How To Watch Nhl Playoffs: Live Stream Round 2 Games
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The regular hockey season may have come to a close, but the NHL Playoffs are just getting started. Keep reading to learn how to watch the NHL Playoffs and when your favorite team will play in the tournament.
The Florida Panthers currently lead the Atlantic Division, while the New York Rangers helm the Metropolitan League. In addition to the Panthers and the Rangers, the Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, Vancouver Canucks, and Edmonton Oilers are all still in the running. The Playoffs kicked off in April and the eight remaining teams are now competing in Round 2, which should last until at least May 14, if not longer, for potential Games 5, 6, and 7. So far, Boston and Florida are tied 1-1, as are Dallas and Colorado.
The Game 4 and 5 match-ups that take place this Monday and Tuesday could knock two of the teams out of the running and send another two to the third round. The New York Rangers, who play on Monday, lead 3-1 over the Carolina Hurricanes. The Florida Panthers, who play Tuesday, lead 3-1 over the Boston Bruins.
If you're a cord-cutter who still wants to tune in live, we've got you covered. We'll recommend a couple of helpful live TV packages as a streaming alternative to cable and tell you what channel every game streams on.
NHL Playoffs quick links
- US: Max ($9.99), Sling TV ($40)
- Access subscriptions from anywhere via ExpressVPN (30-day money-back guarantee)
- Upcoming games:
- Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Rangers on Monday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN
- Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalance on Monday at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
- Boston Bruins vs. Florida Panthers on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN
- Vancouver Canucks vs. Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
How to watch NHL Playoffs in the US
The NHL Playoffs will air across the ESPN and Turner Network family of channels, meaning you'll need access to ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS, and truTV to catch all games of the tournament. If you don't have cable, you can try out a live TV package like Sling TV to access all the games. For Sling TV, you'll need to go with the Sling Orange plan to get access to ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and TBS (most truTV hockey games are simulcast on TBS or TNT, so it should be fine if you're missing the channel). Sling plans start at $40 a month.
If you don't mind missing the ESPN games, you can catch all of the TNT, TBS, and truTV games live with a subscription to Max. Max subscriptions start at $9.99 a month and have live sports options thanks to the service's B/R Sports Add-on. The add-on is currently free with subscriptions, but it will eventually cost an additional $9.99 monthly.
For the very rare ABC game, you can subscribe to ESPN+ for $10.99 a month. You can check out our comprehensive ESPN+ guide for more information on the streaming service.
How to watch NHL Playoffs from anywhere
For hockey fans traveling outside the US during the NHL Playoffs, you can keep up with the aforementioned subscriptions using a VPN. Short for virtual private networks, VPNs are easy ways to alter your device's virtual location (plus, they're handy ways to boost your internet privacy). This recommendation is mainly for Americans who are just abroad at the moment and looking to use their existing subscriptions, as the live TV services we've highlighted today require US forms of payment.
Interested in trying out a VPN? Our go-to suggestion is ExpressVPN, a straightforward VPN with a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you want to learn more, take a look at our ExpressVPN review and keep reading to see how to use it.
How to watch NHL Playoffs with a VPN
- Sign up for a VPN if you don't already have one.
- Install it on the device you're planning to watch on.
- Turn it on and set it to a US location.
- Sign up for a live TV streaming service mentioned above with a US form of payment.
- Navigate to the correct channel or page and enjoy the show.
Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.
