NHL Playoffs 2015: Full 1st-Round Schedule and Championship Odds
On the heels of a whirlwind NHL season come the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs, and the intensity will reach a fever pitch as 16 teams chase the most prestigious piece of silverware in American sport.
This year's postseason will have a bit of a different feel. The Los Angeles Kings won't be around to defend their crown after being bounced from contention in the regular season, while the Boston Bruins are also sitting at home in surprise fashion.
But there's no time left to put down the eliminated, not with a plethora of dangerous contenders entering this postseason intent on winning a Stanley Cup that is very much up for grabs. With a number of key first-round affairs, the excitement starts early.
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The puck is about to drop for the postseason, so make sure you're filled in on everything by looking at the full first-round schedule below and who's favored to hoist the Cup.
2015 NHL Playoffs: First-Round Schedule
| 1 | Wednesday, April 15 | 7 p.m. | Ottawa at Montreal | CBC, TVA Sports, NHL Network |
| 2 | Friday, April 17 | 7 p.m. | Ottawa at Montreal | CBC, TVA Sports, CNBC |
| 3 | Sunday, April 19 | 7 p.m. | Montreal at Ottawa | CBC, TVA Sports, NBCSN |
| 4 | Wednesday, April 22 | 7 p.m. | Montreal at Ottawa | CBC, TVA Sports, USA |
| 5* | *Friday, April 24 | TBD | Ottawa at Montreal | CBC |
| 6* | *Sunday, April 26 | TBD | Montreal at Ottawa | CBC |
| 7* | *Tuesday, April 28 | TBD | Ottawa at Montreal | CBC |
| 1 | Thursday, April 16 | 7:30 p.m. | Detroit at Tampa Bay | CNBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports |
| 2 | Saturday, April 18 | 3 p.m. | Detroit at Tampa Bay | NBC, CBC, TVA Sports |
| 3 | Tuesday, April 21 | 7 p.m. | Tampa Bay at Detroit | NBCSN, Sportsnet, TVA Sports |
| 4 | Thursday, April 23 | 7 p.m. | Tampa Bay at Detroit | NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports |
| 5* | *Saturday, April 25 | TBD | Detroit at Tampa Bay | TBD |
| 6* | *Monday, April 27 | TBD | Tampa Bay at Detroit | TBD |
| 7* | *Wednesday, April 29 | TBD | Detroit at Tampa Bay | TBD |
| 1 | Thursday, April 16 | 7 p.m. | Pittsburgh at NY Rangers | NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports |
| 2 | Saturday, April 18 | 8 p.m. | Pittsburgh at NY Rangers | NBC, CBC, TVA Sports |
| 3 | Monday, April 20 | 7 p.m. | NY Rangers at Pittsburgh | NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports |
| 4 | Wednesday, April 22 | 7 p.m. | NY Rangers at Pittsburgh | NBCSN, SN 360, TVA Sports |
| 5* | *Friday, April 24 | TBD | Pittsburgh at NY Rangers | TBD |
| 6* | *Sunday, April 26 | TBD | NY Rangers at Pittsburgh | TBD |
| 7* | *Tuesday, April 28 | TBD | Pittsburgh at NY Rangers | TBD |
| 1 | Wednesday, April 15 | 7 p.m. | NY Islanders at Washington | USA, Sportsnet, TVA Sports |
| 2 | Friday, April 17 | 7 p.m. | NY Islanders at Washington | NBCSN, Sportsnet, TVA Sports |
| 3 | Sunday, April 19 | Noon | Washington at NY Islanders | NBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports |
| 4 | Tuesday, April 21 | 7:30 p.m. | Washington at NY Islanders | USA, SN 360, TVA Sports |
| 5* | *Thursday, April 23 | TBD | NY Islanders at Washington | TBD |
| 6* | *Saturday, April 25 | TBD | Washington at NY Islanders | TBD |
| 7* | *Monday, April 27 | TBD | NY Islanders at Washington | TBD |
| 1 | Thursday, April 16 | 9:30 p.m. | Minnesota at St. Louis | NBCSN, SN 360, TVA Sports |
| 2 | Saturday, April 18 | 3 p.m. | Minnesota at St. Louis | NBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports |
| 3 | Monday, April 20 | 8 p.m. | St. Louis at Minnesota | CNBC, SN1, TVA Sports |
| 4 | Wednesday, April 22 | 9:30 p.m. | St. Louis at Minnesota | NBCSN, SN 360, TVA Sports |
| 5* | *Friday, April 24 | TBD | Minnesota at St. Louis | TBD |
| 6* | *Sunday, April 26 | TBD | St. Louis at Minnesota | TBD |
| 7* | *Wednesday, April 29 | TBD | Minnesota at St. Louis | TBD |
| 1 | Wednesday, April 15 | 8:30 p.m. | Chicago at Nashville | NBCSN, SN 360, TVA Sports |
| 2 | Friday, April 17 | 9:30 p.m. | Chicago at Nashville | NBCSN, Sportsnet, TVA Sports |
| 3 | Sunday, April 19 | 3 p.m. | Nashville at Chicago | NBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports |
| 4 | Tuesday, April 21 | 9:30 p.m. | Nashville at Chicago | NBCSN, Sportsnet, TVA Sports |
