The best playoffs in sports have returned! On April 18th, The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs will begin, and here is everything you need to know about all of the first-round matchups:
Eastern Conference:
M1 Carolina Hurricanes Vs. WC2 Ottawa Senators:
For what feels like the 10th year in a row, the Hurricanes have again found themselves at the top of the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference as a whole. Acquiring Nikolaj Ehlers seems to have proved quite well for the Canes, as he is currently second on the team in scoring behind only the eternal Sebastian Aho. However, the biggest story of Carolina’s season thus far has been the emergence of one Brandon Bussi as Carolina’s new go-to goaltender. Through 39 starts, Bussi has managed an astounding 31-6-2 record. However, none of Carolina’s 3 goaltenders currently have a save percentage of .900 or higher, so perhaps the Senators can find a way to exploit that.
For a team whose goal in these playoffs is likely “do better than last year”, Ottawa does not actually have the typical “no shot” chance that many wild-card teams are initially given. The Sens have managed to claim a playoff spot amidst an absolutely brutal Atlantic Division this season. With their young core of Tim Stutzle, Drake Batherson, and Dylan Cozens to lead the way alongside legendary veterans like Claude Giroux, and with the always controversial Brady Tkachuk up to his usual antics, the Sens have a strong chance to take multiple games against a Carolina team with some mysteries regarding their goaltending headed into the playoffs, granted they don’t immediately collapse in the first 2 games at PNC Arena. Ottawa also does not have a goalie with a .900 or higher save percentage currently, so this could prove to be one of the highest scoring series in recent history.
A1 Buffalo Sabres Vs. WC1 Boston Bruins:
For the first time since 2008, the Sabres have made it to the playoffs! Not only that, but they have taken that narrative and twisted it on its head, and they now find themselves atop a wild Atlantic division. Budding superstar Tage Thompson and 2018 first-round draft pick Rasmus Dahlin have been the dynamic duo for the Sabres this year, and the goaltending trio of Alex Lyon, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, and Colten Ellis has backstopped the team and made it very difficult for their opponents to keep themselves in games. Buffalo has all of the things that are needed to make a deep playoff run, and all they have to do is seize the opportunity.
The 2025-26 regular season was… strange to say the least for the Bruins, and their current position and playoff spot are a testament to their sheer willpower. Even though David Pastrnak is still dazzling and despite Jeremy Swayman somehow still stealing games for the team, Boston is not in the greatest position to take many games off of Buffalo, and unfortunately, this series could have a strong chance of falling flat.
M2 Pittsburgh Penguins Vs. M3 Philadelphia Flyers:
For the first time since the 2018 first round, a series that saw Pittsburgh defeat Philadelphia in 6 games, these 2 historic arch-rivals will duke it out for supremacy in the Keystone State. Pittsburgh, ironically one of the shocker teams of this year despite their nigh-unparalleled success in the 2000s/2010s, was miraculously once again led to the playoffs by their ageless core of future first ballot hall-of-famer Sidney Crosby and local legend Bryan Rust. Crosby and Rust currently make up 2 of the team’s top 3 point scorers. Former Detroit Red Wing Anthony Mantha has been the most surprising member of this ragtag squad, scoring 30 goals for the first time in his career and surpassing his previous high of 25 set in the 18-19 season. Whether or not Pittsburgh can maintain this level of play, especially given their (to put it nicely) rocky goaltending situation, remains to be seen. If these top few scorers cannot get it going, they will have their hands full with the red-hot Flyers.
On June 23, 2025, former wonderkid Trevor Zegras was traded to the Flyers. Now, 10 months later, he currently sits second on the team in points and has been instrumental in keeping Philadelphia in the playoff race down the stretch. Strong depth scoring, including the likes of 2024 first-round draft pick Matvei Michkov and team legend Travis Konecny, has proved to be very valuable in the metro this season, and former Calgary Flame Dan Vladar has backstopped the Flyers nearly the entire season. However, if Vladar cannot find his rhythm and the eyes turn to Samuel Ersson and/or if the top scorers aren’t producing, things could get a little dicey for the orange and black, especially considering their lack of home ice advantage.
A2 Tampa Bay Lightning Vs. A3 Montreal Canadiens
It is not every day that a Stanley Cup Final rematch happens in the first round of the playoffs. This series, a rematch of the Covid-affected 2021 finals that saw Montreal confusingly play the part of Western Conference champions, is not without its intrigue. Nikita Kucherov is once again a dominant force in the league and a frontrunner for the Hart Trophy, and the raw forward presence that Tampa presents with Jake Guentzel and Brandon Hagel to support Kucherov, the Bolts probably have the single most potent offense in the playoffs. Andrei Vasilevskiy is also back to his dominance, and so Tampa could very well end up bulldozing past the young and speedy Canadiens.
Ivan Demidov has become the new messiah in Montreal, a fact that, when coupled with team captain Nick Suzuki’s 100-point campaign and goaltender Jakub Dobes’ wildly impressive breakout season, means that the Habs could end up giving Tampa a run for their money. However, it could prove nigh-impossible for Montreal’s defense (a squad that can tend to lead more offensively) to stop the bullrush of the Lightning offense.
