Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason (2024)

  • Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason (1)

    ESPN staffMay 1, 2024, 12:32 AM ET

The 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs are here! The NHL's 32 teams are down to just 16 in the postseason, with the first round well underway.

Will the New York Rangers parlay their success in winning the Presidents' Trophy to a championship -- thus breaking the "curse" of that award?

Can the Vegas Golden Knights repeat, despite starting the postseason as the underdog in their initial series?

Read on for the full playoff coverage from every first-round series all the way through the Stanley Cup Final.

More: Playoff schedule
Megapreview
Lapsed fan's guide
Wyshynski's bracket
Top 50 players
Cup contender comps

Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason (2)

First round

Atlantic Division

Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason (3)

A1 FloridaPanthers
vs.

Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason (4)

WC1 Tampa BayLightning

Regular-season records:

Panthers: 52-24-6, 110 points
Lightning: 45-29-8, 98 points

Leading scorers:

Panthers: Sam Reinhart, 94 points (57 G, 37 A)
Lightning: Nikita Kucherov, 144 points (44 G, 100 A)

Consensus pick: Panthers

Schedule: (FLA wins 4-1)

Keys to the offseason for the Lightning

Game 1: FLA 3, TB 2 | Recap | Replay
Game 2: FLA 3, TB 2 (OT) | Recap | Replay
Game 3: FLA 5, TB 3 | Recap | Replay
Game 4: TB 6, FLA 3 | Recap | Replay
Game 5: FLA 6, TB 1 | Recap | Replay

Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason (5)play

Aleksander Barkov with a shorthand Panthers goal

Aleksander Barkov rips a shot into the net and puts the Panthers up 2 against the Lightning.

Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason (6)

A2 BostonBruins
vs.

Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason (7)

A3 TorontoMaple Leafs

Regular-season records:

Bruins: 47-20-15, 109 points
Maple Leafs: 46-26-10, 102 points

See Also
NHL playoff picture: Bracket, results, scores and odds for Stanley Cup playoffsNHL playoff watch: The latest Western Conference bracketNHL playoff picture: Confirmed matchups, Central Division scenarios on final day of season2024 NHL Playoffs bracket: Stanley Cup Playoffs schedule, start times, TV channels for Tuesday's games

Leading scorers:

Bruins: David Pastrnak, 110 points (47 G, 63 A)
Maple Leafs: Auston Matthews, 107 points (69 G, 38 A)

Consensus pick: Bruins

Schedule: (BOS leads 3-2)

Game 1: BOS 5, TOR 1 | Recap | Replay
Game 2: TOR 3, BOS 2 | Recap | Replay
Game 3: BOS 4, TOR 2 | Recap | Replay
Game 4: BOS 3, TOR 1 | Recap | Replay
Game 5: TOR 2, BOS 1 (OT) | Recap | Replay
Game 6: BOS @ TOR | May 2, 8 p.m. (TBS) | Preview
Game 7: TOR @ BOS | May 4* | Preview

Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason (8)play

Matthew Knies' OT goal for Maple Leafs forces Game 6 vs. the Bruins

Toronto's Matthew Knies scores the overtime goal to stun the Boston crowd in Game 5.

Metropolitan Division

Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason (9)

M1 New YorkRangers
vs.

Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason (10)

WC2 WashingtonCapitals

Regular-season records:

Rangers: 55-23-4, 114 points
Capitals: 40-31-11, 91 points

Leading scorers:

Rangers: Artemi Panarin, 120 points (49 G, 71 A)
Capitals: Dylan Strome, 67 points (27 G, 40 A)

Consensus pick: Rangers

Schedule: (NYR wins 4-0)

Keys to the offseason for the Capitals

Game 1: NYR 4, WSH 1 | Recap | Replay
Game 2: NYR 4, WSH 3 | Recap | Replay
Game 3: NYR 3, WSH 1 | Recap
Game 4: NYR 4, WSH 2 | Recap | Replay

Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason (11)play

Vincent Trocheck restores Rangers' lead on power play

Vincent Trocheck cashes in on the power play to put the Rangers up 2-1 vs. the Capitals just before the end of the first period.

Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason (12)

M2 CarolinaHurricanes
vs.

Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason (13)

M3 New YorkIslanders

Regular-season records:

Hurricanes: 52-23-7, 111 points
Islanders: 39-27-16, 94 points

Leading scorers:

Hurricanes: Sebastian Aho, 89 points (36 G, 53 A)
Islanders: Mathew Barzal, 80 points (23 G, 57 A)

Consensus pick: Canes

See Also
Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason

Schedule: (CAR wins 4-1)

Keys to the offseason for the Islanders

Game 1: CAR 3, NYI 1 | Recap | Replay
Game 2: CAR 5, NYI 3 | Recap | Replay
Game 3: CAR 3, NYI 2 | Recap | Replay
Game 4: NYI 3, CAR 2 (2OT) | Recap | Replay
Game 5: CAR 6, NYI 3 | Recap

Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason (14)play

Hurricanes score 2 goals in 8 seconds to go ahead

Jack Drury and Stefan Noesen score eight seconds apart in the third period and the Hurricanes take a lead.

