The puck has officially dropped on the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Sixteen teams will enter the playoffs. One team will end the season as the Stanley Cup Champions. Last season’s Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers, did not make the playoffs this season. The Florida Panthers have appeared in the last three finals and have won the last two cups. This season, a new champion will be crowned. In the East, the Buffalo Sabers, the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Montreal Canadiens, the Carolina Hurricanes, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Philadelphia Flyers all secured playoff spots. The Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators secured their playoff spots through the wild card. In the West, the Colorado Avalanche, the Dallas Stars, the Minnesota Wild, the Vegas Golden Knights, the Edmonton Oilers, and the Anaheim Ducks all secured playoff spots. The Utah Mammoth and the Los Angeles Kings secured their playoff spots through the wild card. The Toronto Maple Leafs, the Florida Panthers, the Washington Capitals, the New Jersey Devils, the Winnipeg Jets, and the St Louis Blues all qualified for the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs but failed to qualify for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Each round is a best-of-seven series. The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs start on Saturday, April 18th.
The Carolina Hurricanes are facing the Ottawa Senators in their first round match up. The Carolina Hurricanes finished the regular season with a record of 53-23-7 with 113 points. The Hurricanes finished the regular season as the Metropolitan Division regular season champions and the Eastern Conference regular season champions. The Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup in 2006 after defeating the Edmonton Oilers 4-3. It has been twenty years. The Hurricanes last appearance in the playoffs was in 2025. The Hurricanes have made playoff appearances in the last seven seasons. The Hurricanes lost in the third round last season to the Florida Panthers. The Ottawa Senators finished the regular season with a record of 44-27-11 with 99 points. They finished fifth in the Atlantic Division. The Senators have never won a cup. Their only appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals was in 2007 against the Anaheim Ducks. The Senators last appearance in the playoffs was in 2025 after missing the playoffs for seven seasons. The Senators were eliminated in the first round by the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Carolina Hurricanes won two out of three of their regular-season meetings. This will be their first time meeting in the playoffs.
Game one of this series will be on Saturday, April 18, at 3:00 PM EST / 12:00 PM PDT. Game two will be on Monday, April 20, at 4:30 EST / 1:30 PM PDT. Game three will be on Thursday, April 23, at 4:30 EST / 1:30 PDT. Game four will be on Saturday, April 25th, at 12:00 EST / 9:00 AM PDT. Game five (if necessary) will be on Monday, April 27, with the start time to be determined. Game six (if necessary) will be on Thursday, April 30, with the start time to be determined. Game seven (if necessary) will be on Saturday, May 2, with the start time to be determined. Games one, two, five, and seven will be in Raleigh, North Carolina, at the Lenovo Center. Games three, four, and six will be in Ottawa, Ontario, at the Canadian Tire Centre.
The Dallas Stars are facing the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the playoffs. The Dallas Stars finished the regular season with a record of 50-20-12 with 112 points. The Stars finished second in the Central Division. The Dallas Stars won the Stanley Cup in 1999 after defeating the Buffalo Sabres 4-2. The 1999 Stanley Cup was controversial as Brett Hull scored the championship-winning goal for the Dallas Stars against the Buffalo Sabres in triple overtime of game six while his skate was inside the crease. The NHL had a strict no-goal rule for skates in the crease at the time, leading to accusations that Dallas won on an illegal goal. The Dallas Stars last made the playoffs in 2025. They have made appearances in the last four playoffs. They last made the finals in 2000 and 2020. Last season, the Dallas Stars lost to the Edmonton Oilers in the third round. The Minnesota Wild finished the regular season with a record of 46-24-12 with 104 points. The finished third in the Central Division. The Wild have not won a cup. Their best finish was the third round of the playoffs in 2003. The Wild last appeared in the playoffs in 2025. The Minnesota Wild were eliminated by the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round last season. This series also has some bad blood historically. The Minnesota North Stars moved to Dallas and became the Dallas Stars in 1993. The Minnesota fans have never forgiven them for that. So there is always that underlying resentment in games between the Stars and Wild that is only amplified in the playoffs. The Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild tied with a record of 2-2 during the regular season. They have met in the playoffs twice. They met in 2016 and 2023. The Stars won both of those series 4-2.
