NHL playoff bracket 2026: Full schedule, TV channels, scores for hockey's road to Stanley Cup
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NHL playoff bracket 2026: Full schedule, TV channels, scores for hockey's road to Stanley Cup originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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For hockey fans, it’s the best time of the year. The Stanley Cup Playoffs are officially here, and after a regular season defined by historic turnarounds and shifting divisional powers, the 2026 bracket is one of the most unpredictable in recent memory.
In the Eastern Conference, the field is a mix of battle-tested giants and long-awaited homecomings. The headline is the Buffalo Sabres, who not only snapped an NHL-record 14-season postseason drought but did so by capturing the Atlantic Division title. They’ll open against a Boston Bruins squad that returned to form after a year away, setting up a clash between Buffalo’s high-octane offense and Boston’s elite defensive structure. Meanwhile, the Battle of Pennsylvania is back, as the Penguins and Flyers renew their fierce rivalry in a first-round series for the first time since 2018.
Over in the West, the Colorado Avalanche have secured the Presidents’ Trophy, ensuring the road to the Cup runs through Denver. However, they face a gauntlet of contenders, including a Dallas Stars team that looks dangerous after a franchise-record winning streak and a Vegas Golden Knights squad that has found a new gear since John Tortorella took over the bench.
From the emergence of young stars like Cole Caufield to the enduring brilliance of veterans like Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, the stage is set for two months of high-stakes, sudden-death drama. With six teams qualifying for the postseason after missing out last year, the hunger for a deep run has never been higher. Let the chase for 16 wins begin.
The Sporting News has the complete bracket and schedule throughout the entire Stanley Cup Playoffs. Check it out below.
NHL playoff bracket 2026
Click here for the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs bracket, updated live as series are completed.
SN
First Round
Eastern ConferenceMatchupSeries(A1) Buffalo Sabres vs. (WC1) Boston BruinsTied 0-0(A2) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (A3) Montreal CanadiensTied 0-0(M1) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (WC2) Ottawa SenatorsTied 0-0(M2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (M3) Philadelphia FlyersTied 0-0Western ConferenceMatchupSeries(C1) Colorado Avalanche vs. (WC2) Los Angeles KingsTied 0-0(C2) Dallas Stars vs. (C3) Minnesota WildTied 0-0(P1) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (WC1) Utah MammothTied 0-0(P2) Edmonton Oilers vs. (P3) Anaheim DucksTied 0-0NHL playoffs schedule, scores 2026
First Round
Sabres vs. Bruins
DateGameTime (ET)WatchApril 19Game 1: Bruins at Sabres7:30 p.m.ESPN, DIRECTV,fubo, ESPN appApril 21Game 2: Bruins at Sabres7:30 p.m.ESPN, DIRECTV, fubo, ESPN appApril 23Game 3: Sabres at Bruins7:00 p.m.TNT, truTV, DIRECTVApril 26Game 4: Sabres at Bruins2:00 p.m.TNT, truTV, DIRECTVApril 28Game 5*: Bruins at SabresTBDTBDMay 1Game 6*: Sabres at BruinsTBDTBDMay 3Game 7*: Bruins at SabresTBDTBD*If necessary
Lightning vs. Canadiens
DateGameTime (ET)WatchApril 19Game 1: Canadiens at Lightning5:45 p.m.TNT, truTV, DIRECTVApril 21Game 2: Canadiens at Lightning7:00 p.m.ESPN2, DIRECTV, fubo, ESPN appApril 24Game 3: Lightning at Canadiens7:00 p.m.TNT, truTV, DIRECTVApril 26Game 4: Lightning at Canadiens7:00 p.m.ESPN, DIRECTV, fubo, ESPN appApril 29Game 5*: Canadiens at LightningTBDTBDMay 1Game 6*: Lightning at CanadiensTBDTBDMay 3Game 7*: Canadiens at LightningTBDTBD*If necessary
Hurricanes vs. Senators
