NHL

NHL reveals full first-round playoff schedules for Rangers, Islanders

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Social Links for Bridget Reilly
Published April 19, 2024, 7:51 p.m. ET

Mark your calendars, Rangers and Islanders fans — the NHL has released the schedule for the first round of the playoffs.

The Rangers, who will be chasing the franchise’s first Stanley Cup title since 1994, are going to dance around with the Knicks for access to the Garden as the NBA Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed begins its playoff run on Saturday night against the 76ers.

Rangers left wing Will Cuylle #50 (left) and New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad #93, battling for the puck during practice in Tarrytown, New York.
Rangers left wing Will Cuylle and New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad battling for the puck during practice in Tarrytown, New York. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

After the Blueshirts’ Game 1 on Sunday at 3 p.m., the Rangers — winners of the Presidents’ Trophy — will host the Capitals, the second wild card in the Eastern Conference, again on Tuesday, April 23, at 7 p.m.

The two teams then head to Washington, D.C., for Games 3 and 4 on Friday, April 26, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, April 28, at 8 p.m.

If needed, two of the remaining three games would be played in New York — Games 5 and 7 on May 1 and May 5, respectively.

Game 6 would take place in the nation’s capital on May 3.

Times for Games 5-7 are still to be determined.

It will be the 10th time the two teams are meeting in the postseason, and the Rangers have had the upper hand in the last three playoff meetings — 2012, 2013 and 2015. 

The Islanders start their series off on the road against the Hurricanes on Saturday at 5 p.m. at PNC Arena, and they will remain there for Game 2 on Monday, April 22, at 7:30 p.m.

UBS Arena will host Games 3 and 4 on Thursday, April 25, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, April 27, for a 2 p.m. puck drop.

Michael Bunting, left, and New York Islanders' Ryan Pulock jockey for position during the third period of an NHL hockey game.
Michael Bunting, left, and New York Islanders’ Ryan Pulock jockey for position during the third period of an NHL hockey game. AP

If the series goes through seven games between the No. 2 Metropolitan Division-seeded Hurricanes and No. 3-seeded Islanders, Games 5 and 7 will be held at PNC Arena on April 30 and May 4, respectively, while Game 6 will be on Long Island on May 2.

Like the Rangers’ series, the game times have not been decided for the Islanders and Hurricanes past Game 4.

It’s the third time the Islanders will meet the Hurricanes in the postseason and the second time in as many years after Carolina knocked them out in 2019 and 2023.

The Rangers will have the first four games broadcast locally on MSG Network, while the Islanders will air in the New York area on MSG Sportsnet.