Game one of this series will be on Saturday, April 18, at 4:30 PM CT / 2:30 PM PDT. Game two will be on Monday, April 20, at 8:30 PM CT / 6:30 PDT. Game three will be on Wednesday, April 22, at 8:30 PM CT / 6:30 PDT. Game four will be on Saturday, April 25th, at 4:30 PM CT / 2:30 PM PDT. Game five (if necessary) will be on Monday, April 28, with the start time to be determined. Game six (if necessary) will be on Thursday, April 30, with the start time to be determined. Game seven (if necessary) will be on Saturday, May 2, with the start time to be determined. Games one, two, five, and seven will be in Dallas, Texas, at the American Airlines Center. Games three, four, and six will be in Saint Paul, Minnesota, at the Grand Casino Arena.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are facing the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round. The Pittsburgh Penaguins finished the regular season with a record of 41-25-16 with 98 points. The Penguins finished the regular season in second place in the Atlantic Division. The Penguins have won five Stanley Cups. They won the Stanley Cup in 1991, 1992, 2009, 2016, and 2017. It has been nine seasons since the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Nashville Predators 4-2 to win back-to-back cups during the NHL’s centennial season. The Penguins last made the playoffs in 2022. The Pittsburgh Penguins lost 3-4 to the New York Rangers in the first round that season. The Penguins did not qualify for the playoffs for the last three seasons. The Philadelphia Flyers finished the regular season with a record of 43-27-12 with 98 points. They finished third in the Metropolitan Division. The Flyers have won two Stanley Cups. They won the Stanley Cup in 1974 and 1975. It has been over fifty years since the Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Buffalo Sabres 4-2 to win the cup. The Flyers have not reached the Stanley Cup Finals since 2010. The Flyers last playoff appearance was in 2020. In that appearance, the Flyers lost to the New York Islanders 4-3 in the second round. This series is huge for both teams. They are each other’s main rivals. Both teams will be out for blood. It is pride and intensity ramped up to eleven for the playoffs. The Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers tied at 2-2 in their regular season meetings. The Penguins and the Flyers have met in the playoffs seven times. The Penguins have won four of those series. The last time these two met in the playoffs was in 2018, with the Penguins winning 4-2. The 2008 Eastern Conference Finals were the most significant playoff series that both teams appeared in.
Game one of this series will be on Saturday, April 18, at 8:00 PM EST / 5:00 PM PDT. Game two will be on Monday, April 20, at 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PDT. Game three will be on Wednesday, April 22, at 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PDT. Game four will be on Saturday, April 25, at 8:00 PM EST / 5:00 PM PDT. Game five (if necessary) will be on Monday, April 27, with the start time to be determined. Game six (if necessary) will be on Wednesday, April 29, with the start time to be determined. Game seven (if necessary) will be on Saturday, April 2, with the start time to be determined. Games one, two, five, and seven will be in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at PPG Paints Arena. Games three, four, and six will be in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
The Colorado Avalanche take on the Los Angeles Kings in the first round. The Colorado Avalanche finished the regular season with a record of 55-16-11 with 121 points. The Avalanche finished the regular season as the Central Division regular-season champions and the Western Conference regular-season champions. The Avalanche have won three Stanley Cups. They won Stanley Cups in 1996, 2001, and 2022. It has been four seasons since the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2 to win their third Stanley Cup. The Avalanche’s last playoff appearance was in 2025. The Avalanche have made playoff appearances in the last eight seasons. The Colorado Avalanche were defeated by the Dallas Stars in the first round of the 2025 playoffs. The Los Angeles Kings finished the regular season with a record of 35-27-20 with 90 points. The Kings finished the regular season in fourth place in the Pacific Division. The Los Angeles Kings have won two Stanley Cups. The Kings won the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014. It has been twelve seasons since the Los Angeles Kings defeated the New York Rangers 4-1 to win their second cup. The Kings last playoff apperance was in 2025. The Los Angeles Kings were eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the 2025 playoffs. The Colorado Avalanche have won all three of their 2026 regular-season meetings. The Avalanche are 2-0 all-time against the Kings in the playoffs. They last met in the playoffs in 2002.
Game one of this series will be on Sunday, April 19, at 1:00 PM MST / 12:00 PM PDT. Game two will be on Tuesday, April 21, at 8:00 PM MST / 7:00 PM PDT. Game three will be on Thursday, April 23, at 8:00 PM MST / 7:00 PM PDT. Game four will be on Sunday, April 26, at 6:30 PM MST / 5:30 PM PDT. Game five (if necessary) will be on Wednesday, April 29, with the start time to be determined. Game six (if necessary) will be on Friday, May 1, with the start time to be determined. Game seven (if necessary) will be on Sunday, April 3, with the start time to be determined. Games one, two, five, and seven will be in Denver, Colorado, at Ball Arena. Games three, four, and six will be in Los Angeles, California, at Crypto.com Arena.
