The Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights will go head-to-head for a chance to hoist the Stanley Cup in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final. In the East, Carolina finally surmounted the Conference Final hump, trouncing the Montreal Canadiens in five games, while the Vegas Golden Knights took down the league’s best team, the Colorado Avalanche, to advance to the Final.
Here’s a complete guide to the whole 2026 NHL Playoffs schedule, plus round by round results.
Don’t forget: You can watch the 2026 NHL Playoffs every day on DIRECTV! Sign up today and start watching all the action on the ice.
Full 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Schedule
Here’s the complete NHL Playoffs schedule. Games 5-7 will be scheduled as they become necessary.
2026 NHL Playoffs Stanley Cup Final Schedule
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Vegas Golden Knights
The Stanley Cup Final is tied 1-1, but it already feels like it has lived several lives. Vegas grabbed Game 1 in Raleigh, 5-4, erasing Carolina’s early 2-0 lead and winning late on Tomas Hertl’s goal; Carolina answered in Game 2 with a 4-3 overtime win, storming back from 2-0 down in the third before Seth Jarvis finished it in overtime.
The Hurricanes have survived more than they have controlled, but Game 2 gave them a different kind of belief: Logan Stankoven’s forecheck goal cracked the game open, Jordan Staal’s net-front presence reappeared and Jarvis finally delivered the kind of star turn Carolina needs. Vegas still looks dangerous in the way Cup-caliber teams do — layered, opportunistic and lethal off mistakes — but the blown third-period lead and Brayden McNabb’s injury after taking an 87 mph shot to the face have added real tension.
Now the series shifts to Las Vegas for Game 3 on Saturday, June 6 at 8 p.m. ET, with home ice back in the Golden Knights’ hands but momentum no longer clearly theirs. Carolina has proven it can dent Vegas late while the Knights have proven they can punish Carolina’s aggression. Two games in, this Final has less the feel of a coronation than a stress test.
Vegas leads 1-0
Game 1: Vegas 5, Carolina 4
Game 2: Carolina 4, Vegas 3
Game 3: Carolina at Vegas, 8 p.m. ET, Saturday, June 6 on ABC, ESPN
Game 4: Carolina at Vegas, 8 p.m. ET, Tuesday, June 9 on ABC, ESPN
*Game 5: Vegas at Carolina, 8 p.m. ET, Thursday, June 11 on ABC, ESPN
*Game 6: Carolina at Vegas, 8 p.m. ET, Sunday, June 14 on ABC, ESPN
*Game 7: Vegas at Carolina, 8 p.m. ET, Wednesday, June 17 on ABC, ESPN
* – If necessary
2026 NHL Playoffs Conference Final Schedule
Eastern Conference Final: Carolina Hurricanes vs. Montreal Canadiens
Carolina wins 4-1
Game 1: Montreal 6, Carolina 2
Game 2: Carolina 3, Montreal 2 (OT)
Game 3: Carolina 3, Montreal 2 (OT)
Game 4: Carolina 4, Montreal 0
Game 5: Carolina 6, Montreal 1
Western Conference Final: Colorado Avalanche vs. Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas wins 4-0
Game 1: Vegas 4, Colorado 2
Game 2: Vegas 3. Colorado 1
Game 3: Vegas 5, Colorado 3
Game 4: Vegas 2, Colorado 1
2026 NHL Playoffs Round 2 Schedule
Eastern Conference
Buffalo Sabres vs. Montreal Canadiens (Montreal leads 3-2)
Game 1: Buffalo 4, Montreal 2
Game 2: Montreal 5, Buffalo 1
Game 3: Montreal 6, Buffalo 2
Game 4: Buffalo 3, Montreal 2
Game 5: Montreal 6, Buffalo 3
Game 6: Buffalo 8, Montreal 3
Game 7*: Montreal 4, Buffalo 3 (OT)
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Philadelphia Flyers (Carolina wins 4-0)
Game 1: Carolina 4, Philadelphia 0
Game 2: Carolina 3, Philadelphia 2 (OT)
Game 3: Carolina 4, Philadelphia 1
Game 4: Carolina 3, Philadelphia 2
Colorado Avalanche vs. Minnesota Wild (Colorado wins 4-1)
Game 1: Colorado 9, Minnesota 6
