The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs are here, and we will soon get to watch 16 teams compete for a championship. Now that the regular season is over, the playoff picture is set in stone.
In the East, we’ll get to see a rematch of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens. Plus, the Battle of Pennsylvania is back with the Pittsburgh Penguins taking on the Philadelphia Flyers.
Out West, the chaotic Pacific. Division has finally settled. The Vegas Golden Knights clinched first place on Wednesday night, closing the season on a 7-0-1 run under John Tortorella. The Los Angeles Kings avoided a fifth consecutive first-round clash with the Edmonton Oilers, but they got the Colorado Avalanche instead. That means the Edmonton Oilers will face the Anaheim Ducks.
Reminder: Here’s how the NHL playoff seeding works
- The top three teams in each division automatically qualify for the playoffs.
- Each conference has two wild-card spots.
- The top division winner in each conference will play the second wild card team, and the other division winner will play the first wild card team.
- The second and third-place teams in each division will match up with one another in the first round.
- Regulation wins are the first tiebreaker.
- Regulation plus OT wins are the second tiebreaker
(X) denotes clinched playoff berth; (Y) denotes clinched division; (Z) denotes clinched conference; (P) denotes clinched Presidents’ Trophy
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
1. Buffalo Sabres | 50-23-9 | 109 points (Y)
Points percentage: .665
Regulation wins: 42
Regulation plus OT wins: 45
First-round matchup: Boston Bruins
2. Tampa Bay Lightning | 50-26-6 | 106 points (X)
Points percentage: .646
Regulation wins: 40
Regulation plus OT wins: 46
First-round matchup: Montreal Canadiens
3. Montreal Canadiens | 48-24-10 | 106 points (X)
Points percentage: .646
Regulation wins: 34
Regulation plus OT wins: 44
First-round matchup: Tampa Bay Lightning
Metropolitan Division
1. Carolina Hurricanes | 53-22-7 | 113 points (Z)
Points percentage: .689
Regulation wins: 39
Regulation plus OT wins: 48
First-round matchup: Ottawa Senators
2. Pittsburgh Penguins | 41-25-16 | 98 points (X)
Points percentage: .598
Regulation wins: 34
Regulation plus OT wins: 38
First-round matchup: Philadelphia Flyers
3. Philadelphia Flyers | 43-27-12 | 98 points
Points percentage: .598
Regulation wins: 27
Regulation plus OT wins: 33
First-round matchup: Pittsburgh Penguins
Wild Card
WC1. Boston Bruins | 45-27-10 | 100 points (X)
Points percentage: .610
Regulation wins: 33
Regulation plus OT wins: 41
First-round matchup: Buffalo Sabres
WC2. Ottawa Senators | 44-27-11 | 99 points (X)
Points percentage: .604
Regulation wins: 38
Regulation plus OT wins: 41
First-round matchup: Carolina Hurricanes
Western Conference
Central Division
1. Colorado Avalanche | 55-16-11 | 121 points (P)
Points percentage: .738
Regulation wins: 48
Regulation plus OT wins: 51
First-round matchup: Los Angeles Kings
2. Dallas Stars | 50-20-12 | 112 points (X)
Points percentage: .683
Regulation wins: 38
Regulation plus OT wins: 44
First-round matchup: Minnesota Wild
3. Minnesota Wild | 46-24-12 | 104 points (X)
Points percentage: .634
Regulation wins: 31
Regulation plus OT wins: 42
First-round matchup: Dallas Stars
Pacific Division
1, Vegas Golden Knights | 39-26-17 | 95 points (Y)
Points percentage: .579
Regulation wins: 30
Regulation plus OT wins: 38
First-round matchup: Utah Mammoth
2. Edmonton Oilers | 41-30-11 | 93 points (X)
Points percentage: .567
Regulation wins: 32
Regulation plus OT wins: 41
First-round matchup: Anaheim Ducks
3. Anaheim Ducks | 43-33-6 | 92 points
Points percentage: .561
Regulation wins: 26
Regulation plus OT wins: 35
First-round matchup: Edmonton Oilers
Wild Card
WC1. Utah Mammoth | 43-33-6 | 92 points (X)
Points percentage: .561
Regulation wins: 32
Regulation plus OT wins: 42
First-round matchup: Vegas Golden Knights
WC2. Los Angeles Kings | 35-27-20 | 90 points (X)
Points percentage: .549
Regulation wins: 22
Regulation plus OT wins: 30
Current first-round matchup: Colorado Avalanche
