NHL playoffs schedule 2026: Full bracket, dates, times, TV channels, live streams for road to Stanley Cup originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Hockey fans, the Stanley Cup Playoffs are officially here. The 2026 version might be as good as ever, with a bracket that feels as wide open as any in recent memory.
Sixteen teams have the same quest: to take home Lord Stanley’s Cup. Only one will emerge victorious and etch its name into NHL history. The landscape has shifted dramatically this year, as for the first time in a decade, the defending champions will not be in the dance, as the Florida Panthers failed to qualify following their 2025 title run. That leaves the door wide open for the Colorado Avalanche, who enter the postseason as Presidents’ Trophy winners, and the Vegas Golden Knights, who look to recapture their 2023 magic under the late-season guidance of John Tortorella.
The storylines are everywhere you look. Connor McDavid is coming off another staggering 130-point season, desperate to finally bring a Cup back to Edmonton. Meanwhile, the Eastern Conference features a nostalgic “Battle of Pennsylvania” between the Penguins and Flyers.
Then, of course, there’s the Buffalo Sabres, who finally shattered the longest playoff drought in NHL history by storming into the postseason as Atlantic Division champions. After 14 years on the outside looking in, Lindy Ruff’s squad has transformed from a December basement-dweller into a legitimate threat to go the distance.
From the breakout Sabres winning the Atlantic to the Utah Mammoth making their postseason debut, the stage is set for a wild ride. Here is the full schedule for every series of the 2026 NHL Playoffs.
NHL playoffs schedule, scores 2026
First Round
Sabres vs. Bruins – Series tied 1-1
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | Watch |
| April 19 | Game 1: Sabres 4, Bruins 3 | — | — |
| April 21 | Game 2: Bruins 4, Sabres 2 | — | — |
| April 23 | Game 3: Sabres at Bruins | 7:00 p.m. | TNT, truTV, DIRECTV |
| April 26 | Game 4: Sabres at Bruins | 2:00 p.m. | TNT, truTV, DIRECTV |
| April 28 | Game 5: Bruins at Sabres | TBD | TBD |
| May 1 | Game 6*: Sabres at Bruins | TBD | TBD |
| May 3 | Game 7*: Bruins at Sabres | TBD | TBD |
*If necessary
Lightning vs. Canadiens – Series tied 1-1
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | Watch |
| April 19 | Game 1: Canadiens 4, Lightning 3 (OT) | — | — |
| April 21 | Game 2: Lightning 3, Canadiens 2 (OT) | — | — |
| April 24 | Game 3: Lightning at Canadiens | 7:00 p.m. | TNT, truTV, DIRECTV |
| April 26 | Game 4: Lightning at Canadiens | 7:00 p.m. | ESPN, DIRECTV, fubo, ESPN app |
| April 29 | Game 5: Canadiens at Lightning | TBD | TBD |
| May 1 | Game 6*: Lightning at Canadiens | TBD | TBD |
| May 3 | Game 7*: Canadiens at Lightning | TBD | TBD |
*If necessary
Hurricanes vs. Senators – Carolina leads 2-0
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | Watch |
| April 18 | Game 1: Hurricanes 2, Senators 0 | — | — |
| April 20 | Game 2: Hurricanes 3, Senators 2 (2 OT) | — | — |
| April 23 | Game 3: Hurricanes at Senators | 7:30 p.m. | TBS, DIRECTV |
| April 25 | Game 4: Hurricanes at Senators | 3:00 p.m. | TBS, truTV, DIRECTV |
| April 27 | Game 5*: Senators at Hurricanes | TBD | TBD |
| April 30 | Game 6*: Hurricanes at Senators | TBD | TBD |
| May 2 | Game 7*: Senators at Hurricanes | TBD | TBD |
*If necessary
Penguins vs. Flyers – Philadelphia leads 3-0
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | Watch |
| April 18 | Game 1: Flyers 3, Penguins 2 | — | — |
| April 20 | Game 2: Flyers 3, Penguins | — | — |
| April 22 | Game 3: Flyers 5, Penguins 2 | — | — |
| April 25 | Game 4: Penguins at Flyers | 8:00 p.m. | TBS, truTV, DIRECTV |
| April 27 | Game 5*: Flyers at Penguins | TBD | TBD |
| April 29 | Game 6*: Penguins at Flyers | TBD | TBD |
| May 2 | Game 7*: Flyers at Penguins | TBD | TBD |
*If necessary
Avalanche vs. Kings – Colorado leads 2-0
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | Watch |
| April 19 | Game 1: Avalanche 2, Kings 1 | — | — |
| April 21 | Game 2: Avalanche 2, Kings 1 (OT) | — | — |
| April 23 | Game 3: Avalanche at Kings | 10:00 p.m. | TNT, truTV, DIRECTV |
| April 26 | Game 4: Avalanche at Kings | 4:30 p.m. | TNT, truTV, DIRECTV |
| April 29 | Game 5*: Kings at Avalanche | TBD | TBD |
| May 1 | Game 6*: Avalanche at Kings | TBD | TBD |
| May 3 | Game 7*: Kings at Avalanche | TBD | TBD |
*If necessary
Stars vs. Wild – Series tied 1-1
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | Watch |
| April 18 | Game 1: Wild 6, Stars 1 | — | — |
| April 20 | Game 2: Stars 4, Wild 2 | — | — |
