The NHL regular season ends five weeks from today and the race for the postseason is in full swing.
Now that the trade deadline is over, the focus is on the postseason, where 16 teams will fight for the right to hoist the Stanley Cup.
The Eastern Conference is practically set, with eight teams sitting comfortably in a playoff spot. Now it’s all about jockeying to get a prime matchup in the first round.
However, in the Western Conference, it’s a two-horse race for the top spot, then an open field after that. It’s going to make for one drama-filled end of the season.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of the 2022 NHL playoffs.
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When are the 2022 NHL playoffs?
The NHL regular season ends on Friday April 29 and the playoffs will start three days after on Monday, May 2.
The finals are expected to take place at some point in June.
How can I watch the 2022 NHL playoffs?
The Stanley Cup playoffs have a new home this season, with the NHL signing new TV deals this past summer with Disney (ESPN, ABC) and Turner Sports (TNT, TBS).
As a result, in the first three rounds, half of the games will be on TNT and half will be on either ESPN or ABC. For the finals, they will be viewed on either ESPN and ABC.
For Canadian viewers, the playoffs can be viewed on Sportsnet.
What is the format of the NHL playoffs?
The NHL returns to its normal format for the playoffs after having the four different divisions last season with four teams from every one making the postseason.
This season, it’s still a 16-team field with eight per conference, but it’s back to the top three teams in each division making the postseason, and then two Wild Card teams earning the final two spots in each conference.
The division winners will play the Wild Card teams while the No. 2 and No. 3 teams from each division go head-to-head in the first round.
Each round features a best-of-seven series. In total, there are four rounds in the postseason — first round, second round, conference finals and Stanley Cup finals.
What team is the favorite to win the Cup?
The Avalanche and Panthers further cemented their status as favorites to win the Cup with their trade deadline moves, according to DraftKings.
Colorado has been out in front pretty much since the beginning of the season and owns the best record in the league. As seen below, its odds to win the Western Conference are high, and the oddsmakers believe it will continue on with that success in the finals.
DraftKings has Tampa Bay at +800 to three-peat, the third-best odds in the league. It’s looking like it’s a real possibility that the Lightning might become the first team to get that third straight Cup since the Islanders in the early ’80s.
| TEAM | ODDS TO WIN CUP |
|---|---|
| Colorado Avalanche | +425 |
| Florida Panthers | +550 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | +800 |
| Calgary Flames | +900 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | +1000 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | +1200 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | +1300 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | +1600 |
| Boston Bruins | +1600 |
| New York Rangers | +1800 |
| Minnesota Wild | +2200 |
| St. Louis Blues | +2500 |
| Washington Capitals | +3000 |
| Edmonton Oilers | +3000 |
| Dallas Stars | +4000 |
| Nashville Predators | +4500 |
| Los Angeles Kings | +5000 |
| Vancouver Canucks | +10000 |
| Winnipeg Jets | +13000 |
| Anaheim Ducks | +15000 |
| New York Islanders | +15000 |
| San Jose Sharks | +50000 |
| Seattle Kraken | +100000 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | +100000 |
| Ottawa Senators | +100000 |
| New Jersey Devils | +100000 |
| Montreal Canadiens | +100000 |
| Detroit Red Wings | +100000 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | +100000 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | +100000 |
| Buffalo Sabres | +100000 |
| Arizona Coyotes | +100000 |
What teams have won the Cup in the past?
The Stanley Cup has been around since 1915, so it’s got quite a bit of mileage to it.
The Canadiens have won the most Cups with 24, however they have not won a Cup since 1993. It’s no surprise considering the club is the oldest operational professional hockey franchise.
After the Habs, it’s the Maple Leafs with 15, but their last Cup win came in 1967 and the team has not been to the finals since then. In third behind the Maple Leafs is the Red Wings with 11, most recently winning in 2008.
There are 12 team franchises that have never lifted the Cup: Arizona Coyotes, Buffalo Sabres, Columbus Blue Jackets, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, Ottawa Senators, San Jose Sharks, Seattle Kraken, Vancouver Canucks, Vegas Golden Knights and Winnipeg Jets.
Here is a look at the last 10 Stanley Cup winners:
- 2021: Tampa Bay Lightning
- 2020: Tampa Bay Lightning
- 2019: St. Louis Blues
- 2018: Washington Capitals
- 2017: Pittsburgh Penguins
- 2016: Pittsburgh Penguins
- 2015: Chicago Blackhawks
- 2014: Los Angeles Kings
- 2013: Chicago Blackhawks
- 2012: Los Angeles Kings