Game 2: Colorado 5, Minnesota 2
Game 3: Minnesota 5, Colorado 1
Game 4: Colorado 5, Minnesota 1
Game 5: Colorado 4, Minnesota 3
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Anaheim Ducks (Vegas wins 4-2)
Game 1: Vegas 3, Anaheim 1
Game 2: Anaheim 3, Vegas 1
Game 3: Vegas 6, Anaheim 2
Game 4: Anaheim 4, Vegas 3
Game 5: Vegas 3, Anaheim 2
Game 6: Vegas 5, Anaheim 1
2026 NHL Playoffs Round 1 Results
Eastern Conference
Boston Bruins vs. Buffalo Sabres (Buffalo wins 4-2)
- Game 1: Buffalo 5, Boston 2
- Game 2: Boston 4, Buffalo 2
- Game 3: Buffalo 3, Boston 1
- Game 4: Buffalo 6, Boston 1
- Game 5: Boston 2, Buffalo 1 (OT)
- Game 6: Buffalo 4, Boston 1
Montreal Canadiens vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (Series tied 3-3)
- Game 1: Montreal 4, Tampa Bay 3 (OT)
- Game 2: Tampa Bay 3, Montreal 2 (OT)
- Game 3: Montreal 3, Tampa Bay 2 (OT)
- Game 4: Tampa Bay 3, Montreal 2
- Game 5: Montreal 3, Tampa Bay 2
- Game 6: Tampa Bay 1, Montreal 0 (OT)
- Game 7: May 3 — 6 p.m. on TNT
Ottawa Senators vs. Carolina Hurricanes (Hurricanes win 4-0)
- Game 1: Carolina 2, Ottawa 0
- Game 2: Carolina 3, Ottawa 2 (2OT)
- Game 3: Carolina 2, Ottawa 1
- Game 4: Carolina 4, Ottawa 2
Philadelphia Flyers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (Flyers win 4-2)
- Game 1: Philadelphia 3, Pittsburgh 2
- Game 2: Philadelphia 3, Pittsburgh 0
- Game 3: Philadelphia 5, Pittsburgh 2
- Game 4: Pittsburgh 4, Philadelphia 2
- Game 5: Pittsburgh 3, Philadelphia 2
- Game 6: Philadelphia 1, Pittsburgh 0
Western Conference
Los Angeles Kings vs. Colorado Avalanche (Avalanche wins 4-0)
- Game 1: Avalanche 2, Kings 1
- Game 2: Avalanche 2, Kings 1 (OT)
- Game 3: Avalanche 4, Kings 2
- Game 4: Avalanche 5, Kings 1
Minnesota Wild vs. Dallas Stars (Wild wins 4-2)
- Game 1: Minnesota 6, Dallas 1
- Game 2: Dallas 4, Minnesota 2
- Game 3: Dallas 4, Minnesota 3 (2OT)
- Game 4: Minnesota 3, Dallas 2 (OT)
- Game 5: Minnesota 4, Dallas 2
- Game 6: Minnesota 5, Dallas 2
Utah Mammoth vs. Vegas Golden Knights (Vegas wins 4-2)
- Game 1: Vegas 4, Utah 2
- Game 2: Utah 3, Vegas 2
- Game 3: Utah 4, Vegas 2
- Game 4: Vegas 5, Utah 4 (OT)
- Game 5: Vegas 5, Utah 4 (2OT)
- Game 6: Vegas 5, Utah 1
Anaheim Ducks vs. Edmonton Oilers (Anaheim wins 4-2)
- Game 1: Edmonton 4, Anaheim 3
- Game 2: Anaheim 6, Edmonton 4
- Game 3: Anaheim 7, Edmonton 4
- Game 4: Anaheim 4, Edmonton 3 (OT)
- Game 5: Edmonton 4, Anaheim 1
- Game 6: Anaheim 5, Edmonton 2
2026 NHL Playoffs Bracket
Here’s the full bracket for the 2026 NHL postseason:
Eastern Conference
- Buffalo Sabres vs. Boston Bruins
- Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Montreal Canadiens
- Carolina Hurricanes vs. Ottawa Senators
- Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers
Western Conference
- Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild
- Vegas Golden Knights vs. Utah Mammoth
- Colorado Avalanche vs. Los Angeles Kings (likely)
- Edmonton Oilers vs. Anaheim Ducks (likely)
Watch the 2026 NHL Playoffs on DIRECTV
Don’t miss any playoff hockey during the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Sign up for DIRECTV and watch every game of every series.
Interested in a service that lets you access live sports, and only live sports and includes ESPN Unlimited? Check out MySports™ Genre Pack™ today.
DIRECTV Insider brings you our views on what’s happening in streaming, t.v., movies and sports. Companies and persons mentioned are not necessarily associated with and do not necessarily endorse DIRECTV. We will disclose sponsored content on our site when we show it to you, and some of the links on the site may be ads or affiliate links which means DIRECTV may earn compensation from your purchases.
