Jeremy Swayman. Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

NHL releases first-round Stanley Cup playoff schedule

Originally posted on Daily Faceoff | By Colton Davies | Last updated 4/14/23

The chase for Lord Stanley will begin Monday.

After a dramatic ending to an exhilarating 82-game schedule that saw heartbreaks and last-ditch efforts to make the playoffs, 16 teams will battle to capture the Stanley Cup. We saw the Boston Bruins become the fastest team to reach 50 wins. They continued to etch their names into the history books by setting the NHL’s regular season points record with 133 points, surpassing the Montreal Canadiens dynasty that set the previous record in 1976-77.

There were also a whopping number of player accomplishments this season too. Connor McDavid became the first player to register 150 points in a season since Mario Lemieux. Jason Robertson set the Dallas Stars’ regular season point total record after registering 109 points. Jack Hughes set the points record for the New Jersey Devils after a career-high season, notching 99 points, and Sharks’ Erik Karlsson became the first defenseman to register 100 points since 1991-92.

The Pittsburgh Penguins saw their playoff dreams crushed this last week, marking the first time since 2005-06 that Sidney Crosby and the Penguins have not reached the playoffs. Alex Ovechkin and his Washington Capitals were also eliminated from playoff contention marking the first time in nine seasons.

With the bracket nearly set, it’s time to expect the unexpected.

Here are the first two dates for each of the eight Stanley Cup matchups, with times to be determined: