NHL Playoff Schedule 2014: First-Round TV Info in Race for Stanley Cup

The 2014 NHL playoffs are underway, and the early returns are exactly what fans would expect from such a thrilling event. There have been multiple overtime games, gut-wrenching one-goal victories and even a triple-overtime nail-biter that featured the defending Stanley Cup champions. 

Here is a look at the entire first-round schedule with television information included:

Eastern Conference
Date	Time (ET)	Matchup	Watch
Date	Time (ET)	Matchup	Watch
Date	Time (ET)	Matchup	Watch
Date	Time (ET)	Matchup	Watch
Western Conference
Date	Time (ET)	Matchup	Watch
Date	Time (ET)	Matchup	Watch
Date	Time (ET)	Matchup	Watch
Date	Time (ET)	Matchup	Watch
Friday, April 18	7:30 p.m.	Detroit 1, Boston 0	NBCSN
Sunday, April 20	3 p.m.	Boston 4, Detroit 1	NBC
Tuesday, April 22	7:30 p.m.	Boston 3, Detroit 0	NBCSN
Thursday, April 24	8 p.m.	Boston at Detroit	NBCSN
Saturday, April 26	3 p.m.	Detroit at Boston	NBC
*Monday, April 28	TBD	Boston at Detroit	TSN
*Wednesday, April 30	TBD	Detroit at Boston	TSN
Wednesday, April 16	7 p.m.	Montreal 5, Tampa Bay 4	CNBC
Friday, April 18	7 p.m.	Montreal 4, Tampa Bay 1	CNBC
Sunday, April 20	7 p.m.	Montreal 3, Tampa Bay 2	NBCSN
Tuesday, April 22	7 p.m.	Montreal 4, Tampa Bay 3	NHL Network
Thursday, April 24	7 p.m.	Series Over	N/A
Sunday, April 27	TBD	Series Over	NBCSN
Tuesday, April 29	TBD	Series Over	N/A
Wednesday, April 16	7:30 p.m.	Pittsburgh 4, Columbus 3	NBCSN
Saturday, April 19	7 p.m.	Columbus 4, Pittsburgh 3	NBCSN
Monday, April 21	7 p.m.	Pittsburgh 4, Columbus 3	NBCSN
Wednesday, April 23	7 p.m.	Pittsburgh at Columbus	NBCSN
Saturday, April 26	TBD	Columbus at Pittsburgh	CBC
*Monday, April 28	TBD	Pittsburgh at Columbus	CBC
*Wednesday, April 30	TBD	Columbus at Pittsburgh	CBC
Thursday, April 17	7 p.m.	NY Rangers 4, Philadelphia 1	CNBC
Sunday, April 20	Noon	Philadelphia 4, NY Rangers 2	NBC
Tuesday, April 22	8 p.m.	NY Rangers 4, Philadelphia 1	CNBC
Friday, April 25	7 p.m.	NY Rangers at Philadelphia	CNBC
Sunday, April 27	Noon	Philadelphia at NY Rangers	NBC
*Tuesday, April 29	TBD	NY Rangers at Philadelphia	TSN
*Wednesday, April 30	TBD	Philadelphia at NY Rangers	TSN
Thursday, April 17	9:30 p.m.	Colorado 5, Minnesota 4	CNBC
Saturday, April 19	9:30 p.m.	Colorado 4, Minnesota 2	NBCSN
Monday, April 21	7 p.m.	Minnesota 1, Colorado 0	NHL Network
Thursday, April 24	9:30 p.m.	Colorado at Minnesota	CNBC
Saturday, April 26	TBD	Minnesota at Colorado	TSN
*Monday, April 28	TBD	Colorado at Minnesota	TSN
*Wednesday, April 30	TBD	Minnesota at Colorado	TSN
Thursday, April 17	8 p.m.	St. Louis 4, Chicago 3	NBCSN
Saturday, April 19	3 p.m.	St. Louis 4, Chicago 3	NBC
Monday, April 21	8:30 p.m.	Chicago 2, St. Louis 0	CNBC
Wednesday, April 23	9:30 p.m.	St. Louis at Chicago	NBCSN
Friday, April 25	8 p.m.	Chicago at St. Louis	NBCSN
*Sunday, April 27	3 p.m.	St. Louis at Chicago	NBC
*Tuesday, April 29	TBD	Chicago at St. Louis	CBC
Wednesday, April 16	10 p.m.	Anaheim 4, Dallas 3	NBCSN
Friday, April 18	10 p.m.	Anaheim 3, Dallas 2	NBCSN
Monday, April 21	9:30 p.m.	Dallas 3, Anaheim 0	NBCSN
Wednesday, April 23	8 p.m.	Anaheim at Dallas	CNBC
Friday, April 25	10:30 p.m.	Dallas at Anaheim	NBCSN
*Sunday, April 27	TBD	Anaheim at Dallas	TSN
*Tuesday, April 29	TBD	Dallas at Anaheim	TSN
Thursday, April 17	10:30 p.m.	San Jose 6, Los Angeles 3	NBCSN
Sunday, April 20	10 p.m.	San Jose 7, Los Angeles 2	NBCSN
Tuesday, April 22	10 p.m.	San Jose 4, Los Angeles 3	NBCSN
Thursday, April 24	10:30 p.m.	San Jose at Los Angeles	NBCSN
*Saturday, April 26	TBD	Los Angeles at San Jose	NBCSN
*Monday, April 28	TBD	San Jose at Los Angeles	CBC
*Wednesday, April 30	TBD	Los Angeles at San Jose	CBC

Now that we know what the first-round schedule and television broadcast information look like, let’s take a glance at the game to watch Wednesday in the NHL playoffs.

Wednesday Game to Watch: Pittsburgh Penguins at Columbus Blue Jackets, Game 4

Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

The Columbus Blue Jackets may be the new faces around the NHL postseason block this time of year, but they have battled Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins tooth and nail throughout this series.

Columbus actually held a 3-1 lead in the first game in Pittsburgh before collapsing down the stretch and eventually falling in overtime. Game 2 was something of a flip of the script, as it was the Blue Jackets who came back in the third period and finally put the game-winning goal home in double-overtime.

Jay LaPrete

Columbus then dominated the first two periods in Game 3 in front of its home fans before giving up three goals in less than a three-minute stretch. Nationwide Arena was packed, and the air went out of the exuberant crowd just a little bit more each time the puck found the back of the net.

If Columbus wants any chance of advancing, it has to win Game 4 at home.

What makes this series so interesting from Pittsburgh’s perspective is the fact that Crosby or Evgeni Malkin have yet to score a goal, even though the Penguins hold a 2-1 advantage going into the fourth contest.

Forward Lee Stempniak, who came up huge for the Penguins in Game 3, talked about the need for others to step up, according to the Associated Press, via ESPN.com:

"

Obviously, Sid and Gino (Malkin) and Kuni and James Neal are going to get a lot of the attention, a lot of the tougher matchups. It sort of comes down to the secondary scoring and the other players who can make a difference in the series.

"

Look for Columbus to come out with the urgency you would expect from a team fighting for its postseason life in front of its home fans Wednesday.

Gene J. Puskar

The Blue Jackets will once again neutralize the superstars and force the role players to win the game for Pittsburgh. This time they won’t be able to, as Sergei Bobrovsky will make up for his lackluster third period in Game 3.

This back-and-forth series will head back to Pittsburgh appropriately tied at two games apiece.