The 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs are the most grueling championship tournament in pro sports. After teams grind out an 82-game season (soon to be 84), the 16 teams that qualify for the championship tourney face a two-month gauntlet.
The winning team ends its run after 16 victories and more than a few injuries along the way. That’s why the NHL postseason is the most entertaining event for fans old and new.
So, here’s a rundown of the action going on in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.
2026 Stanley Cup playoffs: First-Round Series
The first round of the 2026 NHL playoffs begins with 16 teams playing in eight, seven-game series.
Let’s look at the Eastern Conference side of the bracket
Carolina Hurricanes-Ottawa Senators
The top-seeded Carolina Hurricanes will take on the second wild card team, the Ottawa Senators. This looks like a monumental uphill battle for the Senators. But if there’s a team plucky enough to pull off a major upset, it’s Ottawa.
The Sens will be in tough against a Carolina team that has just been consistent all season long. They have no glaring weakness, with injuries being the only thing that could derail the Hurricanes’ momentum.
The 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs series is somewhat of a mismatch, with the Canes likely moving on.
UPDATE: The Hurricanes swept the Senators in four. Ottawa had little momentum on its side, ending with a 4-2 loss on April 25. Carolina will move on to face the winner of the Pittsburgh Penguins-Philadelphia Flyers series.
Buffalo Sabres-Boston Bruins
The Buffalo Sabres, the Eastern Conference’s second seed, will take on the Boston Bruins, the second wild card team. The Sabres are the hottest team entering the postseason. Since turning things around in mid-December, the Sabres have been the best team in the NHL. That’s a bold statement, even with the Colorado Avalanche having the best record wire-to-wire this season.
Meanwhile, the Bruins were a solid team, even with their fair share of ups and downs this season. Boston has gotten solid goaltending from Jeremy Swayman, but scoring could be a major pitfall. Unless David Pastrnak can carry the team, the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs could be over soon for Boston.
This series has the legs for seven games, with the Bruins’ experience potentially catapulting them over the upstart Sabres.
UPDATE: The Sabres have a 3-1 series lead heading into Game 5 on Tuesday night. Buffalo will be looking to close off their first postseason series victory since 2007.
Philadelphia Flyers-Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (2nd seed in Metro) and the Philadelphia Flyers (3rd seed in Metro) will square off in a matchup of two teams trending in different directions. On the one hand, the Penguins are an older club potentially trending towards a rebuild. But solid seasons from Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have them in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Flyers have officially emerged from their rebuild. They’ve earned a playoff appearance for the first time in five seasons. They are a young, dynamic team under one of the best coaches in the league right now, in Rick Tocchet.
This series could be a tight one, potentially going either way. However, Crosby and company may run out of gas, allowing the Flyers to move on.
UPDATE: After grabbing a 3-0 series lead, the Penguins have taken two straight to close the series down to a 3-2 deficit. Game 6 will be on Wednesday, with Philly looking to close the deal.
Montreal Canadiens-Tampa Bay Lightning
The final Eastern Conference first-round series features the toughest series of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs in the East. The Tampa Bay Lightning (2nd seed in Atlantic) against the Montreal Canadiens (3rd seed in Atlantic) could be on a collision course for a seven-game epic showdown.
Both clubs were evenly matched during the regular season. Each team finished with 106 points, with little difference between them. The series could come down to overall skill and resilience. The firepower on both sides is enough to overpower anyone. But it could be the younger Canadiens side outlasting the older, veteran Lightning squad.
UPDATE: The series is currently tied at two. Both sides have played well, with each game coming down to bounces. Game 5 is set for Wednesday night in Tampa.
Let’s now move on to the Western Conference side of the equation.
Colorado Avalanche-LA Kings
The series between the Colorado Avalanche and the LA Kings has to be the most mismatched showdown in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche will face the second wild card team, the LA Kings.
LA snuck into the postseason after a strong run down the stretch. However, they don’t look like the sort of team that could pull off the biggest upset of this postseason. The Kings are up against one of the top offensive powerhouses in the league, while simultaneously being the league’s best defensive team.
This series could be over quickly, with the heavily favored Avalanche moving on.
UPDATE: The Avalanche swept the Kings in four games, effectively ending Anze Kopitar’s career. The Kings played a tough series, but could not keep up with Colorado.
Vegas Golden Knights-Utah Mammoth
The Vegas Golden Knights entered the postseason as the second seed. The Pacific Division winners faced the Utah Mammoth, the West’s first wild card team.
Overall, this series has to be one of the most entertaining ones. The Mammoth are a young, speedy team going up against an older, grizzled veteran squad. This 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs series could be a mismatch, though the Mammoth have proven they can hang with just about anyone.
If there’s an upset brewing in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, it’s the Mammoth downing the Golden Knights.
UPDATE: The Mammoth and Knights are tied at two after Vegas took Game 4 in overtime. The series will shift to Vegas for Game 5 on Wednesday night.
Minnesota Wild-Dallas Stars
This series could well have been worthy of the Western Conference Final. Two of the league’s best teams face off in a war of attrition. With both the Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars equally stacked, the winner could very well come down to whoever can outlast the other side.
There should be no shortage of physicality, with the series likely featuring several low-scoring games. The difference could be goaltending, given Dallas’ star Jake Oettinger going up against the Wild’s dynamic duo of Jesper Wallstedt and Filip Gustavsson.
This series is too close to call. It could go seven, with the winner outlasting the loser.
UPDATE: The series is tied at two following the Wild’s dramatic Game 4 victory in overtime. The series has delivered as promised, with the showdown likely going the full distance.
Edmonton Oilers-Anaheim Ducks
The Edmonton Oilers (2nd seed in Pacific) face off against the Anaheim Ducks (3rd in Pacific), who will square off in what looks to be a bit of a mismatch. The upstart Ducks get the Oilers, who have been to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals.
With the Florida Panthers out of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, this could be the season the Oilers finally break through. But the Ducks won’t be an easy out. They have the goaltending and overall scoring to hang with the high-flying Oilers.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see a string of high-scoring games in this 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs series. The Oilers and their pedigree should move on to the second round.
UPDATE: A controversial overtime goal in Game 4 propelled the Ducks to a shocking 3-1 series lead on Sunday night. The Oilers are now on the ropes, facing elimination in Game 5 on Tuesday night at home.
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