| April 22 | Game 3: Stars at Wild | 9:30 p.m. | TNT, truTV, DIRECTV |
| April 25 | Game 4: Stars at Wild | 5:30 p.m. | TBS, truTV, DIRECTV |
| April 28 | Game 5: Wild at Stars | TBD | TBD |
| April 30 | Game 6*: Stars at Wild | TBD | TBD |
| May 2 | Game 7*: Wild at Stars | TBD | TBD |
*If necessary
Golden Knights vs. Mammoth – Series tied 1-1
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | Watch |
| April 19 | Game 1: Golden Knights 4, Mammoth 2 | — | — |
| April 21 | Game 2: Mammoth 3, Golden Knights 2 | — | — |
| April 24 | Game 3: Golden Knights at Mammoth | 9:30 p.m. | TBS, DIRECTV |
| April 27 | Game 4: Golden Knights at Mammoth | TBD | ESPN, DIRECTV, fubo, ESPN app |
| April 29 | Game 5: Mammoth at Golden Knights | TBD | TBD |
| May 1 | Game 6*: Golden Knights at Mammoth | TBD | TBD |
| May 3 | Game 7*: Mammoth at Golden Knights | TBD | TBD |
*If necessary
Oilers vs. Ducks – Edmonton leads 1-0
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | Watch |
| April 20 | Game 1: Oilers 4, Ducks 3 | — | — |
| April 22 | Game 2: Ducks at Oilers | 10:00 p.m. | TBS, DIRECTV |
| April 24 | Game 3: Oilers at Ducks | 10:00 p.m. | TNT, truTV, DIRECTV |
| April 26 | Game 4: Oilers at Ducks | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN, DIRECTV, fubo, ESPN app |
| April 28 | Game 5*: Ducks at Oilers | TBD | TBD |
| April 30 | Game 6*: Oilers at Ducks | TBD | TBD |
| May 2 | Game 7*: Ducks at Oilers | TBD | TBD |
*If necessary
Where to watch NHL playoffs 2026
The Stanley Cup Playoffs will be broadcast across ESPN and TNT Sports platforms, with six different channels being destinations for games. The Stanley Cup Final will be exclusively on ABC.
Fans can live stream every game from the Stanley Cup Playoffs on DIRECTV. Games appearing on ESPN networks, including ABC, can also be streamed live on fubo and the ESPN app.
Catch every game – try DIRECTV FREE today! Stream live MLB, March Madness, soccer and more with must-have sports channels like TNT, TBS, truTV, ESPN, FS1, and NFL Network—all included with DIRECTV.
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NHL playoffs bracket 2026
Click here for the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs bracket, updated live as series are completed.
SN
How will the 2026 NHL playoffs work?
The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs follow a divisional bracket system where 16 teams — eight from each conference —compete in four rounds of best-of-seven series. The top three teams in each of the league’s four divisions qualify automatically, while the final four spots are awarded to the two wild card teams in each conference with the highest remaining point totals.
In the opening round, the division winner with the best record in their conference faces the wild card with the fewest points, while the other division winner plays the wild card with the higher point total. The remaining first-round series feature the second- and third-place teams from each division facing off against one another.
Every series follows a 2–2–1–1–1 format, meaning the higher-seeded team hosts Games 1, 2, 5, and 7. Home-ice advantage is determined by division seeding in the first two rounds and moves to the team with the better regular-season record for the Conference Finals and the Stanley Cup Final.
Postseason hockey also introduces continuous 20-minute, five-on-five overtime periods where the first goal scored ends the game, as there are no shootouts in the playoffs.
How many teams make the NHL playoffs?
Sixteen teams make the Stanley Cup Playoffs, eight from both the Eastern and Western Conference. This includes the top three teams in all four divisions — Atlantic, Metropolitan, Pacific, Central — and four wild card teams, two from each conference.
How many rounds are in the NHL playoffs?
There are four rounds in the NHL playoffs, each consisting of a best-of-seven series. To win the Stanley Cup, a team must advance through the First Round, the Second Round (Division Finals), and the Conference Finals, before finally winning the Stanley Cup Final.
Because every round requires four victories to advance, a champion must win a total of 16 games over the course of the postseason.
How many games are in a series?
All series in the Stanley Cup playoffs follow a seven-game format.
The matchups are played in a 2–2–1–1–1 format, where the team with home-ice advantage hosts Games 1, 2, 5, and 7, while the lower seed hosts Games 3, 4, and 6. This structure remains consistent from the opening series through the Final, ensuring that the team with the better regular-season standing always has the opportunity to host a potential Game 7 in front of their home crowd.