In exciting news for hockey fans, the NHL has officially released the full schedule for the highly anticipated first-round series between the New York Rangers and the Washington Capitals in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The announcement came early in the morning after the conclusion of the regular season, providing fans with the dates and times for each thrilling matchup.

The series will kick off with Game 1 on Sunday, April 21 at 3 pm, taking place at Madison Square Garden in New York. Hockey enthusiasts can catch the action on ESPN, SN, and TVAS. Game 2 will follow on Tuesday, April 23 at 7 pm, also being held at Madison Square Garden and broadcasted on ESPN, SNE, SNO, SNW, and TVAS.

The series will then shift to the Washington Capitals' home turf, Capital One Arena, for Game 3 on Friday, April 26 at 7 pm. Fans can tune in to watch the game on TNT, truTV, MAX, SN360, and TVAS. Game 4 will take place on Sunday, April 28 at 8 pm, again at Capital One Arena, and will be broadcasted on TBS, truTV, MAX, SNE, SNO, SNP, SN360, and TVAS.

Although the exact dates are yet to be finalized, Games 5, 6, and 7, if necessary, will be played at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, May 1, Capital One Arena on Friday, May 3, and Madison Square Garden again on Sunday, May 5, respectively.

Fans of the Washington Capitals will have the opportunity to catch their team's first round series on local TV. According to a press release from Monumental Sports Network, all Capitals games during the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs will be available on Monumental Sports Network's linear TV and various streaming platforms.

The Capitals enter this series as underdogs, as they had the fewest standings points in the NHL during the regular season, setting a record in the salary cap era for the team with the worst goal differential to make the playoffs. Meanwhile, the New York Rangers finished the regular season with the most standings points in the entire league.

The winner of this thrilling series will move on to face the victor of the Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders matchup in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, adding more excitement for hockey fans across the globe.

With the schedule and anticipation now in place, be sure to mark your calendars and prepare for an action-packed series as the Capitals and Rangers battle it out for a chance to advance in the playoffs.