Western Conference:
C1 Colorado Avalanche vs. WC2 Los Angeles Kings:
From the very start of the 25-26 season, the President ‘s-Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche completely and utterly dominated in every sense of the word. Nathan MacKinnon continued to cement his legacy as possibly the best player in the world currently. The borderline-unfairly-elite defensive pair of Cale Makar and Devon Toews has helped MacKinnon and the rest of Colorado’s explosive offense contribute to the team’s preposterous +97 goal differential. Colorado is the favorite to win the cup this year, and for good reason, and it will be interesting to see if they will be the team to break the “President’s Trophy curse”. However, the fact that Colorado has 2 of the league leaders in both goals against average and save percentage in MacKenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood could very well be the key to nullifying any influence that the curse may or may not have on the team.
After losing in the first round to the Edmonton Oilers for 4 straight years, it would seem that the Kings have decided to try their luck on a different opponent. Unfortunately for them, that opponent just so happens to be the indomitable buzzsaw of Colorado. LA has been the subject of intense scrutiny this season, mostly due to their 22 regulation wins and record-setting 20 overtime losses, a fact that has caused the NHL’s highly controversial points system to once again be called into question. It is highly likely that LA will be instantly cast aside by the Avs; however, as was shown in the 2023 first-round series between the then-record-setting Boston Bruins and the Cinderella Florida Panthers, nothing is guaranteed in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
P1 Vegas Golden Knights Vs. WC1 Utah Mammoth:
The Pacific division was probably the biggest question mark this season, and Vegas managing to come out on top is a testament to that. Even though they won 50 games this season, the Golden Knights are a largely unassuming team. Led again by Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, and Mark Stone, Vegas is another team with an unstable goaltending situation. None of Vegas’ four goalies are particularly impressive, and they are one of the few “stinker” division winners in recent memory, again a testament to the Pacific’s pitiful nature. While naturally having a lot of pressure placed on them as a division winner, Vegas by no means feels like the team that can handle that pressure.
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, the Utah Mammoth are making their first entry into the Stanley Cup playoffs. This is primarily due to Utah being led by American phenom Clayton Keller and Dylan Guenther scoring 40 goals in a career campaign. The Delta Center crowd has been itching for playoff hockey for some time, and the Mammoth are more than ready to give the people what they want and shock the Pacific Division-winning Golden Knights.
C2 Dallas Stars Vs. C3 Minnesota Wild:
Despite what the standings may show, Dallas has not exactly had the smoothest road to second place in the West. Even though they had an 11-game point streak at one point, the Stars managed to lose steam (and borderline trainwreck) at the worst time. In late March, Dallas had a miserable East Coast road trip, losing 3 out of 4 games amid a miserable back end of the month that saw the team go 2-7 from March 16th to March 31st. Now, with home ice advantage over Minnesota (something that can and will be key in this series), the Stars once again find themselves in control of their own destiny against a Minnesota team that took them to 6 games in 2023. Top scorers Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston have continued to shine. Dallas again finds itself immensely plagued by injuries, with star Finnish duo Roope Hintz and Miro Heiskanen both currently sidelined. Dallas’ young core has stepped up and filled in for their injured veterans (a trend that was highlighted when Mavrik Bourque scored his first career hat trick against the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 13th). The youngsters need to continue their strong play, because there is no telling whether or not goaltender Jake Oettinger will be able to overcome his “playoff jitters” that have semi-plagued Dallas over the past 3 seasons.
Coming off a not great 24-25 postseason, the Wild have returned to their former glory. Despite sitting on 102 points currently, the Wild hilariously find themselves not only 3rd in the west, but also 3rd in their own division. Minnesota has been unfairly hurt by the sheer strength of the central division, however come playoff time, that won’t matter, and if they want to shake their “first round exit” narrative, then they will need big time plays from people other than Russian phenom Kirill Kaprizov, Olympic gold medal winner Matt Boldy, and goaltender Filip Gustavsson if they went to make a splash and take some games away from Dallas, who Minnesota posted a 2-2 record against during the regular season. While the series is likely to be very close, Dallas will likely have the edge, barring a historic collapse.
P2 Edmonton Oilers Vs. P3 Anaheim Ducks:
It becomes somewhat ironic that Oilers captain Connor McDavid so eloquently called the Pacific “a pillow fight” when you realize that his team did not win said pillow fight. However, this does not mean that the Oilers are not in a good spot. The same core that has brought their team to the Stanley Cup Finals for 2 straight years is once again dazzling. Edmonton’s goaltending situation has actually gotten worse. Losing Stuart Skinner would probably be a positive for any other team, but the Oilers have decided to replace him with the trio of Connor Ingram, Tristan Jarry, and Calvin Pickard, none of whom have been particularly impressive. If Edmonton wants to finally get over the hump this year, then one of these 3 will need to step up.
For being one of the youngest teams in the league, Anaheim is also one of the more interesting cases in this year’s playoffs. The Ducks have possibly the best depth in the playoffs, led by top scorers Cutter Gauthier and Leo Carlsson, the emergence of Beckett Sennecke, and legendary veteran Chris Kreider showing flashes of his former glory. Despite having a few stinker games down the stretch, Anaheim still has a fairly strong chance to knock off an Edmonton team that was pegged as a cup favorite earlier this season. This series will entirely come down to whether Lukas Dostal can stop the sheer might of the Oilers’ offense and whether or not the young stars for Anaheim can continue to produce.