Central Division

Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason (15)

C1 DallasStars
vs.

Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason (16)

WC2 VegasGolden Knights

Regular-season records:

Stars: 52-21-9, 113 points
Golden Knights: 45-29-8, 98 points

Leading scorers:

Stars: Jason Robertson, 80 points (29 G, 51 A)
Golden Knights: Jonathan Marchessault, 69 points (42 G, 27 A)

Consensus pick: Stars

Schedule: (Series tied 2-2)

Game 1: VGK 4, DAL 3 | Recap | Replay
Game 2: VGK 3, DAL 1 | Recap | Replay
Game 3: DAL 3, VGK 2 (OT) | Recap | Replay
Game 4: DAL 4, VGK 2 | Recap | Replay
Game 5: VGK @ DAL | May 1, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN) | Preview
Game 6: DAL @ VGK | May 3 | Preview
Game 7: VGK @ DAL | May 5* | Preview

Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason (17)play

Ty Dellandrea gives Stars the late lead

Ty Dellandrea gives Stars the late lead

Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason (18)

C2 WinnipegJets
vs.

Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason (19)

C3 ColoradoAvalanche

Regular-season records:

Jets: 52-24-6, 110 points
Avalanche: 50-25-7, 107 points

Leading scorers:

Jets: Mark Scheifele, 72 points (25 G, 47 A)
Avalanche: Nathan MacKinnon, 140 points (51 G, 89 A)

Consensus pick: Avs

Schedule: (COL wins 4-1)

Keys to the offseason for the Jets

Game 1: WPG 7, COL 6 | Recap | Replay
Game 2: COL 5, WPG 2 | Recap | Replay
Game 3: COL 6, WPG 2 | Recap | Replay
Game 4: COL 5, WPG 1 | Recap | Replay
Game 5: COL 6, WPG 3 | Recap | Replay

Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason (20)play

Mikko Rantanen scores back-to-back goals in third period

Mikko Rananen scores back-to-back goals to give the Avalanche a 5-3 lead in the third period vs. the Jets.

Pacific Division

Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason (21)

P1 VancouverCanucks
vs.

Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason (22)

WC1 NashvillePredators

Regular-season records:

Canucks: 50-23-9, 109 points
Predators: 47-30-5, 99 points

Leading scorers:

Canucks: J.T. Miller, 103 points (37 G, 66 A)
Predators: Filip Forsberg, 94 points (48 G, 46 A)

Consensus pick: Canucks

Schedule: (VAN leads 3-2)

Game 1: VAN 4, NSH 2 | Recap | Replay
Game 2: NSH 4, VAN 1 | Recap | Replay
Game 3: VAN 2, NSH 1 | Recap
Game 4: VAN 4, NSH 3 (OT) | Recap | Replay
Game 5: NSH 2, VAN 1 | Recap
Game 6: VAN @ NSH | May 3* | Preview
Game 7: NSH @ VAN | May 5* | Preview

Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason (23)play

Alexandre Carrier's sensational slap shot propels Preds to Game 5 win

Alexandre Carrier gives the Predators a playoff lifeline with a goal to make it 2-1 against the Canucks.

Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason (24)

P2 EdmontonOilers
vs.

Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason (25)

P3 Los AngelesKings

Regular-season records:

Oilers: 49-27-6, 104 points
Kings: 44-27-11, 99 points

Leading scorers:

Oilers: Connor McDavid, 132 points (32 G, 100 A)
Kings: Adrian Kempe, 75 points (28 G, 47 A)

Consensus pick: Oilers

Schedule: (EDM leads 3-1)

Game 1: EDM 7, LA 4 | Recap | Replay
Game 2: LA 5, EDM 4 (OT) | Recap
Game 3: EDM 6, LA 1 | Recap | Replay
Game 4: EDM 1, LA 0 | Recap | Replay
Game 5: LA @ EDM | May 1, 10 p.m. (ESPN) | Preview
Game 6: EDM @ LA | May 3* | Preview
Game 7: LA @ EDM | May 5* | Preview

Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason (26)play

Evan Bouchard rips one-timer to give Oilers lead in the 2nd

Evan Bouchard's shot finds the top-left corner of the net for the Edmonton goal on the power play.

Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason (2024)

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