Late Sunday night, the National Hockey League released the game and broadcast schedule for the conference quarterfinal round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The puck drops on Tuesday, April 30th as matchups begin between Chicago/Minnesota, Anaheim/Detroit and St. Louis/Los Angeles.
As for the four Canadian teams in action, the Vancouver Canucks (3rd) kick things off at home on Wednesday as they host the San Jose Sharks (6th). Despite a trend of dominance in years past, the Sharks have had the edge in head-to-head play in this abbreviated season, winning all three regular season games (2 in regulation, one in a shootout). Both teams will have a lot to prove going into the playoffs.
On Thursday, the other three Canadian teams get going on their series, with an all-Canadian matchup between the Ottawa Senators (7th) and Montreal Canadiens (2nd) at the Bell Centre, and an Original Six series between the Boston Bruins (4th) and Toronto Maple Leafs (5th).