With the qualifying and round-robin games finished, the NHL is moving on to its traditional 16-team playoff format.
Each series will now be a best-of-seven as usual, but instead of the normal bracket, teams will be re-seeded after every round.
Let's take a look at the eight matchups.
Eastern Conference
Philadelphia Flyers (1) vs. Montreal Canadiens (12)
| Game | Date | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug. 12 | 8 p.m. |
| 2 | Aug. 14 | 3 p.m. |
| 3 | Aug. 16 | 8 p.m. |
| 4 | Aug. 18 | 3 p.m. |
| *5 | Aug. 19 | TBD |
| *6 | Aug. 21 | TBD |
| *7 | Aug. 23 | TBD |
*If necessary
The Flyers absolutely dominated during round-robin play, winning all three games and not trailing once. Montreal showed it's a legitimate threat after easily disposing of the highly touted Pittsburgh Penguins. Can the Canadiens keep the underdog train rolling?
Tampa Bay Lightning (2) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (9)
| Game | Date | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug. 11 | 3 p.m. |
| 2 | Aug. 13 | 3 p.m. |
| 3 | Aug. 15 | 7:30 p.m. |
| 4 | Aug. 17 | 3 p.m. |
| *5 | Aug. 19 | TBD |
| *6 | Aug. 21 | TBD |
| *7 | Aug. 22 | TBD |
*If necessary
This is a rematch of last year's Round 1 clash in which the Blue Jackets pulled off one of the most stunning upsets in league history, sweeping the powerhouse Lightning. This time around, though, they'll be trying to prevail without the departed Artemi Panarin, Matt Duchene, and Sergei Bobrovsky - all of whom were fantastic in that series. The Bolts, however, could be without Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman.
Washington Capitals (3) vs. New York Islanders (7)
| Game | Date | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug. 12 | 3 p.m. |
| 2 | Aug. 14 | 8 p.m. |
| 3 | Aug. 16 | 12 p.m. |
| 4 | Aug. 18 | 8 p.m. |
| *5 | Aug. 20 | TBD |
| *6 | Aug. 22 | TBD |
| *7 | Aug. 23 | TBD |
*If necessary
The Capitals may have finished the season with the league's fifth-best record, but after going 1-2 in the round robin, they settled for the No. 3 seed in the East. The Islanders' strong defensive play was too much for the Florida Panthers to overcome, setting up a first-round battle in which New York bench boss Barry Trotz will face his old team.
Boston Bruins (4) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (6)
| Game | Date | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug. 11 | 8 p.m. |
| 2 | Aug. 13 | 8 p.m. |
| 3 | Aug. 15 | 12 p.m. |
| 4 | Aug. 17 | 8 p.m. |
| *5 | Aug. 19 | TBD |
| *6 | Aug. 20 | TBD |
| *7 | Aug. 23 | TBD |
*If necessary
Boston was the NHL's best regular-season squad, but the Bruins couldn't muster a round-robin win. They slid to the No. 4 seed and are preparing for a tough first-round matchup against the Hurricanes - the only team that swept its opponent in the qualifying round.
Western Conference
Vegas Golden Knights (1) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (12)
| Game | Date | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug. 11 | 10:30 p.m. |
| 2 | Aug. 13 | 5:30 p.m. |
| 3 | Aug. 15 | 8 p.m. |
| 4 | Aug. 16 | 6:30 p.m. |
| *5 | Aug. 18 | TBD |
| *6 | Aug. 20 | TBD |
| *7 | Aug. 22 | TBD |
*If necessary
The Golden Knights glided through the round robin, going 3-0 to secure the top spot in the West. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks stunned the Edmonton Oilers in four games, and they'll look to keep that momentum going.
Colorado Avalanche (2) vs. Arizona Coyotes (11)
| Game | Date | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug. 12 | 5:30 p.m. |
| 2 | Aug. 14 | 2 p.m. |
| 3 | Aug. 15 | 3 p.m. |
| 4 | Aug. 17 | 5:30 p.m. |
| *5 | Aug. 19 | TBD |
| *6 | Aug. 21 | TBD |
| *7 | Aug. 23 | TBD |
*If necessary
The Avalanche cruised through the round robin, and now they're finally fully healthy. The Coyotes managed to squeeze past the Nashville Predators in the qualifying round largely thanks to netminder Darcy Kuemper's elite play. But will they be able to contain Colorado's high-octane offense that averaged the fourth-most goals per game (3.37) during the regular season?
Dallas Stars (3) vs. Calgary Flames (8)
| Game | Date | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug. 11 | 5:30 p.m. |
| 2 | Aug. 13 | 10:30 p.m. |
| 3 | Aug. 14 | 10:30 p.m. |
| 4 | Aug. 16 | 2 p.m. |
| *5 | Aug. 18 | TBD |
| *6 | Aug. 20 | TBD |
| *7 | Aug. 22 | TBD |
*If necessary
The Flames took care of the injury-plagued Jets in four games during the qualifying round, but now the stingy Stars will test them. However, Tyler Seguin and Ben Bishop are both considered day-to-day, making their Game 1 availability uncertain.
St. Louis Blues (4) vs. Vancouver Canucks (7)
| Game | Date | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug. 12 | 10:30 p.m. |
| 2 | Aug. 14 | 6:30 p.m. |
| 3 | Aug. 16 | 10:30 p.m. |
| 4 | Aug. 17 | 10:30 p.m. |
| *5 | Aug. 19 | TBD |
| *6 | Aug. 21 | TBD |
| *7 | Aug. 23 | TBD |
*If necessary
This could be a compelling series. The Blues didn't look very sharp in the round robin, but the defending champions are battle-tested. Meanwhile, this will be the first taste of real playoff hockey for Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Quinn Hughes, and the youthful Canucks.
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