NHL Playoffs 2024: Full schedule, bracket, TV times, and more

The 2023-2024 NHL regular season is in the books, and the Stanley Cup Playoffs are about to begin.

Buckle up.

The first round of the 2023-2024 NHL playoffs offer some fascinating contrasts starting with the series between the New York Rangers and the Washington Capitals. The Rangers secured the Presidents’ Trophy this season — an accomplishment fraught with historic peril — and will take on the Capitals, who enter the playoffs with a -37 goal differential, worst among the 16 playoff teams.

In the Western Conference, the Dallas Stars finished one point behind the Rangers in the chase for the Presidents’ Trophy, and they’ll open up with a series against the Vegas Golden Knights, last season’s Stanley Cup Champions.

Then there is this. Of the 16 teams that advanced to the playoffs, 10 of them — Florida, Boston, Toronto, New York Rangers, Carolina, Dallas, Winnipeg, Colorado, Vancouver, and Edmonton — finished with over 100 points in the regular season. So a lot of good teams are in the playoffs.

And a lot of good teams could be going home early.

Here are the schedules, TV information, scores, and more for the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Here is the full bracket for the 2023-2024 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs:

Eastern Conference
(All times Eastern)

Florida Panthers (A1, 110 points) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (WC1, 98 points)

Game 1: Florida 3, Tampa Bay 2 (FLA leads series 1-0)
Game 2: Florida 3, Tampa Bay 2 (FLA leads series 2-0)
Game 3: Florida 5, Tampa Bay 3 (FLA leads series 3-0)
Game 4: Tampa Bay 6, Florida 3 (FLA leads series 3-1)
Game 5: Florida 6, Tampa Bay 1 (FLA wins series 4-1)
Boston Bruins (A2, 109 points) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (A3, 102 points)

Game 1: Boston 5, Toronto 1 (BOS leads series 1-0)
Game 2: Toronto 3, Boston 2 (Series tied 1-1)
Game 3: Boston 4, Toronto 2 (BOS leads series 2-1)
Game 4: Boston 3, Toronto 1 (BOS leads series 3-1)
Game 5: Toronto 2, Boston 1 (BOS leads series 3-2)
Game 6: Toronto 2, Boston 1 (Series tied 3-3)
Game 7: Toronto @ Boston, May 4, In Progress

New York Rangers (M1, 114 points) vs. Washington Capitals (WC2, 91 points)

Game 1: New York 4, Washington 1 (NY leads series 1-0)
Game 2: New York 4, Washington 3 (NY leads series 4-3)
Game 3: New York 3, Washington 1 (NY leads series 3-0)
Game 4: New York 4, Washington 2 (NY wins series 4-0)

Carolina Hurricanes (M2, 111 points) vs. New York Islanders (M3, 94 points)

Dallas Stars (C1, 113 points) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (WC2, 98 points)

Game 1: Vegas 4, Dallas 3 (VGK lead series 1-0)
Game 2: Vegas 3, Dallas 1 (VGK lead series 2-0)
Game 3: Dallas 3, Vegas 2 (VGK lead series 2-1)
Game 4: Dallas 4, Vegas 2 (Series tied 2-2)
Game 5: Dallas 3, Vegas 2 (DAL leads series 3-2)
Game 6: Vegas 2, Dallas 0 (Series tied 3-3)
Game 7: Vegas @ Dallas, May 5, 7:30 p.m., TBS

Winnipeg Jets (C2, 110 points) vs. Colorado Avalanche (C3, 107 points)

Vancouver Canucks (P1, 109 points) vs. Nashville Predators (WC1, 99 points)

Game 1: Vancouver 4, Nashville 2 (VAN leads series 1-0)
Game 2: Nashville 4, Vancouver 1 (Series tied 1-1)
Game 3: Vancouver 2, Nashville 1 (VAN leads series 2-1)
Game 4: Vancouver 4, Nashville 3 (VAN leads series 3-1)
Game 5: Nashville 2, Vancouver 1 (VAN leads series 3-2)
Game 6: Vancouver 1, Nashville 0 (VAN wins series 4-2)

Edmonton Oilers (P2, 104 points) vs. Los Angeles Kings (P3, 99 points)

Game 1: Edmonton 7, Los Angeles 4 (EDM leads series 1-0)
Game 2: Los Angeles 5, Edmonton 4 (Series tied 1-1)
Game 3: Edmonton 6, Los Angeles 1 (EDM leads series 2-1)
Game 4: Edmonton 1, Los Angeles 0 (EDM leads series 3-1)
Game 5: Edmonton 4, Los Angeles 3 (EDM wins series 3-1)
Game 6: Edmonton @ Los Angeles, May 3, TBD, TBD*
Game 7: Los Angeles @ Edmonton, May 5, TBD, TBD*

* If necessary

Series winner
Stanley Cup winner
Conn Smythe Trophy winner