The second night for the Stanley Cup playoffs begins Thursday with the rest of the Game 1s.
The Eastern Conference starts things off with two games at the time, with the New Jersey Devils at the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs at the Boston Bruins. Boston has former Blackhawk Tommy Wingels, who came two games short of winning the Cup with San Jose in 2016 prior to his arrival in Chicago.
The final Game 1 on the East side comes 30 minutes after the first two drop the puck, with the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Washington Capitals. It’s the fourth postseason trip for Columbus, who have yet to win a playoff series. Former Blackhawk Artemi Panarin set a franchise record for most points (82) in a single season, which was also a career high for him in his first season with Columbus.
In the Western Conference, the Presidents’ Trophy winners Nashville Predators host the Colorado Avalanche and the San Jose Sharks visit the Anaheim Ducks. Nashville is looking to become the first Presidents’ Trophy winner under the current playoff to make the Cup Final and first to win the Cup since Chicago did in 2013.
It is also Colorado’s first playoff appearance since 2014. The Avs last won a playoff series in 2008, when they advanced topped Minnesota in six games before falling to Detroit.
Here’s the schedule for Thursday’s action:
Stanley Cup playoffs schedule
| Matchup | Series | Time | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 5: Washington at Vegas | WSH 3-1 | 7 p.m. | NBC |