NEW YORK — The NHL has unveiled when playoff-bound teams will begin their quests for the Stanley Cup.
The league released start dates for Game 1 of each first-round series on Thursday.
The playoffs begin Saturday with the Ottawa Senators facing the Hurricanes in Carolina (3 p.m. ET), followed by the Dallas Stars hosting the Minnesota Wild (5:30 p.m.) and the Philadelphia Flyers visiting the Pittsburgh Penguins (8 p.m.).
On Sunday, the Colorado Avalanche will entertain the Los Angeles Kings, who lost 3-1 to the Calgary Flames on Thursday night and finished their regular season in the Western Conference's second wild-card spot.
Later in the day, the Montreal Canadiens will visit the Tampa Bay Lightning, while the Boston Bruins face the Sabres in Buffalo. The Utah Mammoth will take on the Vegas Golden Knights. All Sunday game times are to be determined.
The final series will begin Monday with the Edmonton Oilers hosting the Anaheim Ducks. The Oilers defeated the Vancouver Canucks 6-1 on Thursday night to finish second in the Pacific Division, while the Ducks beat the Nashville Predators 5-4 to finish third and two points ahead of the Kings. The game time is still to be determined.