NHL announces a change to the Stanley Cup Playoffs debut

In a post on X on Tuesday morning, The Fourth Period's Irfaan Gaffar shared that the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs have been moved up by two days and will now begin on Saturday, April 20th, rather than Monday, April 22nd.

This will mark the first time since 2021 that the Stanley Cup Playoffs will begin on a Saturday, so viewership, especially in Canada, should be extremely high on Day 1.

As of Wednesday morning, the Vancouver Canucks occupy the first spot in the Pacific Division with a record of 45-19-8 through 72 games, but are no longer first place in the Western Conference following Dallas' 6-3 win over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night. If the Stanley Cup Playoffs were to begin today, the Vancouver Canucks would face off against the first wild card spot in the Western Conference, which is currently held by the Nashville Predators, who are 16-0-2 in their last 18 games.

The Vancouver Canucks and Nashville Predators have faced each other three times this season, with the most recent and final meeting back on December 19th. Vancouver swept the season series, winning all three games in regulation by a combined score of 13-6. Captain Quinn Hughes led the way this season against Nashville, picking up six assists in those three games.

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