Schedule released for Washington Capitals and New York Rangers first round playoff series

Cancel your current plans because you have new plans. The NHL released the full schedule for the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs early in the morning after the regular season finally concluded and we finally know when the Capitals’ first-round series against the Rangers is happening.

Per the NHL:

NY Rangers [M1] vs. Washington [WC2]

Game 1
3 pm – Sunday, April 21
at Madison Square Garden
ESPN, SN, TVAS

Game 2
7 pm – Tuesday, April 23
at Madison Square Garden
ESPN, SNE, SNO, SNW, TVAS

Game 3
7 pm – Friday, April 26
at Capital One Arena
TNT, truTV, MAX, SN360, TVAS

Game 4
8 pm – Sunday, April 28
at Capital One Arena
TBS, truTV, MAX, SNE, SNO, SNP, SN360, TVAS

*Game 5
Wednesday, May 1 TBD
at Madison Square Garden

*Game 6
Friday, May 3 TBD
at Capital One Arena

*Game 7
Sunday, May 5 TBD
at Madison Square Garden

* if necessary

The Capitals’ first round series will be aired on local TV as well. Per a Monumental Sports Network press release, “all Capitals games during the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs will be available on Monumental Sports Network to fans both on linear tv and via streaming platforms.”

The Capitals will enter the series as huge underdogs. The Rangers finished the regular season with the most standings points in the NHL while the Capitals squeaked in with the least, setting the salary cap era record as the team with worst goal differential to make NHL playoffs.

The victor of this series will go on to play the winner of the Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders in the second round.