The 2021 Stanley Playoffs have arrived! The regular season came to a close and the puck drops on the NHL Playoffs on Saturday, May 15. The playoffs will crown the 2021 champion no later than July 19.
The NHL made an adjustment to its playoff system this season due to COVID-19. The 31 teams across the league were assigned to one of four divisions with all the Canadian teams in their own division. Teams played entirely divisional play because quarantine requirements prevented teams from flying into Canada during the season.
The top four teams in each of the four divisions earned a playoff berth. The first two rounds of this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs will feature divisional play. The No. 1 and No. 4 teams will play a best-of-seven series and the No. 2 and No. 3 teams will play a best-of-seven series. The winners of those series will meet up in the second round. The winner of those four series will then advance to the semifinals, where the final four teams will be re-seeded based on regular season record. They’ll square off in 1/4 and 2/3 matchups. Those two winners will then face off in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Below is the full bracket and schedule of games. We will update with results as the playoffs progress until a champion is crowned.
Stanley Cup Semifinals
No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning tied 3-3 with No. 3 New York Islanders
Game 1: Islanders 2, Lightning 1
Game 2: Lightning 4, Islanders 2
Game 3: Lightning 2, Islanders 1
Game 4: Islanders 3, Lightning 2
Game 5: Lightning 8, Islanders 0
Game 6: Islanders 3, Lightning 2 (OT)
Game 7: Islanders @ Lightning: Friday, June 25, 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN
No. 4 Montreal Canadiens leads series 3-2 over No. 1 Vegas Golden Knights
Game 1: Golden Knights 4, Canadiens 1
Game 2: Canadiens 3, Golden Knights 2
Game 3: Canadiens 3, Golden Knights 2 (OT)
Game 4: Golden Knights 2, Canadiens 1 (OT)
Game 5: Canadiens 4, Golden Knights 1
Game 6: Golden Knights @ Canadiens: Thursday, June 24, 8 p.m. ET, USA
Game 7 (if necessary): Canadiens @ Golden Knights: Saturday, June 26, 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN
First two rounds
East Division
First round
New York Islanders (4) win series 4-2 Pittsburgh Penguins (1)
Game 1: Islanders 4, Penguins 3 (OT)
Game 2: Penguins 2,tampa Islanders 1
Game 3: Penguins 5, Islanders 4
Game 4: Islanders 4, Penguins 1
Game 5: Islanders 3, Penguins 2 (2OT)
Game 6: Islanders 5, Penguins 3
Boston Bruins (3) win series 4-1 over Washington Capitals (2)
Game 1: Capitals 3, Bruins 2 (OT)
Game 2: Bruins 4, Capitals 3 (OT)
Game 3: Bruins 3, Capitals 2 (2OT)
Game 4: Bruins 4, Capitals 1
Game 5: Bruins 3, Capitals 1
Second round
No. 4 New York Islanders win series 4-2 over No. 3 Boston Bruins
Game 1: Bruins 5, Islanders 2
Game 2: Islanders 4, Bruins 3 (OT)
Game 3: Bruins 2, Islanders 1 (OT)
Game 4: Islanders 4, Bruins 1
Game 5: Islanders 5, Bruins 4
Game 6: Islanders 6, Bruins 2
Central Division
First round
Carolina Hurricanes (1) win series 4-2 over Nashvillle Predators (4)
Game 1: Hurricanes 5, Predators 2
Game 2: Hurricanes 3, Predators 0
Game 3: Predators 5, Hurricanes 4 (2OT)
Game 4: Predators 4, Hurricanes 3 (2OT)
Game 5: Hurricanes 3, Predators 2
Game 6: Hurricanes 4, Predators 3 (OT)
Tampa Bay Lightning (3) win series 4-2 over Florida Panthers (2)
Game 1: Lightning 5, Panthers 4
Game 2: Lightning 3, Panthers 1
Game 3: Panthers 6, Lightning 5
Game 4: Lightning 6, Panthers 2
Game 5: Panthers 4, Lightning 1
Game 6: Lightning 4, Panthers 0
Second round
Tampa Bay Lightning (3) win series 4-1 over Carolina Hurricanes (1)
Game 1: Lightning 2, Hurricanes 1
Game 2: Lightning 2, Hurricanes 1
Game 3: Hurricanes 3, Lightning 2 (OT)
Game 4: Lightning 6, Hurricanes 4
Game 5: Lightning 2, Hurricanes 0
North Division
Montreal Canadiens (4) win series 4-3 over Toronto Maple Leafs (1)
Game 1: Canadiens 2, Maple Leafs 1
Game 2: Maple Leafs 5, Canadiens 1
Game 3: Maple Leafs 2, Canadiens 1
Game 4: Maple Leafs 4, Canadiens 0
Game 5: Canadiens 4, Maple Leafs 3 (OT)
Game 6: Canadiens 3, Maple Leafs 2 (OT)
Game 7: Canadiens 3, Maple Leafs 1
Winnipeg Jets (3) win series over Edmonton Oilers (2) 4-0
Game 1: Jets 4, Oilers 1
Game 2: Jets 1, Oilers 0 (OT)
Game 3: Jets 5, Oilers 4
Game 4: Jets 4, Oilers 3 (3OT)
Second round
Montreal Canadiens (4) win series 4-0 over Winnipeg Jets (3)
Game 1: Canadiens 5, Jets 3
Game 2: Canadiens 1 Jets 0
Game 3: Canadiens 5, Jets 1
Game 4: Canadiens 3, Jets 2 (OT)
West Division
First round
Colorado Avalanche (1) win series 4-0 over St. Louis Blues (4)
Game 1: Avalanche 4, Blues 1
Game 2: Avalanche 6, Blues 3
Game 3: Avalanche 5, Blues 1
Game 4: Avalanche 5, Blues 2
Vegas Golden Knights (2) win series 4-3 over Minnesota Wild (3)
Game 1: Wild 1, Golden Knights 0 (OT)
Game 2: Golden Knights 3, Wild 1
Game 3: Golden Knights 5, Wild 2
Game 4: Golden Knights 4, Wild 0
Game 5: Wild 4, Golden Knights 2
Game 6: Wild 3, Golden Knights 0
Game 7: Golden Knights 6, Wild 2
Second round
Vegas Golden Knights (2) win series 4-2 over Colorado Avalanche (1)
Game 1: Avalanche 7, Golden Knights 1
Game 2: Avalanche 3, Golden Knights 2 (OT)
Game 3: Golden Knights 3, Avalanche 2
Game 4: Golden Knights 5, Avalanche 1
Game 5: Golden Knights 3, Avalanche 2
Game 6: Golden Knights 6, Avalanche 3
