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- The third round of the 2022 NHL playoffs began on May 31 with four teams left in the competition.
- NHL playoff games are spread across ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, TNT, and TBS.
- If you don't have cable, you can watch games with a live streaming service, like YouTube TV or Sling TV.
The race for the Stanley Cup is on with the third round of the NHL playoffs now underway. Last year's champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning, are still in play this postseason.
The Colorado Avalanche entered the postseason as the Western Conference's top seed and the favorite to win the 2022 NHL title. They're set to face off against the Eastern Conference champions in the Stanley Cup Finals. In the Eastern Conference, the Florida Panthers clinched the top seed and won the league's Presidents' Trophy, but fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round of the playoffs.
The NHL Stanley Cup playoffs air across five channels: ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, TNT, and TBS. All Eastern Conference games in the third round are on ESPN, while all third-round Western Conference games are on TNT. The Stanley Cup Finals, which will likely begin in the middle of June, are exclusive to ESPN and ABC.
Below, we've broken down everything you need to know about watching the NHL playoffs without a cable subscription.
How to watch the 2022 NHL playoffs
You can watch the NHL playoffs on ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, TNT, and TBS with cable, satellite, or a live TV streaming service, like Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, and YouTube TV.
In addition, some playoff games are being simulcast on regional sports networks. Traditional cable subscribers also have the option to stream NHL playoff games through the ESPN, ABC, TNT, or TBS apps with their pay-TV account information.
If you don't have cable or satellite, you can watch the NHL playoffs on a live TV streaming service. Services with access to every network you need to watch the NHL playoffs include Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, and YouTube TV.
Sling TV
Sling TV is the most affordable streaming service you can use to watch the NHL playoffs. The Sling TV Orange plan includes ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and TBS. Though Sling TV doesn't feature ABC, the Orange plan does include ESPN3, which is expected to simulcast all of ABC's games.
New Sling TV subscribers can get their first month on the Orange Plan for $25 instead of the normal $35 price. Check out our in-depth guide to all of Sling's channels and packages for more details.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV includes ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and TBS. The base plan costs $65 a month and offers subscribers all of the channels they need to watch every NHL playoff game. For more details, check out our full breakdown of YouTube TV's channels and add-on packages.
Hulu + Live TV
Hulu + Live TV's base plan also includes ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TBS, and TNT. However, at $70 a month, the service is more expensive than Sling or YouTube TV.
That said, Hulu + Live has the added bonus of offering full access to Hulu's entire on-demand library and it even includes subscriptions to Disney Plus and ESPN+ for no extra cost. You can learn more about the service in our full Hulu + Live TV guide.
When do the 2022 NHL playoffs start?
The 2022 NHL playoffs began on May 2 with the first round of 16 teams. The playoffs will continue through mid-June when the Stanley Cup Finals are expected to start.
Here's a full roundup of key NHL playoff and postseason dates:
- May 2 — first round of the playoffs begin
- May 17 — second round of the playoffs begin
- May 31 — third round of the playoffs begin
- Mid-June — Stanley Cup Finals begin
- Mid-June — NHL Awards to take place between games three and four of the Stanley Cup Finals
- June 30 — Stanley Cup Finals game seven, if necessary
- July 7 — NHL Entry Draft round one
2022 NHL playoffs schedule
Below, you can find the current schedule for the third round of the 2022 NHL playoffs. We'll continue to update our schedule with new details as the postseason continues. The Western Conference finals wrapped up on June 6 with the Colorado Avalanche securing their place in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Eastern Conference
New York Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
- Game 1: June 1, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Game 2: June 3, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Game 3: June 5, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Game 4: June 7, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Game 5: June 9, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
- *Game 6: June 11, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
- *Game 7: June 14, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
* = if necessary