| 5* | *Thursday, April 23 | TBD | Chicago at Nashville | TBD |
| 6* | *Saturday, April 25 | TBD | Nashville at Chicago | TBD |
| 7* | *Monday, April 27 | TBD | Chicago at Nashville | TBD |
| 1 | Thursday, April 16 | 10:30 p.m. | Winnipeg at Anaheim | CNBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports |
| 2 | Saturday, April 18 | 10:30 p.m. | Winnipeg at Anaheim | NBCSN, Sportsnet, TVA Sports |
| 3 | Monday, April 20 | 9 p.m. | Anaheim at Winnipeg | Sportsnet, TVA Sports, NBCSN |
| 4 | Wednesday, April 22 | 9:30 p.m. | Anaheim at Winnipeg | Sportsnet, TVA Sports, USA |
| 5* | *Friday, April 24 | TBD | Winnipeg at Anaheim | Sportsnet |
| 6* | *Sunday, April 26 | TBD | Anaheim at Winnipeg | Sportsnet |
| 7* | *Tuesday, April 28 | TBD | Winnipeg at Anaheim | Sportsnet |
| 1 | Wednesday, April 15 | 10 p.m. | Calgary at Vancouver | CBC, TVA Sports, USA |
| 2 | Friday, April 17 | 10 p.m. | Calgary at Vancouver | CBC, TVA Sports, CNBC |
| 3 | Sunday, April 19 | 10 p.m. | Vancouver at Calgary | CBC, TVA Sports, NBCSN |
| 4 | Tuesday, April 21 | 10 p.m. | Vancouver at Calgary | CBC, TVA Sports, USA |
| 5* | *Thursday, April 23 | TBD | Calgary at Vancouver | CBC |
| 6* | *Saturday, April 25 | TBD | Vancouver at Calgary | CBC |
| 7* | *Monday, April 27 | TBD | Calgary at Vancouver | CBC |
| New York Rangers | 9-2 |
| St. Louis Blues | 15-2 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 17-2 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 17-2 |
| Anaheim Ducks | 10-1 |
| Minnesota Wild | 12-1 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 12-1 |
| Washington Capitals | 13-1 |
| Nashville Predators | 15-1 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 16-1 |
| New York Islanders | 16-1 |
| Vancouver Canucks | 18-1 |
| Ottawa Senators | 18-1 |
| Winnipeg Jets | 20-1 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 20-1 |
| Calgary Flames | 22-1 |
Note: Odds courtesy of Odds Shark, last updated April 13
Series to Watch: Pittsburgh Penguins vs. New York Rangers
It's not exactly role reversal, but there's no doubt that this first-round series will have an eerie feel to it.
In rare fashion, the Pittsburgh Penguins had to claw their way into the postseason in a race that came down to the final days of the season. The 2008-09 Stanley Cup champions had star forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin healthy virtually all season yet still found themselves sneaking into the playoffs.
It's admittedly a different feel for Crosby and Co., but one they can embrace, as the team's official Twitter noted:
The Penguins better hope their late push into the postseason energized the club, because they face quite the uphill task out of the gates with the New York Rangers on their plate.
This year's Presidents' Trophy winners, the Rangers didn't miss a beat with Henrik Lundqvist out for a long stretch of the regular season. Not only do they boast the NHL's most prolific offense with a league-leading 252 goals scored, but only two teams out of 30 conceded less goals.
Reliance upon Lundqvist didn't seem like a bad thing over recent years, but losing him during the season may have been a blessing in disguise, as NHL.com's Dan Rosen wrote:
"The Rangers gained confidence they could win without Lundqvist during that time. New York went 18-4-3 without him from Feb. 4 through March 26. Cam Talbot stepped up and played well in Lundqvist's absence, and in the process the Rangers figured out how to win without their best player. They became a better team because of it, one that is ready to win the Stanley Cup.
"
While the Rangers can feel comfortable with either Lundqvist or occasionally Cam Talbot in goal, Pittsburgh likely won't feel the same with its No. 1. While one of the NHL's household names between the pipes, Marc-Andre Fleury has struggled mightily in the playoffs. He's accrued more than 3.50 goals against on average in two of the last three postseasons.
No matter how you look at this matchup, the advantage tends to tilt New York's way. But the playoffs are a wacky time in which no top seed is safe and fluke goals can decide games—or even a series.
And when you're trying to pull off the unlikely, it doesn't hurt to have two of the game's best forwards wearing your sweater.
Stats courtesy of NHL.com.
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