After the first night of action, we have the final results of the first three games of the NHL playoffs. The Penguins, Jets and Golden Knights all came out on top, with the Penguins definitely looking like the most dominant team. The Jets and Golden Knights had lulls in their victories, but they definitely had the aura of two teams feeling out their opponents.
There's a lot of hockey left to be played, and even more Game 1 action tomorrow.
NHL schedule, results for Wednesday, Apr. 11
Live updates
To relive all the action, check out all the highlights from Wednesday night's live blog.
Vegas wins its inaugural playoff game
It started out super weird, then it started really fast, then everything just cratered in this game. After the longest, surrealist pregame show the NHL has ever seen, Vegas immediately set off the red light, with Shea Theodore burying a wicked wrister from the blue line that might have gotten some help in front of the net.
Vegas quickly on the board with their first-ever playoff goal pic.twitter.com/1jF7xyjmNq — Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) April 12, 2018
After that ... well, the most exciting thing that happened was Marc-Andre Fleury juggling a puck.
Marc-Andre Fleury party tricks pic.twitter.com/TYpfFZWOkj — Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) April 12, 2018
We pretty much got what we expected. Two teams feeling each other out for what promises to be a long, physical series. Both of these teams were physical all game, with numerous scrums breaking out in front of the net, and the Kings' defense was stout while the Golden Knights' attack was relentless. Marc-Andre Fleury put up a 30-save shutout for the Golden Knights, while Jonathan Quick settled in for the Kings after that first goal.
The Golden Knights were clearly running on adrenaline early, but that appeared to fizzle out pretty quickly. Both of these teams are in for a really rough series if this pace keeps up.
Jets get first playoff victory in franchise history
Well, you know, the Jets 2.0.
Winnipeg edged out Minnesota 3-2 in their series opener, giving this particular franchise its first postseason victory dating back to their days as the Atlanta Thrashers. (They had been swept in their previous two playoff series.) The Jets got goals from Mark Scheifele, Patrik Laine and Joe Morrow -- all three scoring their first career playoff goals.
Patrik Laine’s first career playoff goal pic.twitter.com/odxA7hSUfC — Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) April 12, 2018
Winnipeg is an offensive force and had a great regular season, which is why a lot of people are picking them to take this series decisively. But, for what it's worth, Minnesota battled throughout this one and it was a pretty tight, physical game until the end. With that being said, the Jets doubled the Wild's shots on net (40-20) and it was a promising start to what they're hoping will be a deep playoff run.
Crosby nets hat trick, Penguins get off to hot start vs. Flyers
It appears Philadelphia wasn't quite ready for the back-to-back champs in the opening game of their series on Wednesday, as the Penguins came out of the gate hot and thumped the Flyers 7-0. The Pens scored three goals on their first 10 shots of the game, with the best of those three coming off the stick of Evgeni Malkin, who beat Brian Elliott with a backhander from inside the right faceoff circle.
Malkin goes backhand on Elliott pic.twitter.com/6ylZF2dpvy — Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) April 11, 2018
Flyers goalie Brian Elliott didn't get much help from his defense, but his showing in the opening period of the series certainly left a lot to be desired for Philly fans. He was replaced by Petr Mrazek in the second period after Sidney Crosby scored Pittsburgh's fifth goal. That goal came on a gorgeous mid-air swat by Crosby, who is just completely ridiculous when it comes to hand-eye coordination.
The ol’ Crosby mid-air special pic.twitter.com/qV1W68RMOt — Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) April 12, 2018
That was Crosby's first of three goals on the night, and he needed only four shots to complete the hat trick. The mid-air goal might not have even been his best on Wednesday, because ... well, look at this redirect.
Crosby caps the hat trick with a sick redirect in front pic.twitter.com/EhTQLQQj6U — Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) April 12, 2018
I have watched this replay numerous times and still can't really comprehend it. Crosby's tip so nonchalant and at such a weird angle, yet the velocity on the redirect is staggering and it's perfectly placed off the iron and in. Sometimes the dude is just a straight-up cheat code.
