NHL Playoff Schedule 2016: TV, Live Stream Info for Thursday's 1st-Round Bracket

The Los Angeles Kings should have been the Pacific Division champions. Needing a win in their last regular-season game, the Kings held a 3-0 lead over the visiting Winnipeg Jets late in the second period.

However, instead of sealing the deal, the Kings let the Jets back in the game, and out-of-the-playoffs Winnipeg won the game 4-3 in a shootout.

As a result, the Kings finished second in the division and have to face the San Jose Sharks in what is almost certain to be a brutal and physical first-round playoff matchup.

Not that it would have been easy if they had won the division and been scheduled to face the Nashville Predators, who finished as the No. 1 wild-card team. But it would have been easier than facing the likes of Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau.

The Kings have the weapons in Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, Drew Doughty, Milan Lucic and Jonathan Quick. But if the Sharks push them to seven games, just how much will they have left as they move on to the second round and beyond?

Neither the Kings nor the Sharks made the playoffs a year ago, so look for both teams to play with that extra bit of desperation that could turn this series into a classic. It begins Thursday night at Staples Center at 10:30 p.m. (ET).

Conference	Home Team	Visiting Team	Time (ET)	TV
Eastern	Washington (1-Metropolitan)	Philadelphia (2-WC)	7 p.m.	NBCSN, CBC, TVAS, CSN-DC, CSN-PH
Eastern	Florida (1-Atlantic)	N.Y. Islanders (1-WC)	8 p.m.	CNBC, SN, TVAS2, FS-F, MSG+
Western	Dallas (1-Central)	Minnesota (1-WC)	9:30 p.m.	NBCSN, SN360, TVAS3, FS-SW, FS-N, FS-WI
Western	Los Angeles (2-Pacific)	San Jose (3-Pacific)	10:30 p.m.	CNBC, CBC, TVAS, FS-W, CSN-CA

The playoff games can be live streamed on NHL.TV.

The Washington Capitals will be under extreme pressure as they begin their playoff journey against the Philadelphia Flyers.

There is little doubt head coach Barry Trotz and his troops were dominant in the regular season, as they clinched the Presidents' Trophy well before the end of the regular season. 

But they don't hold parades for Presidents' Trophy winners. If the Capitals are going to be feted, they need to win the Stanley Cup.

That has never happened throughout the history of the franchise, and any other finish will be a disappointment. The Caps should have an easy run against the Philadelphia Flyers, a team that finished as the No. 2 wild-card team in the Eastern Conference.

However, Philadelphia surged in the final weeks of the season to make the playoffs, and the Flyers have an explosive offensive team led by Claude Giroux, Wayne Simmonds and Jakub Voracek. Additionally, long-time Flyers owner Ed Snider died Monday from bladder cancer, and the Flyers may be inspired by his memory.

Look for Philadelphia to push the Caps hard in this series, but Washington should be able to survive and advance as Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov get one step closer to the Stanley Cup.

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press/Associated Press

The Florida Panthers, who won the Atlantic Division, feature veterans Jaromir Jagr and Roberto Luongo playing starring roles on the team.

The Panthers surged to the front fairly early in the season, withstood several surges along the way and will face the New York Islanders in the first round.

The Panthers also have plenty of good young talent in Aaron Ekblad, Alexsander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau and Reilly Smith. They have the size, speed and strength to assert themselves here.

What they don't have is vast amounts of playoff experience. While Jagr and Luongo have more than enough, the rest of the Panthers are lacking in that area.

This will be the Islanders' third trip to the postseason in four years. They lost their two previous first-round series, but they have leadership in the from John Tavares, Kyle Okposo, Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy to survive and advance as the No. 1 wild-card team, breaking hearts all over South Florida.

The Dallas Stars earned the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, and they should be able to handle the Minnesota Wild in the opening round.

The Wild made a nice run in the final month of the regular season to beat out the Colorado Avalanche and earn their playoff spot, but they won't have Zach Parise, who is out with an upper-body injury, per TSN.

The enigmatic Thomas Vanek is also out indefinitely with an injury, according to the Star Tribune's Michael Russo, while the Stars appear to be getting healthier.

Tyler Seguin is back practicing with the team after suffering a laceration on his Achilles, and head coach Lindy Ruff told Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News that Seguin looked much better during Wednesday's practice compared to his first time back on the ice since the injury.

"

Stars' Tyler Seguin hopes to return from Achilles Thursday https://t.co/bsp8Twz93f

— ESPN NHL coverage (@ESPN_NHL) April 13, 2016"

Should Seguin be available for Game 1, the Stars will have too much firepower for the undermanned Wild and should be able to win this series in five games or less.