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2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs

ChampionsColorado AvalancheDefending ChampionsTampa Bay Lightning
Runner-upTampa Bay LightningConn Smythe TrophyCale Makar

The 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League (NHL) began on May 2, 2022. The top seed from the Eastern Conference was the Florida Panthers – who also won the Presidents’ Trophy. The top seed from the Western Conference was the Colorado Avalanche.

With the Government of Canada allowing cross-border travel for fully vaccinated players and team personnel between Canada and the United States, the league was able to return to its usual two conference, four division alignment. As a result, the previous 16-team playoff format that was used before the COVID-19 pandemic from 2014–2019 was reinstated.

The Pittsburgh Penguins increased their postseason appearance streak to 16 seasons, the longest active streak in the four major North American professional sports. Three of the semifinalists from the previous season (the Montreal CanadiensNew York Islanders and Vegas Golden Knights) failed to qualify for the playoffs. The Los Angeles Kings ended a two-year run where no teams from California qualified for the playoffs. With the Washington Capitals finishing in the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs are the first playoffs in NHL history where all eight teams in a single conference qualified with at least 100 points.

Eastern Conference First Round

(A1) Florida Panthers vs. (WC2) Washington Capitals

The Florida Panthers earned the Presidents’ Trophy as the NHL’s best regular season team with 122 points. Washington finished as the Eastern Conference’s second wild card, earning 100 points. This is the first playoff meeting between these two teams. Florida won two of the three games in this year’s regular season series.

DateRoad TeamHome TeamScore
May 3Washington CapitalsFlorida Panthers4-2
May 5Washington CapitalsFlorida Panthers1-5
May 7Florida PanthersWashington Capitals1-6
May 9Florida PanthersWashington Capitals3-2
May 11Washington CapitalsFlorida Panthers3-5
May 13Florida PanthersWashington Capitals4-3

Panthers win 4-2

Deeper Dive

(A2) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (A3) Tampa Bay Lightning

The Toronto Maple Leafs finished second in the Atlantic Division, earning 115 points. The Tampa Bay Lightning earned 110 points to finish third in the Atlantic Division. This is the first playoff meeting between these two teams. These teams split their four-game regular season series.

DateRoad TeamHome TeamScore
May 2Tampa Bay LightningToronto Maple Leafs0-5
May 4Tampa Bay LightningToronto Maple Leafs5-3
May 6Toronto Maple LeafsTampa Bay Lightning5-2
May 8Toronto Maple LeafsTampa Bay Lightning3-7
May 10Tampa Bay LightningToronto Maple Leafs3-4
May 12Toronto Maple LeafsTampa Bay Lightning3-4 OT
May 14Tampa Bay LightningToronto Maple Leafs2-1

Lightning win 4-3

Deeper Dive

(M1) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (WC1) Boston Bruins

The Carolina Hurricanes finished first in the Metropolitan Division earning 116 points. Boston finished as the Eastern Conference’s first wild card earning 107 points. This is the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams, with Boston winning five of the six previous series. They last met in the 2020 Eastern Conference First Round, which Boston won in five games. Carolina won all three games in this year’s regular season series.

DateRoad TeamHome TeamScore
May 2Boston BruinsCarolina Hurricanes1-5
May 4Boston BruinsCarolina Hurricanes2-5
May 6Carolina HurricanesBoston Bruins2-4
May 8Carolina HurricanesBoston Bruins2-5
May 10Boston BruinsCarolina Hurricanes1-5
May 12Carolina HurricanesBoston Bruins2-5
May 14 Boston Bruins Carolina Hurricanes2-3

Hurricanes win 4-3

Deeper Dive

(M2) New York Rangers vs. (M3) Pittsburgh Penguins

The New York Rangers finished second in the Metropolitan Division with 110 points. The Pittsburgh Penguins earned 103 points to finish third in the Metropolitan Division. This is the eighth playoff meeting between these two teams with Pittsburgh winning five of the seven previous series. They last met in the 2016 Eastern Conference First Round, which Pittsburgh won in five games. New York won three of the four games in this year’s regular season series.

DateRoad TeamHome TeamScore
May 3Pittsburgh PenguinsNew York Rangers4-3 (3OT)
May 5Pittsburgh PenguinsNew York Rangers2-5
May 7New York RangersPittsburgh Penguins4-7
May 9New York RangersPittsburgh Penguins2-7
May 11Pittsburgh PenguinsNew York Rangers3-5
May 13New York RangersPittsburgh Penguins5-3
May 15Pittsburgh PenguinsNew York Rangers3-4 OT

Rangers win 4-3

Deeper Dive

Western Conference First Round

(C1) Colorado Avalanche vs. (WC2) Nashville Predators

The Colorado Avalanche finished first in the Central Division earning 119 points. The Nashville Predators earned 97 points to finish as the Western Conference’s second wild card. This is the second playoff meeting between these two teams. Their only previous meeting was in the 2018 Western Conference First Round, which Nashville won in six games. Nashville won three of the four games in this year’s regular season series.

