The top-seeded Carolina Hurricanes will host the Ottawa Senators at 3 p.m. Saturday to start the NHL Playoffs, the league announced Thursday afternoon.
The NHL released the full series schedule early Friday morning.
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Lenovo Center parking lots will open at noon, and doors will open to fans at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.
The Hurricanes finished the regular season with a 53-22-7 record (113 points) and are the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time in franchise history. The Canes have made the playoffs for eight consecutive seasons, the third-longest active streak in the NHL, and have advanced to at least the second round in each of the last five postseasons.
Ottawa (99 points) earned the second wildcard spot, but the Senators had more points than Pittsburgh or Philadelphia, which finished second and third behind Carolina in the Metropolitan Division.
"That might have been the toughest matchup you could have asked for," Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said.
Game 2 and, if necessary, Games 5 and 7 will be held in Raleigh. Games 3, 4, and potentially 6 will be played in Ottawa.
The Senators went 16-5-4 after the Olympic break. The Hurricanes are 17-7-1 in that time.
"When their goaltending kind of came around, all of a sudden they didn't lose," Brind'Amour said. "They've got it all covered. You look at trying to find a weakness to attack, there just really isn't any. I think we have two real similar teams and play very similar ways."
Brind'Amour didn't name a starter at goaltender for the opener Thursday.
"They both played really well the last stretch there, gave us exactly what we wanted," Brind'Amour said of goalies Fredrik Andersen and Brandon Bussi. "Have a decision to make. There's a likelihood that you'll see both probably. We'll figure all that out tomorrow."
Goaltender Pytor Kotchetkov isn't an option yet, Brind'Amour said, but he could be at some point.
New NC State men's basketball coach Justin Gainey will sound the siren before the game.
Game 1: Ottawa at Carolina, Saturday, April 18, 3 p.m. (ESPN, FanDuel Sports Network, 99.9 The Fan)
Game 2: Ottawa at Carolina, Monday, April 20, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2, FanDuel Sports Network, 99.9 The Fan)
Game 3: Carolina at Ottawa, Thursday, April 23, 7:30 p.m. (TBS, HBO Max, FanDuel Sports Network, 99.9 The Fan)
Game 4: Carolina at Ottawa, Saturday, April 25, 7:30 p.m. (TBS, HBO Max, FanDuel Sports Network, 99.9 The Fan)
Game 5 (if necessary): Ottawa at Carolina, Monday, April 27, TBD (FanDuel Sports Network, 99.9 The Fan)
Game 6 (if necessary): Carolina at Ottawa, Thursday, April 30, TBD (FanDuel Sports Network, 99.9 The Fan)
Game 7 (if necessary): Ottawa at Carolina, Saturday, May 2, TBD (FanDuel Sports Network, 99.9 The Fan)
