The NHL playoffs have arrived. After a long 82-game season, the NHL seeded eight teams from each conference in a deeply imperfect manner that should be changed, but for now, it's all we've got.
In the Eastern and Western Conferences, each division sent its top three teams. Then, the top two wild-card teams with the next best records earned the right to play the two division winners. This year, the Atlantic Division sent five teams while the Metropolitan sent three and both Western Conference divisions sent four apiece.
The puck dropped in this year’s edition of the Stanley Cup playoffs on April 18. Here’s a look at the updated NHL bracket and the full schedule and results for each series:
Updated Stanley Cup playoffs bracket
In the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs in the Western Conference, the Avalanche swept the Kings in four games and will take on the Wild, who took care of the Stars in six games for their first playoff series win since 2015. The Ducks cut Connor McDavid’s season short by defeating the Oilers in six games, and they’ll await the winner of the series between the Golden Knights and Mammoth.
Over in the East, the Hurricanes swept the Senators in four games, and the Flyers advanced past the Penguins in six. Two series between the Sabres and Bruins as well as Lightning and Canadiens have yet to be decided.
NHL Stanley Cup playoffs: Full schedule
Check out the full schedule and results for each series below.
Western Conference semifinals matchups
- Avalanche vs. Wild
- Ducks vs. TBD (Golden Knights or Mammoth)
Eastern Conference semifinals matchups
- Flyers vs. Hurricanes
- Sabres vs. TBD (Lightning or Canadiens)
First round: Avalanche vs. Kings (Colorado wins 4–0)
- Game 1: Avalanche 2, Kings 1
- Game 2: Avalanche 2, Kings 1 (OT)
- Game 3: Avalanche 4, Kings 2
- Game 4: Avalanche 5, Kings 1
First round: Stars vs. Wild (Minnesota wins 4–2)
- Game 1: Wild 6, Stars 1
- Game 2: Stars 4, Wild 2
- Game 3: Stars 4, Wild 3 (2OT)
- Game 4: Wild 3, Stars 2 (OT)
- Game 5: Wild 4, Stars 2
- Game 6: Wild 5, Stars 2
First round: Golden Knights vs. Mammoth (Vegas leads 3–2)
- Game 1: Golden Knights 4, Mammoth
- Game 2: Mammoth 3, Golden Knights 2
- Game 3: Mammoth 4, Golden Knights 2
- Game 4: Golden Knights 5, Mammoth 4 (OT)
- Game 5: Golden Knights 5, Mammoth 4 (2OT)
- Game 6: Golden Knights @ Mammoth | Friday, May 1 at 10 p.m. ET
- Game 7*: Mammoth @ Golden Knights | Sunday, May 3 at TBD
First round: Oilers vs. Ducks (Anaheim wins 4–2)
- Game 1: Oilers 4, Ducks 3
- Game 2: Ducks 6, Oilers 4
- Game 3: Ducks 7, Oilers 4
- Game 4: Ducks 4, Oilers 3 (OT)
- Game 5: Oilers 4, Ducks 1
- Game 6: Ducks 5, Oilers 2
First round: Sabres vs. Bruins (Buffalo wins 4–2)
- Game 1: Sabres 4, Bruins 3
- Game 2: Bruins 4, Sabres 2
- Game 3: Sabres 3, Bruins 1
- Game 4: Sabres 6, Bruins 1
- Game 5: Bruins 2, Sabres 1 (OT)
- Game 6: Sabres 4, Bruins 1
First round: Lightning vs. Canadiens (series tied 3–2)
- Game 1: Canadiens 4, Lightning 3 (OT)
- Game 2: Lightning 3, Canadiens 2 (OT)
- Game 3: Canadiens 3, Lightning 2 (OT)
- Game 4: Lightning 3, Canadiens 2
- Game 5: Canadiens 3, Lightning 2
- Game 6: Lightning 1, Canadiens 0
- Game 7: Canadiens @ Lightning | Sunday, May 3 at TBD
First round: Hurricanes vs. Senators (Carolina wins 4–0)
- Game 1: Hurricanes 2, Senators 0
- Game 2: Hurricanes 3, Senators 2 (2OT)
- Game 3: Hurricanes 2, Senators 1
- Game 4: Hurricanes 4, Senators 2
First round: Flyers vs. Penguins (Philadelphia wins 4–2)
- Game 1: Flyers 3, Penguins 2
- Game 2: Flyers 3, Penguins 0
- Game 3: Flyers 5, Penguins 2
- Game 4: Penguins 4, Flyers 2
- Game 5: Penguins 3, Flyers 2
- Game 6: Flyers 1, Penguins 0
Western Conference semifinals: Avalanche vs. Wild
- Game 1: Wild @ Avalanche | TBD at TBD
- Game 2: Wild @ Avalanche | TBD at TBD
- Game 3: Avalanche @ Wild | TBD at TBD
- Game 4: Avalanche @ Wild | TBD at TBD
- Game 5*: Wild @ Avalanche | TBD at TBD
- Game 6*: Avalanche @ Wild | TBD at TBD
- Game 7*: Wild @ Avalanche | TBD at TBD
Western Conference semifinals: Ducks vs. TBD (Golden Knights or Mammoth)
- Game 1: Ducks vs. TBD | TBD at TBD
- Game 2: Ducks vs. TBD | TBD at TBD
- Game 3: Ducks vs. TBD | TBD at TBD
- Game 4: Ducks vs. TBD | TBD at TBD
- Game 5*: Ducks vs. TBD | TBD at TBD
- Game 6*: Ducks vs. TBD | TBD at TBD
- Game 7*: Ducks vs. TBD | TBD at TBD
Eastern Conference semifinals: Hurricanes vs. Flyers
- Game 1: Flyers @ Hurricanes | Saturday, May 2 at 8 p.m. ET
- Game 2: Flyers @ Hurricanes | TBD at TBD
- Game 3: Hurricanes @ Flyers | TBD at TBD
- Game 4: Hurricanes @ Flyers | TBD at TBD
- Game 5*: Flyers @ Hurricanes | TBD at TBD
- Game 6*: Hurricanes @ Flyers | TBD at TBD
- Game 7*: Flyers @ Hurricanes | TBD at TBD
Eastern Conference semifinals: Sabres vs. TBD (Lightning or Canadiens)
- Game 1: Sabres vs. TBD | TBD at TBD
- Game 2: Sabres vs. TBD | TBD at TBD
- Game 3: Sabres vs. TBD | TBD at TBD
- Game 4: Sabres vs. TBD | TBD at TBD
- Game 5*: Sabres vs. TBD | TBD at TBD
- Game 6*: Sabres vs. TBD | TBD at TBD
- Game 7*: Sabres vs. TBD | TBD at TBD
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Updated NHL Postseason Bracket and Full Schedule.
