Game 1: Friday, April 21st 7:00 PM Tampa Bay at Ottawa CBC
Game 2: Sunday, April 23rd 6:00 PM Tampa Bay at Ottawa CBC, OLN
Game 3: Tuesday, April 25th 7:00 PM Ottawa at Tampa Bay OLN, CBC
Game 4: Thursday, April 27th 7:00 PM Ottawa at Tampa Bay OLN, CBC
Game 5: Saturday, April 29th 7:00 PM Tampa Bay at Ottawa CBC, OLN
(if necessary)
Game 6: Monday, May 1st 7:00 PM Ottawa at Tampa Bay OLN, CBC
(if necessary)
Game 7: Wednesday, May 3rd 7:00 PM Tampa Bay at Ottawa CBC
(if necessary)

That’s from TBO. I would assume that any games not televised nationally will be picked up by Sun Sports TV. Stay Tuned.

UPDATE: Sun Sports will be broadcasting all games. Per their web site:

IMPORTANT LISTINGS NOTE: Any OLN coverage in the first round, per NHL requirements, will be blacked out in Tampa/St. Petersburg and surrounding areas for all Lightning games televised by Sun Sports.

There will be extensive pre and post game coverage as well.

Hat tip to Eric over at Off Wing — I didn’t see this in the local media and it’s noteworthy none-the-less:

From the Washington Post

After beating Atlanta on Monday, both Hanlon and McPhee received phone calls from their Tampa Bay counterparts, John Tortorella and Jay Feaster, respectively, thanking them for defeating the Thrashers. The Capitals’ victory clinched a playoff berth for the Lightning.

I wonder if Hanlon requested that drubbing the caps handed us last night in return?

Erik Erlendsson at the Tampa Tribune summarizes the challenge facing the Lightning very eloquently:

On paper, Tampa Bay’s first-round opponent might as well be the 1976 Montreal Canadiens. Ottawa has won 18 of the past 21 meetings, including all four this season, and is 13-1 in the past 14 matchups in Canada’s capital city.

…

As Tampa Bay has risen to one of the top team’s in the league, making its third consecutive playoff appearance, it has overcome a lot of its personal dragons along the way. But the one team that continues to torch Tampa Bay is Ottawa.

The Lightning have not defeatd the Senators since March of 2003. That’s quite a dark cloud hanging over the Lightning as they prepare for the best-of-seven series. Four wins in 2 weeks is a daunting task for a team that has not won four games in five years versus the forthcoming opponent.

Meanwhile, over in the Times, the following Dan Boyle quote can be read several ways:

“Ottawa? Wow,” Lightning defenseman Dan Boyle said. “They’ve had our number for years now.”

But fear not, Lightning fans… Behind every impossible challenge are all the greatest success stories.