NHL Playoff Bracket 2020: TV, Live-Stream Schedule for Thursday Round 1 Matchups

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, every game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is being played at one of two arenas.

The Eastern Conference matchups are taking place at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, while Western Conference games are being held at Rogers Place in Edmonton. Because of that setup, starting times can be tentative based on how long earlier games take.

That's already made an impact on the postseason schedule, as the Tampa Bay Lightning and Columbus Blue Jackets played a five-overtime game to open their series on Tuesday. That caused Game 1 between the Boston Bruins and Carolina Hurricanes to be pushed back to Wednesday morning.

Those two series have produced two of the most exciting matchups so far. The Lightning beat the Blue Jackets 3-2 in their marathon game Tuesday, while the Bruins topped the Hurricanes 4-3 in double overtime. These teams will be back in action Thursday, when four Game 2 matchups are set to take place.

Here's everything you need to know heading into Thursday's action.

Thursday Schedule

Game 2: No. 7 Columbus Blue Jackets at No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning, 3 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

Game 2: No. 8 Chicago Blackhawks at No. 1 Vegas Golden Knights, 5:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

Game 2: No. 5 Carolina Hurricanes at No. 4 Boston Bruins, 8 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network

Game 2: No. 6 Calgary Flames at No. 3 Dallas Stars, 10:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network

All games can be streamed live at NBC Sports Live.

Thursday Preview

How much impact can playing a five-overtime game have on future matchups? We're about to find out Thursday, when the Lightning and Blue Jackets return to the ice for Game 2 of their first-round series. After getting swept by Columbus in the first round last year, Tampa Bay is off to a better start this time.

There could be a fatigue factor when both teams return to the ice, but both teams will be on an even playing field. And for the Blue Jackets, their primary focus will be finding a way to even the series and avoid falling in a big hole early.

"It's playoff hockey, you're going to lose games," Columbus right winger Oliver Bjorkstrand said, according to Field Level Media (h/t ESPN.com). "This was just a long OT game we lost, so it's no different. We've just got to bounce back and be ready for the next game, and we will."

The Blue Jackets are the only team currently in the playoffs that played a full five-game series in the qualifying round, as they went the distance to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs. So, they've had plenty of time on the ice to return to game form after the league's 4 1/2-month shutdown.

Since the NHL has returned, the Lightning have found ways to pull out close victories. They beat the Capitals in a shootout in their first round-robin seeding game, then notched a one-goal win over the Bruins. 

Like the Lightning, the Hurricanes are trying to avenge a playoff series loss from last year. They were swept by the Bruins in the Eastern Conference Finals, then lost Game 1 of this year's first-round series to them in double overtime.

But Carolina played a competitive game, and it could be poised to bounce back Thursday to even the series and keep it close throughout. However, the Hurricanes may have to improve in a few areas to do so.

"As a group, we didn't love our effort," Carolina captain Jordan Staal said, according to Field Level Media (h/t ESPN.com). "We have to do better, if we want to beat the best."

The Golden Knights will be looking to continue their strong offensive play in Game 2 of their series against the Blackhawks. They scored 15 total goals while going 3-0 in their round-robin seeding games, then got off to a strong start with a 4-1 victory over Chicago.

In Thursday's final matchup, the Flames, who are the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference, will look to take a 2-0 lead against the No. 3-seeded Stars and potentially get closer to pulling off a first-round upset. Calgary has been playing strong defense of late, so Dallas will need to find a way to generate more offense if it wants to bounce back and even the series.