Obviously, this is only the first game of the playoffs but, man, there's not much to feel good about if you're a Philadelphia fan. Crosby is in God Mode already, the Flyers' defense was a mess, and Elliott looked atrocious. Not a great start for the guys in orange.
Everything you need to know to watch the playoffs
Not everyone follows all season, and we understand that. If you're wondering where you can find these games on TV, Pete Blackburn has everything you need to follow all of the Stanley Cup action. Just look here.
First thing's first: Who should you cheer for in this postseason?
Maybe you're a fan without a country as we enter the NHL playoffs. Don't worry, we have reasons that you should root for and reasons you should root against every team in this year's playoffs. There's a lot to unpack going in, so draw your own conclusions on whether you like or dislike the six teams playing tonight.
Who's going to win?
We don't know! That's kind of the point. We have educated guesses and predictions, but all of that flies out the window once the puck is dropped. Either way, the staff here has made our picks and our genuinely irresponsible bold predictions. You can find those here.
Odds for each series
The experts at SportsLine have run simulations and have your betting odds for the eventual Stanley Cup Champions. Both conferences have genuinely interesting sleepers and matchups. You can find all of those odds here.
After the first night of action, we have the final results of the first three games of the NHL playoffs. The Penguins, Jets and Golden Knights all came out on top, with the Penguins definitely looking like the most dominant team. The Jets and Golden Knights had lulls in their victories, but they definitely had the aura of two teams feeling out their opponents.
There's a lot of hockey left to be played, and even more Game 1 action tomorrow.
NHL schedule, results for Wednesday, Apr. 11
Live updates
To relive all the action, check out all the highlights from Wednesday night's live blog.
Vegas wins its inaugural playoff game
It started out super weird, then it started really fast, then everything just cratered in this game. After the longest, surrealist pregame show the NHL has ever seen, Vegas immediately set off the red light, with Shea Theodore burying a wicked wrister from the blue line that might have gotten some help in front of the net.
Vegas quickly on the board with their first-ever playoff goal pic.twitter.com/1jF7xyjmNq — Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) April 12, 2018
After that ... well, the most exciting thing that happened was Marc-Andre Fleury juggling a puck.
Marc-Andre Fleury party tricks pic.twitter.com/TYpfFZWOkj — Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) April 12, 2018
We pretty much got what we expected. Two teams feeling each other out for what promises to be a long, physical series. Both of these teams were physical all game, with numerous scrums breaking out in front of the net, and the Kings' defense was stout while the Golden Knights' attack was relentless. Marc-Andre Fleury put up a 30-save shutout for the Golden Knights, while Jonathan Quick settled in for the Kings after that first goal.
The Golden Knights were clearly running on adrenaline early, but that appeared to fizzle out pretty quickly. Both of these teams are in for a really rough series if this pace keeps up.
Jets get first playoff victory in franchise history
Well, you know, the Jets 2.0.
Winnipeg edged out Minnesota 3-2 in their series opener, giving this particular franchise its first postseason victory dating back to their days as the Atlanta Thrashers. (They had been swept in their previous two playoff series.) The Jets got goals from Mark Scheifele, Patrik Laine and Joe Morrow -- all three scoring their first career playoff goals.
Patrik Laine’s first career playoff goal pic.twitter.com/odxA7hSUfC — Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) April 12, 2018
Winnipeg is an offensive force and had a great regular season, which is why a lot of people are picking them to take this series decisively. But, for what it's worth, Minnesota battled throughout this one and it was a pretty tight, physical game until the end. With that being said, the Jets doubled the Wild's shots on net (40-20) and it was a promising start to what they're hoping will be a deep playoff run.
