The Flyers have advanced past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since the 2011-12 season, ending an eight-year drought.
Their quest for the Cup continues with a series against the New York Islanders, originally the seventh-seed in the Eastern Conference.
The schedule for the series was released following the completion of the final game of the first round, when the Vancouver Canucks defeated the St. Louis Blues, eliminating the defending Stanley Cup champions.
The schedule for the Flyers-Islanders series is as follows:
- Game 1 – Monday, Aug. 24 at 7 PM
- Game 2 – Wednesday, Aug. 26 at 3 PM
- Game 3 – Thursday, Aug. 27 at 7 PM
- Game 4 – Saturday, Aug. 29 at 12 PM
- Game 5 – Monday, Aug. 31 (TBD) (if necessary)
- Game 6 – Wednesday, Sept. 2 (TBD) (if necessary)
- Game 7 – Thursday, Sept. 3 (TBD) (if necessary)
As in the first round, there is one guaranteed back-to-back and another potential back-to-back, as the league looks to keep the playoffs moving at an efficient pace to ensure they get completed.
The Flyers do get an extra day off, being the last of the second-round series to begin, but will have four games in rather short order. Less than 48 hours after Game 1 begins, the teams will be back on the ice for Game 2. Games 2 and 3 will come on back-to-back days. Game 4 will also have a quick turnaround with a 12 noon start, again less than 48 hours after Game 3 begins.
If the series stretches to Games 6 and 7, certainly possible given the way the first-round series played out, those two games would also be on back-to-back days.
The tentative schedule for the league has the conference finals beginning by Sept. 8, and beings that the two teams who advance from the second round would have to travel to the bubble in Edmonton, there would likely be another quarantine period for those two teams, which would explain why this series wraps by Sept. 3.
Games 1 through 3 of the series will be televised on NBCSN. Game 4 will be televised on NBC. Television broadcast information for Games 5 through 7 is to be determined. As always, you can listen to the games on 97.5 The Fanatic, 97.3 ESPN and the Flyers radio network.