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Following an 82-game regular season, the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs are set to start with 16 teams looking to hoist the Stanley Cup two months from now.
The Washington Capitals and Las Vegas Golden Knights are the top seeded teams in the Eastern and Western Conference respectively, with the Dallas Stars rating as one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup.
The best-of-7 first rounds, which feature divisional play, start Saturday. The Stanley Cup finals will begin in late May or early June, depending on how the next three rounds play out.
When do the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs start?
The best-of-seven first rounds begin Saturday, April 19.
NHL playoff format
Teams begin play in their division for the first two rounds, then the third round is the conference championship. The top three teams in the four divisions make the playoffs, and then two wild cards from each conference. The last wild card will go in a bracket with the points leaders (Washington and Winnipeg), with the better wild card in the other bracket.
The Stanley Cup Finals are the fourth round and will begin June 8.
Western Conference playoff pairings
Central Division
Pacific Division
Eastern Conference playoff pairings
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division
Metropolitan Division
Full NHL Stanley Cup first-round playoff schedules
WESTERN CONFERENCE
St. Louis Blues (WC2) vs. Winnipeg Jets (1C)
Game 1: Blues at Jets, Saturday, April 19, 4 p.m. MT/5 p.m. CT; TNT, truTV
Game 2: Blues at Jets, Monday, April 21, 6:30 p.m. MT/7:30 p.m. CT; ESPN2
Game 3: Jets at Blues, Thursday, April 24, 7:30 p.m. MT/8:30 p.m. CT; ESPN2
Game 4: Jets at Blues, Sunday, April 27, 11 a.m. MT/noon CT; TBS, truTV
Game 5: Blues at Jets, Wednesday, April 30, TBD *
Game 6: Jets at Blues, Friday, May 2, TBD *
Game 7: Blues at Jets, Sunday, May 4, TBD *
*If necessary
Colorado Avalanche (3C) vs. Dallas Stars (2C)
Game 1: Avalanche at Stars, Saturday, April 19, 6:30 p.m. MT/7:30 p.m. CT; TNT, truTV
Game 2: Avalanche at Stars, Monday, April 21, 7:30 p.m. MT/8:30 p.m. CT; ESPN
Game 3: Stars at Avalanche, Wednesday, April 23, 7:30 p.m. MT/8:30 p.m. CT; ESPN
Game 4: Stars at Avalanche, Saturday, April 26, 7:30 p.m. MT/8:30 p.m. CT; TBS
Game 5: Avalanche at Stars, Monday, April 28, TBD *
Game 6: Stars at Avalanche, Thursday, May 1, TBD *
Game 7: Avalanche at Stars, Saturday, May 3, TBD*
*If necessary
Minnesota Wild (WC1) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (1P)
Game 1: Wild at Golden Knights, Sunday, April 20, 8 p.m. MT/9 p.m. CT; ESPN
Game 2: Wild at Golden Knights, Tuesday, April 22, 9 p.m. MT/10 p.m. CT; ESPN
Game 3: Golden Knights at Wild, Thursday, April 24, 7 p.m. MT/8 p.m. CT; TBS, truTV
Game 4: Golden Knights at Wild, Saturday, April 26, 2 p.m. MT/3 p.m. CT; TBS, truTV
Game 5: Wild at Golden Knights, Tuesday, April 29, TBD *
Game 6: Golden Knights at Wild, Thursday, May 1, TBD *
Game 7: Wild at Golden Knights, Saturday, May 3, TBD *
*If necessary
Edmonton Oilers (3P) vs. Los Angeles Kings (2P)
Game 1: Oilers at Kings, Monday, April 21, 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT; ESPN2
Game 2: Oilers at Kings, Wednesday, April 23, 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT; TBS
Game 3: Kings at Oilers, Friday, April 25, 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT; TNT, truTV
Game 4: Kings at Oilers, Sunday, April 27, 7:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. CT; TBS, truTV
Game 5: Oilers at Kings, Tuesday, April 29, TBD *