Crosby nets hat trick, Penguins get off to hot start vs. Flyers
It appears Philadelphia wasn't quite ready for the back-to-back champs in the opening game of their series on Wednesday, as the Penguins came out of the gate hot and thumped the Flyers 7-0. The Pens scored three goals on their first 10 shots of the game, with the best of those three coming off the stick of Evgeni Malkin, who beat Brian Elliott with a backhander from inside the right faceoff circle.
Malkin goes backhand on Elliott pic.twitter.com/6ylZF2dpvy — Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) April 11, 2018
Flyers goalie Brian Elliott didn't get much help from his defense, but his showing in the opening period of the series certainly left a lot to be desired for Philly fans. He was replaced by Petr Mrazek in the second period after Sidney Crosby scored Pittsburgh's fifth goal. That goal came on a gorgeous mid-air swat by Crosby, who is just completely ridiculous when it comes to hand-eye coordination.
The ol’ Crosby mid-air special pic.twitter.com/qV1W68RMOt — Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) April 12, 2018
That was Crosby's first of three goals on the night, and he needed only four shots to complete the hat trick. The mid-air goal might not have even been his best on Wednesday, because ... well, look at this redirect.
Crosby caps the hat trick with a sick redirect in front pic.twitter.com/EhTQLQQj6U — Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) April 12, 2018
I have watched this replay numerous times and still can't really comprehend it. Crosby's tip so nonchalant and at such a weird angle, yet the velocity on the redirect is staggering and it's perfectly placed off the iron and in. Sometimes the dude is just a straight-up cheat code.
Obviously, this is only the first game of the playoffs but, man, there's not much to feel good about if you're a Philadelphia fan. Crosby is in God Mode already, the Flyers' defense was a mess, and Elliott looked atrocious. Not a great start for the guys in orange.
Everything you need to know to watch the playoffs
Not everyone follows all season, and we understand that. If you're wondering where you can find these games on TV, Pete Blackburn has everything you need to follow all of the Stanley Cup action. Just look here.
First thing's first: Who should you cheer for in this postseason?
Maybe you're a fan without a country as we enter the NHL playoffs. Don't worry, we have reasons that you should root for and reasons you should root against every team in this year's playoffs. There's a lot to unpack going in, so draw your own conclusions on whether you like or dislike the six teams playing tonight.
Who's going to win?
We don't know! That's kind of the point. We have educated guesses and predictions, but all of that flies out the window once the puck is dropped. Either way, the staff here has made our picks and our genuinely irresponsible bold predictions. You can find those here.
Odds for each series
The experts at SportsLine have run simulations and have your betting odds for the eventual Stanley Cup Champions. Both conferences have genuinely interesting sleepers and matchups. You can find all of those odds here.
After the first night of action, we have the final results of the first three games of the NHL playoffs. The Penguins, Jets and Golden Knights all came out on top, with the Penguins definitely looking like the most dominant team. The Jets and Golden Knights had lulls in their victories, but they definitely had the aura of two teams feeling out their opponents.
There's a lot of hockey left to be played, and even more Game 1 action tomorrow.
NHL schedule, results for Wednesday, Apr. 11
Live updates
To relive all the action, check out all the highlights from Wednesday night's live blog.
Vegas wins its inaugural playoff game
It started out super weird, then it started really fast, then everything just cratered in this game. After the longest, surrealist pregame show the NHL has ever seen, Vegas immediately set off the red light, with Shea Theodore burying a wicked wrister from the blue line that might have gotten some help in front of the net.
Vegas quickly on the board with their first-ever playoff goal pic.twitter.com/1jF7xyjmNq — Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) April 12, 2018
After that ... well, the most exciting thing that happened was Marc-Andre Fleury juggling a puck.