The Tampa Bay Lightning take on the Montreal Canadiens in the first round. The Tampa Bay Lightning finished the regular season with a record of 50-26-6 with 106 points. The Lightning finished the regular season in second place in the Atlantic Division. The Lightning have won three Stanley Cups. They won Stanley Cups in 2004, 2020, and 2021. It has been five seasons since the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 to win the cup. The Lightning did make a Stanley Cup Finals apperance in 2022, where they were defeated by the Colorado Avalanche 4-2. The Lightning’s last playoff apperance was in 2025. They have made playoff appearances in the last eight seasons. They lost to the Florida Panthers in the first round of the 2025 playoffs. The Montreal Canadiens finished the regular season with a record of 48-24-10 with 106 points. The Canadiens finished the regular season in third place in the Atlantic Division. The Canadiens have won twenty-four Stanley Cups. They won cups in 1916, 1924, 1930, 1931, 1944, 1946, 1953, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1985, 1993. The Montreal Canadiens are the last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup. It has been thirty-three years since the Canadiens beat the Los Angeles Kings for a Stanley Cup. The Canadiens did make an apperance in the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals, where they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning. This matchup is the first time in NHL history that two teams who played in the Stanley Cup Finals are playing each other in the first round of the playoffs. The Canadiens’ last playoff apperance was in 2025. Prior to that the missed the playoffs for three straight seasons. The Canadiens were defeated by the Washington Capitals in the first round of the 2025 playoffs. They split their regular-season meetings this season at 2-2. The Lightning are 3-1 all-time against the Canadiens in the playoffs. They last met in the playoffs during the Stanley Cup Finals in 2021.
Game one of this series will be on Sunday, April 19, at 5:45 PM EST / 2:45 PM PDT. Game two will be on Tuesday, April 21, at 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PDT. Game three will be on Friday, April 24, at 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PDT. Game four will be on Sunday, April 26, at 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PDT. Game five (if necessary) will be on Wednesday, April 29, with the start time to be determined. Game six (if necessary) will be on Friday, May 1, with the start time to be determined. Game seven (if necessary) will be on Sunday, April 3, with the start time to be determined. Games one, two, five, and seven will be in Tampa Bay, Florida, at Benchmark International Arena. Games three, four, and six will be in Montreal, Quebec, at the Bell Centre.
The Buffalo Sabres are playing the Boston Bruins in the first round. The Buffalo Sabres finished the regular season with a record of 50-23-9 with 109 points. The Sabres finished the regular season as the Atlantic Division regular season champions. The Sabres have not won a Stanley Cup. The Sabres reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 1975 and 1999. It has been twenty-seven years since the Buffalo Sabres were defeated by the Dallas Stars 4-2. The Sabres’ last playoff apperance was in 2011. In 2011, the Buffalo Sabres were eliminated by the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round. The Sabres missed the playoffs for fourteen seasons in a row. That was the longest playoff drought in NHL history. The Boston Bruins finished the regular season with a record of 45-27-10 with 100 points. The Bruins finished the regular season in fourth place in the Atlantic Division. The Bruins have won six Stanley Cups. They won cups in 1929, 1939, 1941, 1970, 1972, and 2011. It has been fourteen seasons since the Boston Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks 4-3 to win their sixth Stanley Cup. The last time the Bruins won the cup was the same year as the last Sabres playoff apperance. The Boston Bruins won three of their four regular-season meetings. The Bruins are 6-3 all-time against the Sabres in the playoffs. They last met in the playoffs in 2010.
Game one of this series will be on Sunday, April 19, at 7:30 PM EST / 4:30 PM PDT. Game two will be on Tuesday, April 21, at 7:30 PM EST / 4:30 PM PDT. Game three will be on Thursday, April 23, at 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PDT. Game four will be on Sunday, April 26, at 2:00 PM EST / 11:00 PM PDT. Game five (if necessary) will be on Tuesday, April 28, with the start time to be determined. Game six (if necessary) will be on Friday, May 1, with the start time to be determined. Game seven (if necessary) will be on Sunday, April 3, with the start time to be determined. Games one, two, five, and seven will be in Buffalo, New York, at KeyBank Center. Games three, four, and six will be in Boston, Massachusetts, at TD Garden.
The Vegas Golden Knights take on the Utah Mammoth in the first round. The Vegas Golden Knights finished the regular season with a record of 39-26-17 with 95 points. The Golden Knights finished the regular season as the Pacific Division regular season champions. The Golden Knights have won one Stanley Cup. They won the Stanley Cup in 2023. It has been three seasons since the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Florida Panthers 4-1 to win their first Stanley Cup. The Golden Knights’ last playoff appearance was in 2025. The Vegas Golden Knights were defeated by the Edmonton Oilers in the second round of the 2025 playoffs. The Utah Mammoth finished the regular season with a record of 43-33-6 with 92 points. The Mammoth finished the regular season in fourth place in the Central Division. The Mammoth have not won a cup or reached the Stanley Cup Finals. This is their first playoff apperance. The Vegas Golden Knights won two of the three regular-season meetings between these two teams. This is the first time these two teams have met in the playoffs. This is the only series in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs where the two teams have not met in the playoffs before.
