Capitals vs. Panthers first round schedule released originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
The Capitals will travel to Florida for Game 1 of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which is set to begin on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in Sunrise, Florida. All first-round games will be available regionally on NBC Sports Washington.
The league announced the full first-round schedule late Friday night, well after the Capitals concluded their season against the Rangers.
We're making it easier for you to find stories that matter with our new newsletter — The 4Front. Sign up here and get news that is important for you to your inbox.
The series will go every other day through its conclusion. Games 3 and 4 will be held at Capital One Arena on Saturday, May 7, and Monday, May 9. Game 3 is the only game so far scheduled for an afternoon puck drop (a 1 p.m. start).
If necessary, Games 5, 6 and 7 will be played on May 11, 13 and 15. The Capitals, as the lower seed, will host Game 6 on Friday, May 13, if the series lasts that long.
Washington is headed on the road to start the playoffs for the first time since the 2012 season. That year, they knocked off the second-seeded Bruins in Game 7 overtime. If the Capitals want to repeat that magic, they’ll need to knock off the Presidents’ Trophy winners.
The winner of the Capitals-Panthers series will face the winner of the Maple Leafs-Lightning series.
Here is the schedule, in full:
Game 1: Tuesday, May 3, 7:30 p.m. — FLA Live Arena - Capitals 4, Panthers 2
Game 2: Thursday, May 5, 7:30 p.m. — FLA Live Arena - Panthers 5, Capitals 1
Game 3: Saturday, May 7, 1 p.m. — Capital One Arena - Capitals 6, Panthers 1
Game 4: Monday, May 9, 7 p.m. — Capital One Arena - Panthers 3, Capitals 2 (OT)
Game 5: Wednesday, May 11, 7:30 p.m. — FLA Live Arena - Panthers 5, Capitals 3
Game 6: Friday, May 13, 7:30 p.m. — Capital One Arena
*Game 7: Sunday, May 15, TBD — FLA Live Arena
*If Necessary