Marc-Andre Fleury party tricks pic.twitter.com/TYpfFZWOkj — Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) April 12, 2018
We pretty much got what we expected. Two teams feeling each other out for what promises to be a long, physical series. Both of these teams were physical all game, with numerous scrums breaking out in front of the net, and the Kings' defense was stout while the Golden Knights' attack was relentless. Marc-Andre Fleury put up a 30-save shutout for the Golden Knights, while Jonathan Quick settled in for the Kings after that first goal.
The Golden Knights were clearly running on adrenaline early, but that appeared to fizzle out pretty quickly. Both of these teams are in for a really rough series if this pace keeps up.
Jets get first playoff victory in franchise history
Well, you know, the Jets 2.0.
Winnipeg edged out Minnesota 3-2 in their series opener, giving this particular franchise its first postseason victory dating back to their days as the Atlanta Thrashers. (They had been swept in their previous two playoff series.) The Jets got goals from Mark Scheifele, Patrik Laine and Joe Morrow -- all three scoring their first career playoff goals.
Patrik Laine’s first career playoff goal pic.twitter.com/odxA7hSUfC — Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) April 12, 2018
Winnipeg is an offensive force and had a great regular season, which is why a lot of people are picking them to take this series decisively. But, for what it's worth, Minnesota battled throughout this one and it was a pretty tight, physical game until the end. With that being said, the Jets doubled the Wild's shots on net (40-20) and it was a promising start to what they're hoping will be a deep playoff run.
Crosby nets hat trick, Penguins get off to hot start vs. Flyers
It appears Philadelphia wasn't quite ready for the back-to-back champs in the opening game of their series on Wednesday, as the Penguins came out of the gate hot and thumped the Flyers 7-0. The Pens scored three goals on their first 10 shots of the game, with the best of those three coming off the stick of Evgeni Malkin, who beat Brian Elliott with a backhander from inside the right faceoff circle.
Malkin goes backhand on Elliott pic.twitter.com/6ylZF2dpvy — Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) April 11, 2018
Flyers goalie Brian Elliott didn't get much help from his defense, but his showing in the opening period of the series certainly left a lot to be desired for Philly fans. He was replaced by Petr Mrazek in the second period after Sidney Crosby scored Pittsburgh's fifth goal. That goal came on a gorgeous mid-air swat by Crosby, who is just completely ridiculous when it comes to hand-eye coordination.
The ol’ Crosby mid-air special pic.twitter.com/qV1W68RMOt — Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) April 12, 2018
That was Crosby's first of three goals on the night, and he needed only four shots to complete the hat trick. The mid-air goal might not have even been his best on Wednesday, because ... well, look at this redirect.
Crosby caps the hat trick with a sick redirect in front pic.twitter.com/EhTQLQQj6U — Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) April 12, 2018
I have watched this replay numerous times and still can't really comprehend it. Crosby's tip so nonchalant and at such a weird angle, yet the velocity on the redirect is staggering and it's perfectly placed off the iron and in. Sometimes the dude is just a straight-up cheat code.
Obviously, this is only the first game of the playoffs but, man, there's not much to feel good about if you're a Philadelphia fan. Crosby is in God Mode already, the Flyers' defense was a mess, and Elliott looked atrocious. Not a great start for the guys in orange.
Everything you need to know to watch the playoffs
Not everyone follows all season, and we understand that. If you're wondering where you can find these games on TV, Pete Blackburn has everything you need to follow all of the Stanley Cup action. Just look here.
First thing's first: Who should you cheer for in this postseason?
Maybe you're a fan without a country as we enter the NHL playoffs. Don't worry, we have reasons that you should root for and reasons you should root against every team in this year's playoffs. There's a lot to unpack going in, so draw your own conclusions on whether you like or dislike the six teams playing tonight.
Who's going to win?
We don't know! That's kind of the point. We have educated guesses and predictions, but all of that flies out the window once the puck is dropped. Either way, the staff here has made our picks and our genuinely irresponsible bold predictions. You can find those here.
Odds for each series
The experts at SportsLine have run simulations and have your betting odds for the eventual Stanley Cup Champions. Both conferences have genuinely interesting sleepers and matchups. You can find all of those odds here.
Welcome to the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs! The defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins are looking to three-peat, while the Las Vegas Golden Knights are making their first appearance after finishing their debut season with 47 wins.
Here is everything you need to know to keep track of the playoffs from the opening night of the first round through the Stanley Cup Finals: We’ve got regular-season standings, playoff schedules and NHL live stream information, and even the Stanley Cup playoff bracket.
NHL playoff format
The format for the Stanley Cup Playoffs has the top three teams from each division (Atlantic, Central, Metropolitan, Pacific) receiving an automatic berth to the postseason. The other four playoff spots go to the two wild card teams in each conference.
Therefore, the top seeds in both conferences play the lower-seeded wild card teams in the first round, while the other division winners will drop the puck against the other wild card teams.
Stanley Cup playoff teams
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
Metropolitan Division
Washington Capitals - 105 points Pittsburgh Penguins - 100 points Philadelphia Flyers - 98 points
Wild cards
Western Conference
Central Division
Nashville Predators - 117 points Winnipeg Jets - 114 points Minnesota Wild - 101 points
Pacific Division
Vegas Golden Knights - 109 points Anaheim Ducks - 101 points San Jose Sharks - 100 points
Wild cards
Los Angeles Kings - 98 points Colorado Avalanche - 95 points
Bracket
Schedule
All times ET
*if necessary
First round
Eastern Conference
No. 1 Tampa Bay vs. WC New Jersey
Game 1 - Thursday, April 12: Devils at Lightning, 7 p.m. (NHL Network, SN, TVA Sports)
Game 2 - Saturday, April 14: Devils at Lightning, 3 p.m. (NBC, CNBC, SN360, TVA Sports)
Game 3 - Monday, April 16: Lightning at Devils, 7:30 pm. (CNBC, SN, TVA Sports)
Game 4 - Wednesday, April 18: Lightning at Devils, 7:30 p.m. (GOLF, SN, TVA Sports)
Game 5* - Saturday, April 21: Devils at Lightning, TBD (TBD)
Game 6* - Monday, April 23: Lightning at Devils, TBD (TBD)
Game 7* - Wednesday, April 25: Devils at Lightning, TBD (TBD)
No. 2 Boston vs. No. 3 Toronto
Game 1 - Thursday, April 12: Maple Leafs at Bruins, 7 p.m. (NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports)
Game 2 - Saturday, April 14: Maple Leafs at Bruins, 8 p.m. (NBC, CBC, TVA Sports)
Game 3 - Monday, April 16: Bruins at Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. (CBC, TVA Sports, NBCSN)
Game 4 - Thursday, April 19: Bruins at Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. (CBC, TVA Sports, NBCSN)
Game 5* - Saturday, April 21: Maple Leafs at Bruins, TBD (TBD)
Game 6* - Monday, April 23: Bruins at Maple Leafs, TBD (TBD)
Game 7* - Wednesday, April 25: Maple Leafs at Bruins, TBD (TBD)
No. 1 Washington vs. WC Columbus
Game 1 - Thursday, April 12: Blue Jackets at Capitals, 7:30 p.m. (USA, SN360, TVA Sports)
Game 2 - Sunday, April 15: Blue Jackets at Capitals, 7:30 p.m. (NBCSN, SN360, TVA Sports)
Game 3 - Tuesday, April 17: Capitals at Blue Jackets, 7:30 p.m. (NBCSN, SN360, TVA Sports)
