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NHL Playoff Bracket updated in real-time.

The 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs will begin on Monday, April 22nd, 2024, with 16 teams battling it out for hockey’s ultimate prize.

The image above displays the 2024 NHL Playoff bracket and will be updated in real-time each night. The Vancouver Canucks currently occupy the top seed in the Western Conference, while the Florida Panthers are No.1 in the Eastern Conference.

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You’ll find much more NHL playoff information on this page below, including NHL playoff matchups and the NHL Playoff schedule. The only thing we don’t have here are NHL playoff odds. You can jump to a specific section using the links below:

NHL Playoff Picture | NHL Playoff Matchups | NHL Playoff Schedule | NHL Playoff FAQs

NHL Playoff Picture

The Boston Bruins are currently the top seed in the Eastern Conference NHL standings with 82 points. The B’s are on track to face the Tampa Bay Lightning in Round 1 of the postseason, where they will aim to avoid a first-round upset for the second straight year.

 

In the Western Conference, the Vancouver Canucks are surprisingly atop the standings with 82 points through 57 games. It’s a different story in the Stanley Cup odds, however, as the surging Edmonton Oilers have the best odds to win Lord Stanley out of any team from the West.

NHL Playoff Matchups

Round 1 NHL Playoff Matchups – East
(8) Detroit Red Wings vs (1) Boston Bruins
(7) Toronto Maple Leafs vs (2) New York Rangers
(6) Tampa Bay Lightning vs (3) Florida Panthers
(5) Philadelphia Flyers vs (4) Carolina Hurricanes
Round 1 NHL Playoff Matchups – West
(8) St. Louis Blues vs (1) Vancouver Canucks
(7) Los Angeles Kings vs (2) Dallas Stars
(5) Winnipeg Jets vs (3) Colorado Avalanche
(6) Edmonton Oilers vs (4) Vegas Golden Knights

NHL Playoff Matchups as of Feb. 13, 2024.

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If the NHL Playoffs Started Today

If the NHL Playoffs started today, there would be no shortage of intriguing Round 1 matchups in the 2024 NHL Playoff bracket. The Eastern Conference would feature the “Battle of Florida”, with the No. 3 Florida Panthers and No. 6 Tampa Bay Lightning renewing their rivalry in a seven-game series.

Round 1 of the NHL playoffs in the Western Conference would be highlighted by a matchup between the No. 4 Vegas Golden Knights and No. 6 Edmonton Oilers. This rivalry reached a boiling point in Round 2 of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, with VGK d-man Alex Pietrangelo delivering a nasty slash to the arm of Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl.

NHL Playoff Schedule

The NHL 2024 Stanley Cup Final Playoffs will begin on Monday, April 22nd and will conclude on Monday, June 17th (at the latest). You can view the NHL schedule for today (and beyond) below.

 

This week’s NHL schedule is highlighted by a heavyweight matchup between the Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins on Wednesday, February 21.

How is the NHL Playoff Bracket Set up?

With the NHL playoff structure reverted to its regular format, this is how the seeding will work. There are eight teams from both the Eastern Conference and Western Conference that will make it to the postseason.

The Eastern Conference will have the top three teams from the Metropolitan Division and Atlantic Division, along with two wild-card spots. The Western Conference playoff schedule will feature the top three teams from both the Pacific and Central Division, along with the two best teams outside of those six as the wild cards.

The top two seeds in each division in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference will play the Wild Card teams in Round 1. Meanwhile, the other #2 and #3 seeds in each division will play each other in the first round. A team may be ahead of another team in regular-season points but could be in a Wild Card spot because all three teams in their division are ahead of them.

The Bruins leading the way in the NHL Playoff standings, they will take on the bottom feeder in the East. That was the resilient Florida Panthers. In the West, the Golden Knights topped the standings, so they faced the eighth-seeded Jets.

How Many Teams Make the NHL Playoffs?

16 total teams make the Stanley Cup playoffs, eight from the East and eight from the West. Most teams will play a seven-game series against a team from their division.

No team has clinched a spot in the NHL playoff bracket yet, and no team has officially been eliminated from postseason contention. Last season, the first team to clinch a playoff spot was the Boston Bruins on March 11th, 2023.

How Long Do The Stanley Cup Playoffs Last?

The Stanley Cup Playoffs last an average of 57 days. In the 2022 NHL Playoffs, the postseason began on May 2nd, 2022 and finished on June 26th, 2022 (56 days). Based on the average length, the 2023 NHL Playoffs will approximately conclude on June 13, 2023.

How long the Stanley Cup Playoffs last is ultimately dependent on the number of games played. If every series goes to a Game 7, there would be a maximum number of 105 total games played. On the other hand, if every series is a sweep, there would be only 60 total games played. The average amount of games played in an NHL playoff is 86.

Best Promos for Betting On NHL Playoffs

If you’re on the hunt for good sports betting promos to use for the NHL playoffs, then we’ve got you covered.

Hit the links in the left side of the table to get more details on each of these top-notch NHL playoff betting promo codes. The exclusive links on the right-hand side of the table will take you to each sports betting site to sign up, with our best promo code automatically applied to unlock each bonus offer.

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NHL Playoff Bracket FAQs

When do the NHL Playoffs start?

The 2024 NHL Playoffs begin on Monday, April 22nd.

How many games are in the NHL playoffs?

Each series is a best of seven. The winning team will need to win 16 games, but the champion could play as many as 28 if all four of their series go the full seven games. The maximum number of games in one playoff (all teams) is 105.

When was the last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup?

The last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup was the Montreal Canadiens in 1993. Canadian teams have made the finals six times since then (Vancouver, 1994; Calgary, 2004; Edmonton, 2006; Ottawa, 2007; Vancouver, 2011; Montreal, 2021).

How is the NHL playoff bracket determined?

The NHL playoff bracket is determined by division position and regular-season record. The top three teams in each division make up the first 12 teams in the playoffs, while the remaining four spots are filled by the next two highest-placed finishers in each conference.

How do upsets affect the NHL playoff bracket?

Upsets are common in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and can shake up the bracket. The winners of the First Round play one another in the Second Round to determine the four participants in the Conference Finals.

What happens if there is a tie in the NHL playoff bracket?

If there is a tie in the NHL playoff bracket, the seeding is determined by which team has more regulation wins. The second tiebreaker is regulation plus overtime wins.

 

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Brady is the lead NHL and College Football editor at Sports Betting Dime, where he specializes in betting odds and data-driven analysis. Brady has over 10 years experience working in sports media, with work published by outlets such as ESPN, CBS Sports, Yahoo! Sports and Fox Sports.