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As the NHL playoffs are finally around the corner, the run for the Stanley Cup championship is on. With the playoffs set to kick off on Saturday, April 20, anticipation is high as teams vie for supremacy on the ice.
The Stanley Cup finals are slated to start from June 3 and will culminate latest by June 17th as the league will then shift it's attention to the 2024 NHL Draft. This means, this year's NHL Playoffs could stretch for as long as 59 days. On average, the Stanley Cup playoffs last 50 days.
Let's take a look at the NHL playoff structure, from game formats to TV broadcasting and the teams in contention.
NHL playoffs format and game structure
The NHL playoffs feature sixteen teams, with eight from each conference (Eastern and Western). Each playoff round, including the Stanley Cup Finals, follows a best-of-seven series format. This means that teams must win four out of seven games to advance to the next round.
The home-ice advantage is awarded to the team with the higher seed, determined by regular-season performance.
In the first round, matchups are based on division standings. The division winner with the best record faces the wild-card team with the lesser record, while the wild-card team with the better record plays against the other division winner. Second and third-place teams within each division compete within their brackets.
The second round sees the winners from the first round facing off, leading to the conference finals. Finally, the winner of the Eastern and Western Conference finals will head to the Stanley Cup Final for the last showdown.
TV broadcasting and streaming
In the United States, NHL playoff games will be broadcast on ESPN, ABC, TNT, and TBS. ESPN and TNT will share coverage, with ABC airing Saturday night games during the first round. Additional games may also appear on ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews, TBS, or truTV. ESPN will broadcast the Stanley Cup Final, alternating with TNT.
In Canada, fans can catch all playoff action on Sportsnet and CBC.
Teams in contention
The NHL playoffs picture is set, with a lineup of formidable teams ready to battle for supremacy. In the Eastern Conference, the New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, New York Islanders, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals have secured the birth.
Meanwhile, in the Western Conference, the Dallas Stars, Vancouver Canucks, Winnipeg Jets, Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, Vegas Golden Knights, Nashville Predators and Los Angeles Kings are entering the playoff.
Eastern and Western conference brackets
The Eastern Conference playoff bracket features intriguing matchups:
- New York Rangers (M1) vs. Washington Capitals (WC2)
- Carolina Hurricanes (M2) vs. New York Islanders (M3)
- Florida Panthers (A1) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (WC1)
- Boston Bruins (A2) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (A3)
In the Western Conference, the matchups would look like this:
- Dallas Stars (C1) vs. Vegas Golden Knights
- Winnipeg Jets (C2) vs. Colorado Avalanche (C3)
- Vancouver Canucks (P1) vs. Nashville Predators (WC1)
- Edmonton Oilers (P2) vs. Los Angeles Kings
The road to the Stanley Cup promises excitement, drama and intense competition as these teams battle it out for hockey's most prestigious prize. Stay tuned for the NHL playoffs to unfold in the coming weeks.
