The NHL has announced the schedule for the 1st round of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the Nashville Predators will face the Anaheim Ducks in Games 1 & 2 at the Honda Center on Wednesday, April 13, and Friday, April 15, with Games 3 & 4 coming to Nashville on Sunday, April 17 (5:00 p.m. start), and Wednesday, April 20 at 7:30.

The rest of the series, if necessary, will take place Friday, April 22 at Anaheim, Sunday, April 24 in Nashville, and with a Game 7 in Anaheim on Tuesday, April 26.

As to why there's an extra day's delay between Game 3 & 4, that's likely due to the Lady Gaga concert at Bridgestone Arena coming up on Tuesday, April 19. Apparently that show requires a lot of preparation, so playing a game on Monday is out of the question. Typically, the NHL tries to schedule playoff games on every other day, but building issues can certainly get in the way of that.

Get ready for some late nights, Predators fans, as Games 1 & 2 are slated for 9:30 p.m. Central starts!