When will the 2021 Stanley Cup Final start?

Friday PM update: The Lightning beat the Islanders to clinch the other spot in the Stanley Cup Final. Here is the complete schedule:

Game 1: Canadiens at Lightning, June 28, 8:00pm ET — NBC Sports Network
Game 2: Canadiens at Lightning, June 30, 8:00pm ET — NBC Sports Network
Game 3: Lightning at Canadiens, July 2, 8:00pm ET — NBC
Game 4: Lightning at Canadiens, July 5, 8:00pm ET — NBC
Game 5 (if necessary): Canadiens at Lightning, July 7, 8:00pm ET — NBC
Game 6 (if necessary): Lightning at Canadiens, July 9, 8:00pm ET — NBC
Game 7 (if necessary): Canadiens at Lightning, July 11, 7:00pm ET — NBC

Friday AM update: The NHL announced the Stanley Cup Final will begin on Monday, June 28. The winner of Friday evening’s Game 7 between the Islanders and Lightning will host Game 1. Montreal has clinched a berth in the Final.

The 2021 NHL Playoffs have advanced to the Stanley Cup Semifinals, which means the Stanley Cup Finals are just around the corner. The No. 1 seed Vegas Golden Knights will face the No. 4 seed Montreal Canadiens and the No. 2 seed Tampa Bay Lightning will face the No. 3 seed New York Islanders.

The puck drops for Game 1 of Lightning-Islanders on Sunday, June 13 and the latest that series can run is Friday, June 25. The puck drops for Game 1 of Canadiens-Golden Knights on Monday, June 14 and the latest that series can run is Saturday, June 26. The Stanley Cup Finals will begin once the two semifinal series wrap up, and right now we’re looking at a late June start date for the final round of the playoffs.

The Lightning are -250 favorites over the Islanders and the Golden Knights are -400 favorites over the Canadiens. Upsets are always possible, but if the favorites handle their business, the Stanley Cup Finals could arrive sooner than expected.

Stanley Cup Finals start date

June 24 update: The Canadiens finished off the Golden Knights, winning the series in six. They’ll face the winner of Lightning-Islanders, which will wrap up in Tampa on Friday night.

June 23 update: Lightning-Islanders is headed to Game 7, which is scheduled for Friday, June 25. Even if the Canadiens finish off the Golden Knights on Thursday the 24th, the Stanley Cup Finals likely will not start until Monday, June 28 at the earlest.

TBD. The two Game 7s of the semifinals are scheduled for June 25 and 26, which means the latest the Finals would start is the last week of June.

Stanley Cup Semifinals schedule

No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning tied 3-3 with No. 3 New York Islanders

Game 1: Islanders 2, Lightning 1
Game 2: Lightning 4, Islanders 2
Game 3: Lightning 2, Islanders 1
Game 4: Islanders 3, Lightning 2
Game 5: Lightning 8, Islanders 0
Game 6: Islanders 3, Lightning 2 (OT)
Game 7: Islanders @ Lightning: Friday, June 25, 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN

No. 4 Montreal Canadiens wins series 4-2 over No. 1 Vegas Golden Knights

Game 1: Golden Knights 4, Canadiens 1
Game 2: Canadiens 3, Golden Knights 2
Game 3: Canadiens 3, Golden Knights 2 (OT)
Game 4: Golden Knights 2, Canadiens 1 (OT)
Game 5: Canadiens 4, Golden Knights 1
Game 6: Canadiens 3, Golden Knights 2