NHL playoffs schedule 2026: Full bracket, dates, times, TV channels, live streams for road to Stanley Cup

NHL playoffs schedule 2026: Full bracket, dates, times, TV channels, live streams for road to Stanley Cup originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

>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.

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>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 2026First RoundSabres vs. Bruins - Buffalo leads 2-1

DateGameTime (ET)WatchApril 19Game 1: Sabres 4, Bruins 3——April 21Game 2: Bruins 4, Sabres 2——April 23Game 3: Sabres 3, Bruins 1——April 26Game 4: Sabres at Bruins2:00 p.m.SN, TVASApril 28Game 5: Bruins at Sabres7:30 p.m.SNE, SNO, SNP, TVASMay 1Game 6*: Sabres at BruinsTBDTBDMay 3Game 7*: Bruins at SabresTBDTBD*If necessary

>Lightning vs. Canadiens - Series tied 1-1

DateGameTime (ET)WatchApril 19Game 1: Canadiens 4, Lightning 3 (OT)——April 21Game 2: Lightning 3, Canadiens 2 (OT)——April 24Game 3: Lightning at Canadiens7:00 p.m.SN, CBC, TVASApril 26Game 4: Lightning at Canadiens7:00 p.m.SNE, SNO, SNP, CBC, TVASApril 29Game 5: Canadiens at LightningTBDTBDMay 1Game 6*: Lightning at CanadiensTBDTBDMay 3Game 7*: Canadiens at LightningTBDTBD*If necessary

>Hurricanes vs. Senators - Carolina leads 3-0

DateGameTime (ET)WatchApril 18Game 1: Hurricanes 2, Senators 0——April 20Game 2: Hurricanes 3, Senators 2 (2 OT)——April 23Game 3: Hurricanes 2, Senators 1——April 25Game 4: Hurricanes at Senators3:00 p.m.SN, OMNI, TVASApril 27Game 5*: Senators at HurricanesTBDTBDApril 30Game 6*: Hurricanes at SenatorsTBDTBDMay 2Game 7*: Senators at HurricanesTBDTBD*If necessary

>Penguins vs. Flyers - Philadelphia leads 3-0

DateGameTime (ET)WatchApril 18Game 1: Flyers 3, Penguins 2——April 20Game 2: Flyers 3, Penguins 0——April 22Game 3: Flyers 5, Penguins 2——April 25Game 4: Penguins at Flyers8:00 p.m.SN, TVASApril 27Game 5*: Flyers at PenguinsTBDTBDApril 29Game 6*: Penguins at FlyersTBDTBDMay 2Game 7*: Flyers at PenguinsTBDTBD*If necessary

>Avalanche vs. Kings - Colorado leads 3-0

DateGameTime (ET)WatchApril 19Game 1: Avalanche 2, Kings 1——April 21Game 2: Avalanche 2, Kings 1 (OT)——April 23Game 3: Avalanche 4, Kings 2——April 26Game 4: Avalanche at Kings4:30 p.m.SNW, SNP, SN360, TVASApril 29Game 5*: Kings at AvalancheTBDTBDMay 1Game 6*: Avalanche at KingsTBDTBDMay 3Game 7*: Kings at AvalancheTBDTBD*If necessary

>Stars vs. Wild - Dallas leads 2-1

DateGameTime (ET)WatchApril 18Game 1: Wild 6, Stars 1——April 20Game 2: Stars 4, Wild 2——April 22Game 3: Stars 4, Wild 3 (2 OT)——April 25Game 4: Stars at Wild5:30 p.m.SNO, SNW, SNP, TVASApril 28Game 5: Wild at Stars8 p.m.SN360, TVAS2April 30Game 6*: Stars at WildTBDTBDMay 2Game 7*: Wild at StarsTBDTBD*If necessary

>Golden Knights vs. Mammoth - Series tied 1-1

DateGameTime (ET)WatchApril 19Game 1: Golden Knights 4, Mammoth 2——April 21Game 2: Mammoth 3, Golden Knights 2——April 24Game 3: Golden Knights at Mammoth9:30 p.m.SN360, TVASApril 27Game 4: Golden Knights at MammothTBDTBDApril 29Game 5*: Mammoth at Golden KnightsTBDTBDMay 1Game 6*: Golden Knights at MammothTBDTBDMay 3Game 7*: Mammoth at Golden KnightsTBDTBD*If necessary

>Oilers vs. Ducks - Series tied 1-1

DateGameTime (ET)WatchApril 20Game 1: Oilers 4, Ducks 3——April 22Game 2: Ducks 6, Oilers 4——April 24Game 3: Oilers at Ducks10:00 p.m.SN, CBC, TVASApril 26Game 4: Oilers at Ducks9:30 p.m.SN, CBC, TVASApril 28Game 5: Ducks at Oilers10:30 p.m.SN, CBC, TVASApril 30Game 6*: Oilers at DucksTBDTBDMay 2Game 7*: Ducks at OilersTBDTBD*If necessary

Where to watch NHL playoffs 2026TV channel: Sportsnet channels, CBC (English) | TVA Sports (French) • >Live stream: Sportsnet+NHL playoff games will be broadcast across various Sportsnet channels with select games also airing on the CBC. TVA Sports will carry French-language broadcasts.

>Fans can stream the games either on Sportsnet+.

NHL playoffs bracket 2026Click 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.

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