The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs will start on Monday, April 17. Sixteen teams from the Eastern and Western Conferences will battle for Sir Stanley’s Cup in a marathon postseason full of goals, fights, and hard knocks.
When do the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs start?
The playoffs will start on Monday, April 17. The final regular-season games will take place on Friday, April 14. Teams will have three days to prepare for their first-round match-ups. However, most teams will know their first-round opponents well in advance.
When is the Stanley Cup Final?
The 2023 Stanley Cup Final will begin on Saturday, June 3. Yes, the playoffs will be a marathon and take up to around two months to complete. The Stanley Cup Final start date could be changed depending on the previous rounds. It could be moved up or back.
How many teams qualify for the NHL playoffs?
Sixteen teams will qualify for the NHL postseason. Eight teams will come from the Eastern Conference and eight from the Western Conference.
The top three teams from each division are guaranteed a spot in the postseason. The winners of the divisions get the top two seeds for the NHL playoffs. The last two places go to the hockey clubs with the two best records from the remaining teams. Wild-card teams came come from the same division.
What is the Playoff structure?
The playoffs feature four rounds: first round, second round, conference finals, and finals. The top team in the conference plays the second wild-card team in the first round. The other division winner will play the other wild-card team. The No. 2 team from the division plays the No. 3 team from the same division.
Each round of the NHL Playoffs is a best-of-seven-series. The first team to win four games will advance to the next round. The series is in a 2-2-1-1-1 format. The top-seeded team will play on home ice in Games 1, 2, 5, and 7. The lower-seeded team will be home for Games 3, 4, and 6.
Who was the best team in the regular season?
The Boston Bruins won the Presidents’ Trophy at the end of March. The Bruins are rolling toward the postseason, with an unassailable points total. Boston’s Presidents’ Trophy was unexpected. The Bruins lost in the first round of the NHL Playoffs in 2021-22.
Can the Bruins win the Stanley Cup after dominating the regular season? Winning the Presidents’ Trophy doesn’t equal Stanley Cup Playoff success. Although teams are guaranteed home-ice advantage in the playoffs, only eight Presidents’ Trophy winners have won the Stanley Cup in the same season.
There is a belief that the Presidents’ Trophy is cursed. Seven Presidents’ Trophy winners were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round.
Which team is the favorite to win the NHL Stanley Cup?
The Presidents’ Trophy winners, the Boston Bruins, are bookmakers’ favorite to win the Stanley Cup. The Colorado Avalanche are the reigning champions and are the second favourite to lift the cup. Here is a look at the odds of teams to win the Stanley Cup Playoffs:
Odds are accurate as of Tuesday, April 4 courtesy of William Hill
- Boston Bruins +300
- Colorado Avalanche +600
- Toronto Maple Leafs +900
- Carolina Hurricanes +850
- Vegas Golden Knights +1100
- NJ Devils +1100
- NY Rangers +1100
- Edmonton Oilers +1200
- LA Kings +1600
- Dallas Stars +1300
- TB Lightning +1600
- Minn Wild +1600
- Seattle Kraken +2500
- NY Islanders +2800
- Winn Jets +3300
- Pitts Penguins +4000
What are the NHL Stanley Cup Playoff match-ups?
There are still a few days left in the regular season, and both conferences have a few places left to play for. The Florida Panthers are still fighting for the eight seed in the East and the Calgary Flames are not far off the final spot in the West.
The match-ups for the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs as of Tuesday, April 4, are as follows:
Eastern Conference First Round:
Boston Bruins vs Pitts Penguins
Toronto Maple Leafs vs TB Lightning
Carolina Hurricanes vs NY Islanders
NJ Devils vs NY Rangers
Western Conference First Round:
Dallas Stars vs Seattle Kraken
Minn Wild vs Colorado Avalanche
Vegas Golden Knights vs Winn Jets
LA Kings vs Edmonton Oilers
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