NHL announces dates, times for playoff qualifying round

The NHL drops the puck for its 2020 playoffs on Saturday, August 1st, and on Tuesday the league announced the full schedule of games for the qualifying round and round-robin seeding matchups.

The playoffs will feature eight teams in each conference playing best-of-five series to advance to the formal Stanley Cup Playoffs. The top four teams in each conference will play a round-robin with each other to determine the top four seeds. Home-ice is not pertinent for this tournament, but there is always hope of facing a lesser opponent the higher your seeding.

The Eastern Conference will be based in Toronto, with all games played at Scotiabank Arena. The Western Conference will be based in Edmonton, with all games played at Rogers Place. All times below are ET. *=if necessary

EASTERN CONFERENCE (all games at Scotiabank Arena, Toronto)

(5) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (12) Montreal Canadiens

Saturday, Aug. 1: Canadiens vs. Penguins, 8 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 3: Canadiens vs. Penguins, 8 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 5: Penguins vs. Canadiens, 8 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 7: Penguins vs. Canadiens*
Saturday, Aug. 8: Canadiens vs. Penguins*

(6) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (11) New York Rangers

Saturday, Aug. 1: Rangers vs. Hurricanes, 12 p.m. ET
Monday, Aug. 3: Rangers vs. Hurricanes, 12 p.m. ET
Tuesday, Aug. 4: Hurricanes vs. Rangers, 8 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 6: Hurricanes vs. Rangers*
Saturday, Aug. 8: Rangers vs. Hurricanes*

(7) New York Islanders vs. (10) Florida Panthers

Saturday, Aug. 1: Panthers vs. Islanders, 4 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 4: Panthers vs. Islanders, 12 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 5: Islanders vs. Panthers, 12 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 7: Islanders vs. Panthers*
Sunday, Aug. 9: Panthers vs. Islanders*

(8) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (9) Columbus Blue Jackets

Sunday, Aug. 2: Blue Jackets vs. Maple Leafs, 8 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 4: Blue Jackets vs. Maple Leafs, 4 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 6: Maple Leafs vs. Blue Jackets, TBD
Friday, Aug. 7: Maple Leafs vs. Blue Jackets*, TBD
Sunday, Aug. 9: Blue Jackets vs. Maple Leafs*, TBD

Round-robin

Sunday, Aug. 2: Flyers vs. Bruins, 3 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 3: Capitals vs. Lightning, 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 5: Lightning vs. Bruins, 4 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 6: Capitals vs. Flyers, TBD
Saturday, Aug. 8: Bruins vs. Capitals, TBD
Sunday, Aug. 9: Flyers vs. Lightning, TBD

WESTERN CONFERENCE (all games at Rogers Place, Edmonton)

(5) Edmonton Oilers vs. (12) Chicago Blackhawks

Saturday, Aug. 1: Blackhawks vs. Oilers, 3 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 3: Blackhawks vs. Oilers, 10:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 5: Oilers vs. Blackhawks, 10:30 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 7: Oilers vs. Blackhawks*, TBD
Saturday, Aug. 8: Blackhawks vs. Oilers*, TBD

(6) Nashville Predators vs. (11) Arizona Coyotes

Sunday, Aug. 2: Coyotes vs. Predators, 2 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 4: Coyotes vs. Predators, 2:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 5: Predators vs. Coyotes, 2:30 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 7: Predators vs. Coyotes*, TBD
Sunday, Aug. 9: Coyotes vs. Predators*, TBD

(7) Vancouver Canucks vs. (10) Minnesota Wild

Sunday, Aug. 2: Wild vs. Canucks, 10:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 4: Wild vs. Canucks, 10:45 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 6: Canucks vs. Wild, TBD
Friday, Aug. 7: Canucks vs. Wild*, TBD
Sunday, Aug. 9: Wild vs. Canucks*, TBD

(8) Calgary Flames vs. (9) Winnipeg Jets

Saturday, Aug. 1: Jets vs. Flames, 10:30 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 3: Jets vs. Flames, 2:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 4: Flames vs. Jets, 4:45 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 6: Flames vs. Jets*, TBD
Saturday, Aug. 8: Jets vs. Flames*, TBD

Round-robin

Sunday, Aug. 2: Blues vs. Avalanche, 6:30 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 3: Stars vs. Golden Knights, 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 5: Avalanche vs. Stars, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 6: Golden Knights vs. Blues, TBD
Saturday, Aug. 8: Golden Knights vs. Avalanche, TBD
Sunday, Aug. 9: Stars vs. Blues, TBD