Tampa Bay finishes a point above Boston in the final standings, 113 points to 112, and will own the top seed and home ice throughout the Eastern Conference Playoffs, which begin Wednesday.
The Lightning will open the playoffs against the eighth-seeded New Jersey Devils, Game 1 to be played Thursday (7 p.m. puck drop) and Game 2 Saturday (3 p.m. puck drop), both at AMALIE Arena.
Games 3 and 4 will be held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Monday (7:30 p.m.) and Wednesday (7:30 p.m.), respectively.
If necessary, Game 5 will be back in Tampa on Saturday, April 21; Game 6 is in New Jersey Monday, April 23 and Game 7 would be Wednesday, April 25 at AMALIE Arena. Times for those potential games are to be determined.
The Lightning are the top seed in the conference for the second time in team history. The first came in 2004, when the Bolts went on to win the franchise's only Stanley Cup, defeating the Calgary Flames in seven games in the Final.
Tampa Bay finished the 2017-18 regular season third overall in the NHL behind only the Western Conference's Nashville Predators (117 points), who won the League's Presidents' Trophy, and Winnipeg Jets (114).
2018 First Round Schedule
Game 1 at Tampa Bay - Thursday, April 12 - 7 p.m.
Game 2 at Tampa Bay - Saturday, April 14 - 3 p.m.
Game 3 at New Jersey - Monday, April 16 - 7:30 p.m.
Game 4 at New Jersey - Wednesday, April 18 - 7:30 p.m.
Game 5* at Tampa Bay - Saturday, April 21 - TBA
Game 6* at New Jersey - Monday, April 23 - TBA
Game 7* at Tampa Bay - Wednesday, April 25 - TBA
* If neccesary
