, 7 p.m. ET (NHL Net)
Game 3: St. Louis vs. Chicago, 8:30 p.m. ET (CNBC)
Game 3: Anaheim vs. Dallas, 9:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Tuesday, April 22
Game 4: Tampa Bay vs. Montreal, 7 p.m. ET (NHL Net)
Game 3: Boston vs. Detroit, 7:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Game 3: NY Rangers vs. Philadelphia, 8 p.m. ET (CNBC)
Game 3: San Jose vs. Los Angeles, 10 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Wednesday, April 23
Game 4: Pittsburgh vs. Columbus, 7 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Game 4: Anaheim vs. Dallas, 8 p.m. ET (CNBC)
Game 4: St. Louis vs. Chicago, 9:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Thursday, April 24
Game 5: Montreal vs. Tampa Bay, 7 p.m. ET (CNBC)
Game 4: Boston vs. Detroit, 8 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Game 4: Colorado vs. Minnesota, 9:30 p.m. ET (CNBC)
Game 4: San Jose vs. Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Friday, April 25
Game 4: NY Rangers vs. Philadelphia, 7 p.m. ET (CNBC)
Game 5: Chicago vs. St. Louis, 8 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Game 5: Dallas vs. Anaheim, 10:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Saturday, April 26
Game 5: Detroit vs. Boston, 3 p.m. ET (NBC)
Game 5: Columbus vs. Pittsburgh, TBD
Game 5: Minnesota vs. Colorado, TBD
Game 5: Los Angeles vs. San Jose, TBD (NBCSN)
Sunday, April 27
Game 5: Philadelphia vs. NY Rangers, 12 p.m. ET (NBC)
Game 6: St. Louis vs. Chicago, 3 p.m. ET (NBC)
Game 6: Tampa Bay vs. Montreal, TBD (NBCSN)
Game 6: Anaheim vs. Dallas, TBD
Monday, April 28
Game 6: Boston vs. Detroit, TBD
Game 6: Pittsburgh vs. Columbus, TBD
Game 6: Colorado vs. Minnesota, TBD
Game 6: San Jose vs. Los Angeles, TBD
Tuesday, April 29
Game 7: Montreal vs. Tampa Bay, TBD
Game 6: NY Rangers vs. Philadelphia, TBD
Game 7: Chicago vs. St. Louis, TBD
Game 7: Dallas vs. Anaheim, TBD
Wednesday, April 30
Game 7: Detroit vs. Boston, TBD
Game 7: Columbus vs. Pittsburgh, TBD
Game 7: Philadelphia vs. NY Rangers, TBD
Game 7: Minnesota vs. Colorado, TBD
Game 7: Los Angeles vs. San Jose, TBD
Canada
Wednesday, April 16
Game 1: Montreal vs. Tampa Bay, 7 p.m. ET (CBC)
Game 1: Columbus vs. Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m. ET (CBC)
Game 1: Dallas vs. Anaheim, 10 p.m. ET (TSN)
Thursday, April 17
Game 1: Philadelphia vs. NY Rangers, 7 p.m. ET (TSN)
Game 1: Chicago vs. St. Louis, 8 p.m. ET (CBC)
Game 1: Minnesota vs. Colorado, 9:30 p.m. ET (TSN)
Game 1: Los Angeles vs. San Jose, 10:30 p.m. ET (CBC)
Friday, April 18
Game 2: Montreal vs. Tampa Bay, 7 p.m. ET (CBC)
Game 1: Detroit vs. Boston, 7:30 p.m. ET (TSN)
Game 2: Dallas vs. Anaheim, 10 p.m. ET (TSN)
Saturday, April 19
Game 2: Chicago vs. St. Louis, 3 p.m. ET (CBC)
Game 2: Columbus vs. Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. ET (CBC)
Game 2: Minnesota vs. Colorado, 9:30 p.m. ET (TSN)
Sunday, April 20
Game 2: Philadelphia vs. NY Rangers, 12 p.m. ET (TSN)
Game 2: Detroit vs. Boston, 3 p.m. ET (TSN)
Game 3: Tampa Bay vs. Montreal, 7 p.m. ET (CBC)
Game 2: Los Angeles vs. San Jose, 10 p.m. ET (CBC)
Monday, April 21
Game 3: Pittsburgh vs. Columbus, 7 p.m. ET (CBC)
Game 3: Colorado vs. Minnesota, 7 p.m. ET (TSN)
Game 3: St. Louis vs. Chicago, 8:30 p.m. ET (CBC)
Game 3: Anaheim vs. Dallas, 9:30 p.m. ET (TSN)
Tuesday, April 22
Game 4: Tampa Bay vs. Montreal, 7 p.m. ET (CBC)
Game 3: Boston vs. Detroit, 7:30 p.m. ET (TSN)
Game 3: NY Rangers vs. Philadelphia, 8 p.m. ET (TSN)
Game 3: San Jose vs. Los Angeles, 10 p.m. ET (CBC)
Wednesday, April 23
Game 4: Pittsburgh vs. Columbus, 7 p.m. ET (CBC)
Game 4: Anaheim vs. Dallas, 8 p.m. ET (TSN)
Game 4: St. Louis vs. Chicago, 9:30 p.m. ET (CBC)
Thursday, April 24
Game 5: Montreal vs. Tampa Bay, 7 p.m. ET (CBC)
Game 4: Boston vs. Detroit, 8 p.m. ET (TSN)
Game 4: Colorado vs. Minnesota, 9:30 p.m. ET (TSN2)
Game 4: San Jose vs. Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m. ET (CBC)
Friday, April 25
Game 4: NY Rangers vs. Philadelphia, 7 p.m. ET (TSN)
Game 5: Chicago vs. St. Louis, 8 p.m. ET (CBC)
Game 5: Dallas vs. Anaheim, 10:30 p.m. ET (TSN)
Saturday, April 26
Game 5: Detroit vs. Boston, 3 p.m. ET (TSN)
Game 5: Columbus vs. Pittsburgh, TBD (CBC)
Game 5: Minnesota vs. Colorado, TBD (TSN)
Game 5: Los Angeles vs. San Jose, TBD (CBC)
Sunday, April 27
Game 5: Philadelphia vs. NY Rangers, 12 p.m. ET (TSN)
Game 6: St. Louis vs. Chicago, 3 p.m. ET (CBC)
Game 6: Tampa Bay vs. Montreal, TBD (CBC)
Game 6: Anaheim vs. Dallas, TBD (TSN)
Monday, April 28
Game 6: Boston vs. Detroit, TBD (TSN)
Game 6: Pittsburgh vs. Columbus, TBD (CBC)
Game 6: Colorado vs. Minnesota, TBD (TSN)
Game 6: San Jose vs. Los Angeles, TBD (CBC)
Tuesday, April 29
Game 7: Montreal vs. Tampa Bay, TBD (CBC)
Game 6: NY Rangers vs. Philadelphia, TBD (TSN)
Game 7: Chicago vs. St. Louis, TBD (CBC)
Game 7: Dallas vs. Anaheim, TBD (TSN)
Wednesday, April 30
Game 7: Detroit vs. Boston, TBD (TSN)
Game 7: Columbus vs. Pittsburgh, TBD (CBC)
Game 7: Philadelphia vs. NY Rangers, TBD (TSN)
Game 7: Minnesota vs. Colorado, TBD (TSN)
Game 7: Los Angeles vs. San Jose, TBD (CBC)
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