Stanley Cup Playoffs: Opening day schedule, predictions

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are finally here! Here’s a look at the packed schedule for August 1.

For hockey fans, the Stanley Cup Playoffs are the most wonderful time of the year. After nearly five months without meaningful hockey games, the start of the postseason is a hockey fan’s Christmas this year. Having hockey back feels great, as it should bring a sense of normalcy to our lives at a time when nothing feels normal.

The NHL’s postseason this year will be one that’s never been seen before. Because the novel coronavirus pandemic cut the regular season short, the league has expanded the postseason to 24 teams. 16 of those teams will do battle in the play-in round while the top four seeds in each conference will play in a round-robin tournament to determine their seeding.

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This Stanley Cup Playoffs will be one ruled by chaos. The chaos of the Stanley Cup Playoffs are why it’s the best postseason in all of sports. But this year, there’s going to be an extra-strong dose of chaos. Whoever emerges from the carnage as the Stanley Cup champions will have earned it. There will be no asterisk except if there’s one to note how difficult this year’s postseason was.

Saturday, August 1 will feature a full slate of games on the schedule, as there will be five games throughout the day. It’ll be a full day of watching hockey for those who choose to partake in binge-watching the postseason.

Stanley Cup Playoffs Schedule

The action kicks off at 12:00 noon EST when the New York Rangers face the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of their play-in round series. Carolina will technically be the home team even though they are playing this game in the Eastern Conference hub city of Toronto. This game can be viewed on NBCSN, Sportsnet, TVAS, Fox Sports Carolina, and MSG.

In the Western Conference, things will get started at 3:00 p.m. EST when the Chicago Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers kick off their series. This game will be held in the Western Conference hub city of Edmonton and can be viewed on NBC and Sportsnet.

At 4:00 p.m. EST, the New York Islanders will “host” the Florida Panthers in Toronto. This game can be viewed on NBCSN, SN1, TVAS, MSG+, and Fox Sports Florida.

Fans will mercifully get a dinner and bathroom break before the next game starts. That game will be the Montreal Canadiens versus the Pittsburgh Penguins and it starts at 8:00 p.m. EST. This primetime game will be shown on NBC, CBC, SN, and TVAS.

The night will conclude (or start, depending on where you live) with a 10:30 p.m. EST showdown between the Winnipeg Jets and Calgary Flames. It will be shown on NBCSN, CBC, and SN.

Menu Ideas

• Coffee or tea for early games, soda or your favorite adult beverage for the later matchups. Of course, if you want to jump right to the adult beverages early, we won’t judge you.
• Popcorn is a great snack and it’s easy to make. If you have some Old Bay seasoning, add liberally to the popcorn for a delicious treat.
• Sandwiches are great for watching sports, as they don’t make much of a mess and you can easily hold and eat a sandwich with one hand.

Predictions

Feel free to give your predictions in the comments. Hockey is back! How many games will you be watching today? Let us know in the comments, and happy hockey day everyone!