DateGameTime (ET)WatchApril 18Game 1: Senators at Hurricanes3:00 p.m.ESPN, DIRECTV,fubo, ESPN appApril 20Game 2: Senators at Hurricanes7:30 p.m.ESPN2, DIRECTV, fubo, ESPN appApril 23Game 3: Hurricanes at Senators7:30 p.m.TBS, DIRECTVApril 25Game 4: Hurricanes at Senators3:00 p.m.TBS, truTV, DIRECTVApril 27Game 5*: Senators at HurricanesTBDTBDApril 30Game 6*: Hurricanes at SenatorsTBDTBDMay 2Game 7*: Senators at HurricanesTBDTBD*If necessary
Penguins vs. Flyers
DateGameTime (ET)WatchApril 18Game 1: Flyers at Penguins8:00 p.m.ESPN, DIRECTV,fubo, ESPN appApril 20Game 2: Flyers at Penguins7:00 p.m.ESPN, DIRECTV, fubo, ESPN appApril 22Game 3: Penguins at Flyers7:00 p.m.TNT, truTV, DIRECTVApril 25Game 4: Penguins at Flyers8:00 p.m.TBS, truTV, DIRECTVApril 27Game 5*: Flyers at PenguinsTBDTBDApril 29Game 6*: Penguins at FlyersTBDTBDMay 2Game 7*: Flyers at PenguinsTBDTBD*If necessary
Avalanche vs. Kings
DateGameTime (ET)WatchApril 19Game 1: Kings at Avalanche3:00 p.m.TNT, truTV, DIRECTVApril 21Game 2: Kings at Avalanche10:00 p.m.ESPN, DIRECTV, fubo, ESPN appApril 23Game 3: Avalanche at Kings10:00 p.m.TNT, truTV, DIRECTVApril 26Game 4: Avalanche at Kings4:30 p.m.TNT, truTV, DIRECTVApril 29Game 5*: Kings at AvalancheTBDTBDMay 1Game 6*: Avalanche at KingsTBDTBDMay 3Game 7*: Kings at AvalancheTBDTBD*If necessary
Stars vs. Wild
DateGameTime (ET)WatchApril 18Game 1: Wild at Stars5:30 p.m.ESPN, DIRECTV,fubo, ESPN appApril 20Game 2: Wild at Stars9:30 p.m.ESPN, DIRECTV, fubo, ESPN appApril 22Game 3: Stars at Wild9:30 p.m.TNT, truTV, DIRECTVApril 25Game 4: Stars at Wild5:30 p.m.TBS, truTV, DIRECTVApril 28Game 5*: Wild at StarsTBDTBDApril 30Game 6*: Stars at WildTBDTBDMay 2Game 7*: Wild at StarsTBDTBD*If necessary
Golden Knights vs. Mammoth
DateGameTime (ET)WatchApril 19Game 1: Mammoth at Golden Knights10:00 p.m.ESPN, DIRECTV,fubo, ESPN appApril 21Game 2: Mammoth at Golden Knights9:30 p.m.ESPN2, DIRECTV, fubo, ESPN appApril 24Game 3: Golden Knights at Mammoth9:30 p.m.TBS, DIRECTVApril 27Game 4: Golden Knights at MammothTBDESPN, DIRECTV, fubo, ESPN appApril 29Game 5*: Mammoth at Golden KnightsTBDTBDMay 1Game 6*: Golden Knights at MammothTBDTBDMay 3Game 7*: Mammoth at Golden KnightsTBDTBD*If necessary
Oilers vs. Ducks
DateGameTime (ET)WatchApril 20Game 1: Ducks at Oilers10:00 p.m.ESPN2, DIRECTV,fubo, ESPN appApril 22Game 2: Ducks at Oilers10:00 p.m.TBS, DIRECTVApril 24Game 3: Oilers at Ducks10:00 p.m.TNT, truTV, DIRECTVApril 26Game 4: Oilers at Ducks9:30 p.m.ESPN, DIRECTV, fubo, ESPN appApril 28Game 5*: Ducks at OilersTBDTBDApril 30Game 6*: Oilers at DucksTBDTBDMay 2Game 7*: Ducks at OilersTBDTBD*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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How will the 2026 NHL playoffs work?
Sixteen teams qualify for the NHL playoffs, eight from each conference. This includes the top three seeds from each division, who earn automatic berths. The remaining four spots are filled by the two highest-placed finishers in each conference outside of the automatic qualifiers, regardless of their division.
The NHL uses a fixed, division-based bracket. There is no reseeding between rounds, meaning teams can map out their potential path to the Final from Day 1. The division winner with the best record in the conference plays the wild card with the fewer points. The other division winner plays the wild card with more points. Meanwhile, the teams that finished second and third in each division face off against one another. The winners of the first-round series within each divisional bracket meet to determine who moves on to the Conference Finals, then the final four teams battle for their respective conference titles.
The Eastern Conference champion and Western Conference champion then meet in the Stanley Cup Final.