It’s a battle of north and south in the Stanley Cup Finals, as the Montreal Canadiens take on the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning are looking to repeat as NHL champions, while the Canadiens are back in the Finals for the first time since they hoisted the Cup in 1993. The best-of-seven Stanley Cup Finals begin Monday.
The first two games will be shown on NBCSN with the remainder of the series broadcast on NBC. Both channels are available on live TV streaming services. Fans can also stream the first two games live on Peacock starting at $5 per month. Here’s everything you need to know.
Read more: NBA playoffs 2021: How to stream the postseason without cable
The Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens will face off in the Stanley Cup Finals on NBC, NBCSN and Peacock.
Mark LoMoglio/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images
What’s the schedule for the Stanley Cup Finals?
The Lightning has the home-ice advantage by virtue of finishing the regular season with a better record than the Canadiens. The series opens in Tampa Bay for the first two games before heading to Montreal for games three and four. Here’s the full schedule. All times are in ET.
Monday, June 28
- Game 1: Canadiens at Lightning, 8 p.m. on NBCSN/Peacock
Wednesday, June 30
- Game 2: Canadiens at Lightning, 8 p.m. on NBCSN/Peacock
Friday, July 2
- Game 3: Lightning at Canadiens, 8 p.m. on NBC
Monday, July 5
- Game 4: Lightning at Canadiens, 8 p.m. on NBC
Wednesday, July 7
- Game 5*: Canadiens at Lightning, 8 p.m. on NBC
Friday, July 9
- Game 6*: Lightning at Canadiens, 8 p.m. on NBC
Sunday, July 11
- Game 7*: Canadiens at Lightning, 7 p.m. on NBC
*If necessary.
How can I watch the Stanley Cup Finals without cable?
You don’t need cable or satellite TV to watch the action on the ice. All of the major live TV streaming services include NBC and NBCSN. The catch is that not every service carries every local network, so check each one using the links below to make sure it carries NBC in your area.
If you live in an area with good reception, you can watch the games on NBC for free on over-the-air broadcast channels just by attaching an affordable (under $30) indoor antenna to nearly any TV.
You can also use NBC’s streaming service, Peacock, but it will show only the first two games of the series.
Peacock offers three tiers: a limited free plan and two Premium plans. The ad-supported Premium plan costs $5 a month, and the ad-free Premium plan costs $10 a month. You need one of the Premium plans to watch the first two Stanley Cup Finals games live and full-game replays, though highlights are available on the free tier. Read our Peacock review.