2026 NHL Playoff Bracket Set After Regular Season Ends
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- Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens will face off in a first-round rematch of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, both securing 106 points and clinching playoff berths.
- Vegas Golden Knights clinched first place in the Pacific Division with a 7-0-1 season-ending run under John Tortorella, earning a matchup against the Utah Mammoth.
- Carolina Hurricanes won the Metropolitan Division with 113 points and the Eastern Conference title, setting up a first-round series with the Ottawa Senators.
- Colorado Avalanche claimed the Central Division, the Western Conference, and the Presidents' Trophy with 121 points, drawing the Los Angeles Kings in the opening round.
- Edmonton Oilers avoided a fifth straight first-round clash with the Kings by finishing second in the Pacific, instead facing the Anaheim Ducks in a divisional matchup.
- Los Angeles Kings secured the second Western wild card and will face the top-seeded Avalanche, while the Utah Mammoth earned the first wild card and will play Vegas.
Why it matters: The Avalanche gain home-ice advantage throughout the West with the Presidents' Trophy, while the Kings avoid a repeat Oilers matchup at the cost of facing Colorado. For the Penguins and Flyers, their 98-point tie means Pittsburgh hosts the Battle of Pennsylvania due to more regulation wins.
