After their 3-0 win over the Minnesota Wild, the Dallas Stars finished the regular season in the first Wild Card position in the Western Conference. At the same time that game was going on, everyone had an eye towards the Nashville Predators game, as the St. Louis Blues had jumped into first in the Central by a point and the top three in the Central Division was very much up for grabs.
Nashville got the job done by beating the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 and taking first in the West, solidifying a Winter Classic spring matchup with the Stars and shifting the second Wild Card Colorado Avalanche into the Pacific Division side of the bracket. (The Calgary Flames won the regular season Western Conference title, so they get the lower of the two Wild Card teams in the first round.)
This morning, the NHL released the schedule for the Stars-Predators best-of-7 series:
Game 1
Date: Wednesday, April 10th
Time: 8:30 PM CDT
Location: Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, TN)
TV: USA
Game 2
Date: Saturday, April 13th
Time: 5:00 PM CDT
Location: Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, TN)
TV: CNBC
Game 3
Date: Monday, April 15th
Time: 8:30 PM CDT
Location: American Airlines Center (Dallas, TX)
TV: NBCSN
Game 4
Date: Wednesday, April 17th
Time: 7:00 PM CDT
Location: American Airlines Center (Dallas, TX)
TV: USA
Game 5 (if necessary)
Date: Saturday, April 20th
Time: TBD
Location: Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, TN)
TV: TBD
Game 6 (if necessary)
Date: Monday, April 22nd
Time: TBD
Location: American Airlines Center (Dallas, TX)
TV: TBD
Game 7 (if necessary)
Date: Wednesday, April 24th
Time: TBD
Location: Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, TN)
TV: TBD
It should be noted that FSSW will broadcast many of these games in the local market and that schedule will be released later. For a complete look at the Stanley Cup Playoff matchups in the first round and associated schedules, head over to NHL.com.