Game one of this series will be on Sunday, April 19, at 8:00 PM MST / 7:00 PM PDT. Game two will be on Tuesday, April 21, at 7:30 PM MST / 6:30 PM PDT. Game three will be on Friday, April 24, at 7:30 PM MST / 6:30 PM PDT. Game four will be on Monday, April 27, with the start time to be determined. Game five (if necessary) will be on Wednesday, April 29, with the start time to be determined. Game six (if necessary) will be on Friday, May 1, with the start time to be determined. Game seven (if necessary) will be on Sunday, April 3, with the start time to be determined. Games one, two, five, and seven will be in Las Vegas, Nevada, at T-Mobile Arena. Games three, four, and six will be in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the Delta Center.
The Edmonton Oilers take on the Anaheim Ducks in the first round. The Edmonton Oilers finished the regular season with a record of 41-30-11 with 93 points. The Oilers finished the regular season in second place in the Pacific Division. The Oilers have won five Stanley Cups. The Oilers won cups in 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, and 1990. It has been thirty-six years since the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Boston Bruins for their fifth Stanley Cup. Since 1990, the Oilers have reached the Stanley Cup Finals three times. They have made appearances in the last two Stanley Cup Finals. The Oilers’ last playoff apperance was in 2025. In the 2025 playoffs the Edmonton Oilers were defeated by the Florida Panthers 4-2 in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Anaheim Ducks finished the regular season with a record of 43-33-6 with 92 points. The Ducks finished the regular season in third place in the Pacific Division. The Ducks have won one Stanley Cup. They won the Stanley Cup in 2007. It has been nineteen years since the Anaheim Ducks defeated the Ottawa Senators 4-1 to win their only Stanley Cup. The Ducks’ last playoff appearance was in 2018. This year marks the end of a seven-season playoff drought for the Ducks. During the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Anaheim Ducks were eliminated by the San Jose Sharks in a four-game sweep. The Edmonton Oilers won two of three games against the Anaheim Ducks during the regular season. Both teams have won a playoff series against each other. These two last played in the playoffs against each other in 2017.
Game one of this series will be on Monday, April 20, at 7:00 PM PDT. Game two will be on Wednesday, April 22, at 7:00 PM PDT. Game three will be on Friday, April 24, at 7:00 PM PDT. Game four will be on Sunday, April 26, at 6:30 PM PDT. Game five (if necessary) will be on Tuesday, April 26, with the start time to be determined. Game six (if necessary) will be on Thursday, April 28, with the start time to be determined. Game seven (if necessary) will be on Saturday, May 2, with the start time to be determined. Games one, two, five, and seven will be in Edmonton, Alberta, at Rogers Place. Games three, four, and six will be in Anaheim, California, at Honda Center.
For the Anaheim Ducks, these playoffs are a fresh start after so many seasons of missing the playoffs. For the Boston Bruins, these playoffs are about re-establishing themselves after missing out last season. For the Buffalo Sabers, these playoffs are a chance for them to prove themselves as contenders after ending the longest playoff drought in NHL history. For the Carolina Hurricanes, these playoffs are a chance to move past the second or third round. For the Colorado Avalanche, these playoffs are a chance to prove a team can have the best regular season record and still win the cup. For the Dallas Stars, these playoffs represent a chance to reach the Stanley Cup Finals after three straight seasons of coming short in the third round. For the Edmonton Oilers, these playoffs hold a lot of pressure after back-to-back losses in the Stanley Cup Finals. For the Los Angeles Kings, these playoffs hold a lot of opportunities after not making it past the first round or failing to qualify for the playoffs since their Stanley Cup win in 2014, including being eliminated in the first round the last three seasons. For the Minnesota Wild, these playoffs are a chance for them to prove they can compete after not making it past the first round since 2015. For the Montreal Canadiens, these playoffs are a chance to reclaim the cup after a quick exit last year, when it was right there not that long ago. For the Ottawa Senators, these playoffs are a chance to build on their early exit last season after years of missing the playoffs. For the Philadelphia Flyers, these playoffs are a chance to prove that they should be taken seriously after missing the playoffs for the last five seasons. For the Pittsburgh Penguins, these playoffs are one of the final opportunities for the aging core to secure one more cup after missing the playoffs the last three seasons and not making it past the first round since 2018. For the Tampa Bay Lightning, these playoffs are a chance to re-establish themselves as a top team after three straight seasons of first-round exits. For the Utah Mammoth, these playoffs are their first opportunity to make a name for themselves in the postseason. For the Vegas Golden Knights, these playoffs hold a lot of pressure as management seems to be doing everything they can to make sure the team reaches the cup. The road to the Stanley Cup is long, brutal, and unpredictable. And it has officially begun.
Zac Electrifly 
Leave a comment