Game 4 - Thursday, April 19: Capitals at Blue Jackets, 7:30 p.m. (USA, SN, TVA Sports)
Game 5* - Saturday, April 21: Blue Jackets at Capitals, TBD (TBD)
Game 6* - Monday, April 23: Capitals at Blue Jackets, TBD (TBD)
Game 7* - Wednesday, April 25: Blue Jackets at Capitals, TBD (TBD)
No. 2 Pittsburgh vs. No. 3 Philadelphia
Game 1 - Wednesday, April 11: Penguins 7, Flyers 0
Game 2 - Friday, April 13: Flyers at Penguins, 7 p.m. (NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports)
Game 3 - Sunday, April 15: Penguins at Flyers, 3 p.m. (NBC, CBC, TVA Sports)
Game 4 - Wednesday, April 18: Penguins at Flyers, 7 p.m. (NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports)
Game 5* - Friday, April 20: Flyers at Penguins, TBD (TBD)
Game 6* - Sunday, April 22: Penguins at Flyers, TBD (TBD)
Game 7* - Tuesday, April 24: Flyers at Penguins, TBD (TBD)
Western Conference
No. 1 Nashville vs. WC Colorado
Game 1 - Thursday, April 12: Avalanche at Predators, 9:30 p.m. (NBCSN, SN, TVA Sports)
Game 2 - Saturday, April 14: Avalanche at Predators, 3 p.m. (NBC, CNBC, SN, TVA Sports)
Game 3 - Monday, April 16: Predators at Avalanche, 10 p.m. (NBCSN, SN, TVA Sports)
Game 4 - Wednesday, April 18: Predators at Avalanche, 10 p.m. (NBCSN, SN, TVA Sports)
Game 5* - Friday, April 20: Avalanche at Predators, TBD (TBD)
Game 6* - Sunday, April 22: Predators at Avalanche, TBD (TBD)
Game 7* - Tuesday, April 24: Avalanche at Predators, TBD (TBD)
No. 2 Winnipeg vs. No. 3 Minnesota
Game 1 - Wednesday, April 11: Jets 3, Wild 2
Game 2 - Friday, April 13: Wild at Jets, 7:30 p.m. (SN, TVA Sports, USA)
Game 3 - Sunday, April 15: Jets at Wild, 7 p.m. (USA, SN, TVA Sports)
Game 4 - Tuesday, April 17: Jets at Wild, 8 p.m. (CNBC, SN, TVA Sports)
Game 5* - Friday, April 20: Wild at Jets, TBD (TBD)
Game 6* - Sunday, April 22: Jets at Wild, TBD (TBD)
Game 7* - Wednesday, April 25: Wild at Jets, TBD (TBD)
No. 1 Las Vegas vs. WC Los Angeles
Game 1 - Wednesday, April 11: Golden Knights 1, Kings 0
Game 2 - Friday, April 13: Kings at Golden Knights, 10 p.m. (NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports)
Game 3 - Sunday, April 15: Golden Knights at Kings, 10:30 p.m. (NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports)
Game 4 - Tuesday, April 17: Golden Knights at Kings, 10:30 p.m. (NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports)
Game 5* - Thursday, April 19: Kings at Golden Knights, 10 p.m. (NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports)
Game 6* - Saturday, April 21: Golden Knights at Kings, TBD (TBD)
Game 7* - Monday, April 23: Kings at Golden Knights, TBD (TBD)
No. 2 Anaheim vs. No. 3 San Jose
Game 1 - Thursday, April 12: Sharks at Ducks, 10:30 p.m. (USA, SN360, TVA Sports)
Game 2 - Saturday, April 14: Sharks at Ducks, 10:30 p.m. (NBCSN, SN360, TVA Sports)
Game 3 - Monday, April 16: Ducks at Sharks, 10:30 p.m. (CNBC, SN1, TVA Sports)
Game 4 - Wednesday, April 18: Ducks at Sharks, 10:30 p.m. (GOLF, SN1, TVA Sports)
Game 5* - Friday, April 20: Sharks at Ducks, TBD (TBD)
Game 6* - Sunday, April 22: Ducks at Sharks, TBD (TBD)
Game 7* - Tuesday, April 24: Sharks at Ducks, TBD (TBD)