Game 6: Kings at Oilers, Thursday, May 1, TBD *
Game 7: Oilers at Kings, Saturday, May 3, TBD *
*If necessary
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Ottawa Senators (WC2) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (1A)
Game 1: Senators at Maple Leafs, Sunday, April 20, 5 p.m. MT/6 p.m. CT; ESPN2
Game 2: Senators at Maple Leafs, Tuesday, April 22, 5:30 p.m./6:30 p.m. CT; ESPN2
Game 3: Maple Leafs at Senators, Thursday, April 24, 5 p.m. MT/6 p.m. CT; ESPN2
Game 4: Maple Leafs at Senators, Saturday, April 26, 5 p.m. MT/6 p.m. CT; TBS, truTV
Game 5: Senators at Maple Leafs, Tuesday, April 29, TBD *
Game 6: Maple Leafs at Senators, Thursday, May 1, TBD *
Game 7: Senators at Maple Leafs, Saturday, May 3, TBD *
*If necessary
Florida Panthers (3A) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (2A)
Game 1: Panthers at Lightning, Tuesday, April 22, 6:30 p.m. MT/7:30 p.m. CT; ESPN
Game 2: Panthers at Lightning, Thursday, April 24, 4:30 p.m. MT/5:30 p.m. CT; TBS, truTV
Game 3: Lightning at Panthers, Saturday, April 26, 11 a.m. MT/noon CT; TBS, truTV
Game 4: Lightning at Panthers, Monday, April 28, TBD
Game 5: Panthers at Lightning, Wednesday, April 30, TBD *
Game 6: Lightning at Panthers, Friday, May 2, TBD *
Game 7: Panthers at Lightning, Sunday, May 4, TBD *
*If necessary
Montreal Canadiens (WC2) vs. Washington Capitals (1M)
Game 1: Canadiens at at Capitals, Monday, April 21, 5 p.m. MT/6 p.m. CT; ESPN
Game 2: Canadiens at Capitals, Wednesday, April 23, 5 p.m. MT/6 p.m. CT; ESPN
Game 3: Capitals at Canadiens, Friday, April 25, 5 p.m. MT/6 p.m. CT; TNT, truTV
Game 4: Capitals at Canadiens, Sunday, April 27, 5:30 p.m. MT/6:30 p.m. CT; TBS, truTV
Game 5: Canadiens at Capitals, Wednesday, April 30, TBD *
Game 6: Capitals at Canadiens, Friday, May 2, TBD *
Game 7: Canadiens/at Capitals, Sunday, May 4, TBD *
*If necessary
New Jersey Devils (3M) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (2M)
Game 1: Devils at Hurricanes, Sunday, April 20, 1 p.m. MT/2 p.m. CT; ESPN
Game 2: Devils at Hurricanes, Tuesday, April 22, 4 p.m. MT/5 p.m. CT; ESPN
Game 3: Hurricanes at Devils, Friday, April 25, 6 p.m. MT/7 p.m. CT; TBS, truTV
Game 4: Hurricanes at Devils, Sunday, April 27, 1:30 p.m. MT/2:30 p.m. CT; TBS, truTV
Game 5: Devils at Hurricanes, Tuesday, April 29, TBD *
Game 6: Hurricanes at Devils, Friday, May 2, TBD *
Game 7: Devils at Hurricanes, Sunday, May 4, TBD *
*If necessary
How to watch NHL playoffs
The NHL playoffs are spread across the ESPN family of networks, mostly ESPN2 in the first round, TNT and truTV, and TBS.
NHL predictions
2025 NHL Stanley Cup odds (at BetMGM)
| Current Odds | Opening Odds | |
| Montreal Canadiens | +8000 | +15000 |
| St. Louis Blues | +4000 | +4500 |
| New Jersey Devils | +4000 | +1300 |
| Minnesota Wild | +4000 | +4000 |
| Ottawa Senators | +3500 | +4000 |
| Los Angeles Kings | +2000 | +2200 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | +1200 | +1600 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | +1100 | +2000 |
| Winnipeg Jets | +1000 | +2200 |
| Washington Capitals | +950 | +10000 |
| Edmonton Oilers | +950 | +1000 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | +850 | +1200 |
| Dallas Stars | +850 | +1000 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | +800 | +1100 |
| Colorado Avalanche | +750 | +1000 |
| Florida Panthers | +750 | +900 |
NFL playoffs
The NFL playoffs begin Jan. 17, 2026 and conclude with Super Bowl LX on Feb. 9, 2026.
MLB standings
The Major League Baseball standings are here.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
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