NHL Playoffs 2024: How to Watch Without Cable, Schedule, Matchups, TV Times – CNET

See at Sling TV

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Sling TV

Carries TBS, TNT, ESPN and ESPN 2 for $40 per month

See at YouTube TV

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YouTube TV

Carries ABC, ESPN, ESPN 2, TBS and TNT for $73 per month

See at Max

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Max

TBS and TNT games for $10 per month

It’s the greatest time of year for hockey fans. The animosity that develops between two teams over a seven-game series. The intensity of sudden-death overtime. Playoff beards. The ability of a hot goaltender to lead an underdog team on a deep playoff run. And the Holy Grail that is the Stanley Cup trophy itself. The NHL playoffs have begun and are sure to be filled with drama between now and the NHL finals in June.

New York Rangers rookie Matt Rempe sets up in the crease New York Rangers rookie Matt Rempe sets up in the crease

New York Rangers rookie Matt Rempe sets up in the crease against the Washington Capitals in the first game of their first-round series.

Joshua Sarner/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

How to watch the NHL playoffs

The Stanley Cup playoffs will be shown on ABC, ESPN, ESPN 2, TBS and TNT. You can watch the games with a cable subscription or a live TV streaming service. Four of the five major services (all but Fubo, which lacks TNT and TBS) offer the five channels needed to watch every NHL playoff game. You can also watch the TNT and TBS games with Max.

What is the NHL playoff schedule?

Here’s the schedule for tonight and the next few days of the Stanley Cup playoffs (all times ET). 

Tuesday, April 23 

  • Capitals vs. Rangers, 7 p.m. on ESPN (Rangers lead series 1-0)
  • Lightning vs. Panthers, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN 2 (Panthers lead 1-0)
  • Avalanche vs. Jets, 9:30 p.m. on ESPN 2 (Jets lead 1-0)
  • Predators vs. Canucks, 10 p.m. on ESPN (Canucks lead 1-0)

Wednesday, April 24

  • Bruins vs. Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. on ESPN and NESN (series tied 1-1)
  • Golden Knights vs. Stars, 9:30 p.m. on ESPN (Knights lead 1-0)
  • Kings vs. Oilers, 10 p.m. on TBS (Oilers lead 1-0)

Thursday, April 25

  • Panthers vs. Lightning, 7 p.m. on TBS (Panthers lead 1-0)
  • Hurricanes vs. Islanders, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN 2 (Canes lead 2-0)

Friday, April 26

  • Rangers vs. Capitals, 7 p.m. on TNT (Rangers lead series 1-0)
  • Canucks vs. Predators, 7:30 p.m. on TBS (Canucks lead 1-0)
  • Jets vs. Avalanche, 10 p.m. on TNT (Jets lead 1-0)
  • Oilers vs. Kings, 10:30 p.m. on TBS (Oilers lead 1-0)

What does the NHL playoff bracket look like?

The New York Rangers earned the top spot in the East with 114 points, while the Dallas Stars claimed the West’s first seed with 113 points. Here’s what the matchups look like for the 2024 NHL playoffs.

Hulu with Live TV costs $77 per month and includes all the channels you’ll need for the playoffs. Click the “View channels in your area” link on its welcome page to confirm which local channels are offered in your ZIP code.

Read our Hulu with Live TV review.

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Max/Warner Bros. Discovery

The ad-supported plan for Max costs $10 per month and will show the games that air on TBS and TNT. With just Max, however, you’ll miss games on ESPN and ABC.

Live sports on Max will soon require the $10-per-month B/R Sports add-on, but you won’t need to shell out for it just yet. Warner Bros. Discovery is delaying charging customers for the add-on for now and includes it in the standard subscription.

Read our Max review.

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