NHL Playoffs 2026: Start Date, Standings, Bracket, Scenarios, Tiebreakers

Mo. Basuony

Published: April 16, 2026 6:28 AM ET

NHL Playoffs 2026: Start Date, Standings, Bracket, Scenarios, Tiebreakers

T.J. Oshie offered his perspective on Alex Ovechkin’s future and possible next steps for the veteran star. His comments arrived as the regular season reached its final days and playoff matchups took shape.

Standings snapshot after April 15 games

Several playoff berths were decided through April 15. The standings below show who appears headed to the postseason.

Eastern Conference qualifiers: Carolina, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Montreal, Tampa Bay, Boston, Ottawa.
Western Conference qualifiers: Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, Vegas, Edmonton, Anaheim, Utah, Los Angeles.

Key results and clinches

All four Eastern Conference first-round series were settled on April 14. One more Western series was set on April 15.

The Vegas Golden Knights clinched the Pacific Division during their season finale. Vegas will open the first round against the Utah Mammoth.

Regular-season finish and playoff timing

The NHL regular season was scheduled to end on Thursday, April 16, with six games remaining. The Stanley Cup playoffs were set to begin on Saturday, April 18.

Filmogaz.com’s guide to the NHL Playoffs 2026 covers Start Date, Standings, Bracket, Scenarios and Tiebreakers for readers.

Standings details (after April 15)

Eastern Conference leaders and clinches were finalized with point totals noted. Carolina finished atop the Metropolitan Division.

Metropolitan: Carolina Hurricanes (113) — Eastern Conference winner; Pittsburgh Penguins (98); Philadelphia Flyers (98).
Atlantic: Buffalo Sabres (109); Tampa Bay Lightning (106); Montreal Canadiens (106).
Wild cards: Boston Bruins (100); Ottawa Senators (99).

Several teams were eliminated from contention by these games. Notable non-qualifiers included Washington and Detroit.

Out of playoffs: Washington Capitals (95), Detroit Red Wings (92), Columbus (92), New York Islanders (91), New Jersey Devils (87), Florida Panthers (84), Toronto Maple Leafs (78), New York Rangers (77).

Western Conference math was also settled. Colorado took the Presidents’ Trophy.

Central: Colorado Avalanche (119) — Presidents’ Trophy; Dallas Stars (112); Minnesota Wild (104).
Pacific: Vegas Golden Knights (95); Edmonton Oilers (91); Anaheim Ducks (90).
Wild cards: Utah Mammoth (92); Los Angeles Kings (90).

Out of playoffs: Nashville Predators (86), St. Louis Blues (84), San Jose Sharks (84), Winnipeg Jets (82), Seattle Kraken (79), Calgary Flames (75), Chicago Blackhawks (72), Vancouver Canucks (58).

Playoff bracket if the season ended April 15

Below are the matchups that would follow if standings held as of April 15. Winners would meet in the second round as noted.

Eastern Conference

Carolina (M1) vs. Ottawa (WC2) — series set.
Pittsburgh (M2) vs. Philadelphia (M3) — series set.
Buffalo (A1) vs. Boston (WC1) — series set.
Tampa Bay (A2) vs. Montreal (A3) — series set.

Western Conference

Colorado (C1) vs. Los Angeles (WC2).
Dallas (C2) vs. Minnesota (C3) — series set.
Vegas (P1) vs. Utah (WC1) — series set.
Edmonton (P2) vs. Anaheim (P3).

Clinching scenarios and final-night implications

The final regular-season games left a few seeding questions open. Edmonton, Anaheim and Los Angeles were still in contention for final Pacific positions on the last night.

Vegas secured at least one point in their season finale to lock the division. That result confirmed their matchup with Utah.

NHL tiebreakers explained

The league uses a specific order to separate tied teams in points. These rules determine final placement and playoff qualification.

First tiebreaker: regulation wins.
Then: regulation and overtime wins (ROW).
Next: total wins.
Then: points earned in head-to-head play. If teams played an uneven number of games, the first game in the extra-site is excluded.
When more than two teams are tied, percentage of available points in games among them is used, excluding odd games.
After that: goal differential, then total goals.

In the Pacific Division, the Oilers led in regulation wins. They were followed by Vegas, Anaheim and Los Angeles.

Notable scores from April 15

Stars 4, Sabres 3 (shootout).
Rangers 4, Lightning 2.
Panthers 8, Red Wings 1.
Senators 3, Maple Leafs 1.
Blackhawks 5, Sharks 2.
Golden Knights 4, Kraken 1.

As the postseason approached, attention turned to matchups and storylines. Players such as Alex Ovechkin remained focal points of offseason discussion.