NHL Playoffs 2018: Dates, Live-Stream Schedule and Stanley Cup Bracket

After an extended wait that lasted until Sunday night, the eight first-round Stanley Cup Playoffs matchups are set.

The Tampa Bay Lightning secured the No. 1 overall seed in the Eastern Conference by way of Boston's loss to Florida in the final game of the regular season Sunday night.

Nashville holds home-ice advantage in the Western Conference, and it begins its quest for the Stanley Cup against the upstart Colorado Avalanche.

The first round begins Wednesday with three games, while five series start Thursday. Depending on how long each matchup lasts, the first round will take two weeks to complete.

Stanley Cup Bracket

Stanley Cup Playoffs Schedule

(All times ET)

Wednesday, April 11 

Game 1: Philadelphia at Pittsburgh (7 p.m.) 

Game 1: Minnesota at Winnipeg (7 p.m.)

Game 1: Los Angeles at Vegas (10 p.m.)

Thursday, April 12

Game 1: New Jersey at Tampa Bay (7 p.m.) 

Game 1: Toronto at Boston (7 p.m.)

Game 1: Columbus at Washington (7:30 p.m.)

Game 1: Colorado at Nashville (9:30 p.m.)

Game 1: San Jose at Anaheim (10:30 p.m.)

Friday, April 13

Game 2: Philadelphia at Pittsburgh (7 p.m.) 

Game 2: Minnesota at Winnipeg (7:30 p.m.)

Game 2: Los Angeles at Vegas (10 p.m.)

Saturday, April 14

Game 2: New Jersey at Tampa Bay (3 p.m.) 

Game 2: Colorado at Nashville (3 p.m.)

Game 2: Toronto at Boston (8 p.m.)

Game 2: San Jose at Anaheim (10:30 p.m.)

Sunday, April 15

Game 3: Pittsburgh at Philadelphia (3 p.m.) 

Game 3: Winnipeg at Minnesota (7 p.m.)

Game 2: Columbus at Washington (7:30 p.m.) 

Game 3: Vegas at Los Angeles (10:30 p.m.)

Monday, April 16

Game 3: Boston at Toronto (7 p.m.)

Game 3: Tampa Bay at New Jersey (7:30 p.m.)

Game 3: Nashville at Colorado (10 p.m.)

Game 3: Anaheim at San Jose (10:30 p.m.)

Tuesday, April 17

Game 3: Washington at Columbus (7:30 p.m.)

Game 4: Winnipeg at Minnesota (8 p.m.)

Game 4: Vegas at Los Angeles (10:30 p.m.)

Wednesday April 18

Game 4: Pittsburgh at Philadelphia (7 p.m.)

Game 4: Tampa Bay at New Jersey (7:30 p.m.)

Game 4: Nashville at Colorado (10 p.m.)

Game 4: Anaheim at San Jose (10:30 p.m.)

Thursday, April 19

Game 4: Boston at Toronto (7 p.m.)

Game 4: Washington at Columbus (7:30 p.m.)

Game 5: Los Angeles at Vegas (10 p.m.)*

Friday, April 20

Game 5: Philadelphia at Pittsburgh (TBD)*

Game 5: Colorado at Nashville (TBD)*

Game 5: Minnesota at Winnipeg (TBD)*

Game 5: San Jose at Anaheim (TBD)*

Saturday, April 21

Game 5: New Jersey at Tampa Bay (TBD)*

Game 5: Toronto at Boston (TBD)*

Game 5: Columbus at Washington (TBD)*

Game 6: Vegas at Los Angeles (TBD)*

Sunday, April 22

Game 6: Pittsburgh at Philadelphia (TBD)*

Game 6: Nashville at Colorado (TBD)*

Game 6: Minnesota at Winnipeg (TBD)*

Game 6: Anaheim at San Jose (TBD)*

Monday, April 23

Game 6: Tampa Bay at New Jersey (TBD)*

Game 6: Boston at Toronto (TBD)*

Game 6: Washington at Columbus (TBD)*

Game 7: Los Angeles at Vegas (TBD)*

Tuesday, April 24

Game 7: Philadelphia at Pittsburgh (TBD)*

Game 7: Colorado at Nashville (TBD)*

Game 7: San Jose at Anaheim (TBD)*

Wednesday, April 25

Game 7: New Jersey at Tampa Bay (TBD)*

Game 7: Toronto at Boston (TBD)*

Game 7: Columbus at Washington (TBD)*

Game 7: Minnesota at Winnipeg (TBD)*

*If necessary

Games can be live-streamed on NBC Sports Live.

Colorado Looking To Extend Incredible Season With 1st-Round Upset

The turnaround in Colorado is one of the best stories in hockey, as the Avalanche qualified for the playoffs after finishing with 48 points a year ago.

Colorado earned the final postseason spot in the Western Conference Saturday night, when they knocked off the St. Louis Blues at home in a winner-take-all game.

Their 4-5-1 record in the last 10 games may not strike fear in anyone, but the Avalanche could be a dangerous first-round opponent for top-seeded Nashville because of how loose they'll play as the underdog.

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

The Predators know all too well what an underdog is capable of in the postseason after it swept top-seeded Chicago as a wild-card team a year ago.

Colorado is going to threaten Nashville's defense with strong play from one of the best attacks in hockey featuring Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog.

MacKinnon, who is a candidate for the Hart Trophy, came three points short of 100, while Rantanen added 84 points and Landeskog contributed 62 points.

Although dealing with the injuries to Erik Johnson and Semyon Varlamov has been tough, the Avalanche will continue to rally around one another in an attempt to give Nashville the best series possible.

We're not saying Colorado is guaranteed to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the postseason, but expect it to play Nashville tighter than expected.

Don't Count Out Toronto

Much has been made of the Atlantic Division title race between Tampa Bay and Boston and the roles each team could play in the East postseason picture.

However, there is one team that could wreak havoc in the plans of the two best teams in the East, and that is the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Leafs tallied as many points in third place of the Atlantic as Metropolitan Division winner Washington, and they come into the playoffs with the best record in their last 10 games of top-three teams in the Atlantic.

Toronto defeated Boston three times in the regular season, and even if two of the victories came in November, it's still a boost for Mike Babcock's team entering the first round.

The young core led by Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews and William Nylander could be the difference-maker in a series against another young roster.

Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

In his last five games, Matthews provided the Leafs with four goals and five assists, which is a dangerous sign for the Bruins defense, as they'll have to commit numbers to silencing one of the best young centers in the sport.

Toronto also possesses an in-form goalie in Frederik Andersen, who stopped 29 shots or more in each of his last four games.

With confidence brewing in a young group of stars, the Leafs could be the surprise team to make a deep run out of the East.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from NHL.com