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Are you stocked in beer and junk food? Got your remote thumb ready? You better. Four series kick off tonight.
This posts doubles as our Thursday night playoff-watching thread, as well as our poll for the Sharks-Kings series.
The Sharks and Kings are Pacific powers. This should be a fantastic series and emotional rematch of last year's fantastic seven-game series. The Sharks are getting Tomas Hertl back, but the offense-challenged Kings have added Marian Gaborik, who produced 5-11-16 in 19 games since joining the Kings at the deadline.
As a bonus for the die-hards, it's an all-California series, so this one should provide riveting late-night and inebriated viewing throughout the next two weeks.
Anyway, vote in the poll at the bottom of this post, fill out our playoff bracket pool if you like, and here are previously posted series-by-series polls in the playoff stream:
- Pick 'em: Penguins vs. Blue Jackets
- Pick 'em: Lightning vs. Canadiens
- Pick 'em: Ducks vs. Stars
- Pick 'em: Rangers vs. Flyers
- Pick 'em: Blues vs. Blackhawks
Kings-Sharks Schedule, TV
| Game | Date | Time (ET) | Western Conference First Round | National TV |
| 1 | Thu, Apr 17 | 10:30 p.m. | Los Angeles at San Jose | NBCSN, CBC |
| 2 | Sun, Apr 20 | 10 p.m. | Los Angeles at San Jose | NBCSN, CBC |
| 3 | Tue, Apr 22 | 10 p.m. | San Jose at Los Angeles | NBCSN, CBC |
| 4 | Thu, Apr 24 | 10:30 p.m. | San Jose at Los Angeles | NBCSN, CBC |
| 5* | Sat, Apr 26 | TBD | Los Angeles at San Jose | NBCSN, CBC |
| 6* | Mon, Apr 28 | TBD | San Jose at Los Angeles | CBC |
| 7* | Wed, Apr 30 | TBD | Los Angeles at San Jose | CBC |
Anyway, we post this on Thursday. Here are evening's details, via LHH's overlords:
Philadelphia Flyers at New York Rangers
Game 1, Eastern Conference First Round | Series tied 0-0
7 p.m. ET | [the world's most self-congratulatory arena] | Manhattan, N.Y.
Local TV: CSN Philadelphia | MSG (NY)
National TV: CNBC (US) | TSN, RDS (Canada)
Live online stream at NBCSports.com (US) and TSN.ca (Canada)
More: Series preview | Flyers blog | Rangers blog
***
Chicago Blackhawks at St. Louis Blues
Game 1, Western Conference First Round | Series tied 0-0
8 p.m. ET | [Kiel] Center | St. Louis, Mo.
Local TV: CSN Chicago | FS Midwest (STL)
National TV: NBCSN (US) | CBC, RDS2 (Canada)
Live online stream at NBCSports.com (USA) and CBC.ca (Canada)
More: Blackhawks blog | Blues blog
***
Minnesota Wild at Colorado Avalanche
Game 1, Western Conference First Round | Series tied 0-0
9:30 p.m. ET | ["won't you gentlemen have a Spies Like Us?"] Center | Denver, Colo.
Local TV: Altitude (COL) | FS North (MIN)
National TV: CNBC (US) | TSN, RDS (Canada)
Live online stream at NBCSports.com (USA) and TSN.ca (Canada)
More: Series preview | Wild blog | Avalanche blog
***
Los Angeles Kings at San Jose Sharks
Game 1, Western Conference First Round | Series tied 0-0
10:30 p.m. ET | [to tap of all energy] Center | San Jose, Calif.
Local TV: CSN California (SJ) | FS West (LA)
National TV: NBCSN (US) | CBC, RDS2 (Canada)
Live online stream at NBCSports.com (USA) and CBC.ca (Canada)
More: Series preview | Kings blog | Sharks blog
