The Boston Bruins are locked in as the top seed in the Eastern Conference and their quest to once again reign supreme on the right coast will likely begin on either Wednesday, April 16 or Thursday, April 17.
The Stanley Cup playoffs officially get underway on April 16 with the Stanley Cup Final beginning in either late May or early June depending on when the conference finals wrap up.
NBC, NBCSN and CNBC have the national TV rights for the NHL playoffs in the United States.
Follow Metro Boston sports editor Matt Burke on Twitter @BurkeMetroBOS