DateRoad TeamHome TeamScore
May 3Nashville PredatorsColorado Avalanche2-7
May 5Nashville PredatorsColorado Avalanche1-2 OT
May 7Colorado AvalancheNashville Predators7-3
May 9Colorado AvalancheNashville Predators5-3

Avalanche wins 4-0

Deeper Dive

(C2) Minnesota Wild vs. (C3) St. Louis Blues

The Minnesota Wild finished second in the Central Division earning 113 points. The St. Louis Blues earned 109 points to finish third in the Central Division. This is the third playoff meeting between these teams with the teams splitting the two previous series. They last met in the 2017 Western Conference First Round, which St. Louis won in five games. St. Louis won all three games in this year’s regular season series.

DateRoad TeamHome TeamScore
May 2St. Louis BluesMinnesota Wild4-0
May 4St. Louis BluesMinnesota Wild3-5
May 6Minnesota WildSt. Louis Blues5-1
May 8Minnesota WildSt. Louis Blues2-5
May 10St. Louis BluesMinnesota Wild5-2
May 12Minnesota WildSt. Louis Blues1-5

Blues win 4-2

Deeper Dive

(P1) Calgary Flames vs. (WC1) Dallas Stars

The Calgary Flames finished first in the Pacific Division earning 111 points. The Dallas Stars finished as the Western Conference’s first wild card earning 98 points. This is the third playoff meeting between these two teams with Dallas winning both previous series. They last met in the 2020 Western Conference First Round, which Dallas won in six games. Calgary won two of the three games in this year’s regular season series.

DateRoad TeamHome TeamScore
May 3Dallas StarsCalgary Flames0-1
May 5Dallas StarsCalgary Flames2-0
May 7Calgary FlamesDallas Stars2-4
May 9Calgary FlamesDallas Stars4-1
May 11Dallas StarsCalgary Flames1-3
May 13Calgary FlamesDallas Stars2-4
May 15Dallas StarsCalgary Flames2-3 OT

Flames win 4-3

Deeper Dive

(P2) Edmonton Oilers vs. (P3) Los Angeles Kings

The Edmonton Oilers finished second in the Pacific Division with 104 points. The Los Angeles Kings earned 99 points to finish third in the Pacific Division. This is the eighth playoff meeting between these two teams with Edmonton winning five of the seven previous series. They last met in the 1992 Smythe Division Semifinals, which Edmonton won in six games. Edmonton won three of the four games in this year’s regular season series.

DateRoad TeamHome TeamScore
May 2Los Angeles KingsEdmonton Oilers4-3
May 4Los Angeles KingsEdmonton Oilers0-6
May 6Edmonton OilersLos Angeles Kings8-2
May 8Edmonton OilersLos Angeles Kings0-4
May 10Los Angeles KingsEdmonton Oilers5-4 OT
May 12Edmonton OilersLos Angeles Kings4-2
May 14Los Angeles KingsEdmonton Oilers0-2

Oilers win 4-3

Deeper Dive

Eastern Conference Second Round

(A1) Florida Panthers vs. (A3) Tampa Bay Lightning

This is the second consecutive and the second overall playoff meeting between these two rivals. Tampa Bay won the previous year’s Stanley Cup First Round series in six games. These teams split their four-game regular-season series.

DateRoad TeamHome TeamScore/Recap
May 17Tampa Bay LightningFlorida Panthers4-1
May 19Tampa Bay LightningFlorida Panthers2-1
May 22Florida PanthersTampa Bay Lightning1-5
May 23Florida PanthersTampa Bay Lightning0-2

Lightning win 4-0

(M1) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (M2) New York Rangers

This is the second playoff meeting between these two teams. Their only previous meeting was in the 2020 Eastern Conference Qualifying Round, which Carolina won in a three-game sweep. Carolina won three of the four games in this year’s regular season series.

DateRoad TeamHome TeamScore/Recap
May 18New York RangersCarolina Hurricanes1-2 OT
May 20New York RangersCarolina Hurricanes0-2
May 22Carolina HurricanesNew York Rangers1-3
May 24Carolina HurricanesNew York Rangers1-4
May 26New York RangersCarolina Hurricanes1-3
May 28Carolina HurricanesNew York Rangers2-5
May 30New York RangersCarolina Hurricanes

Series tied 3-3

Western Conference Second Round

(C1) Colorado Avalanche vs. (C3) St. Louis Blues

This is the second consecutive playoff meeting and the third overall between these two teams with Colorado winning both previous series. Colorado won the previous year’s Stanley Cup First Round series in a four-game sweep. Colorado won two of the three games in this year’s regular season series.

DateRoad TeamHome TeamScore/Recap
May 17St. Louis BluesColorado Avalanche2-3 OT
May 19St. Louis BluesColorado Avalanche4-1
May 21Colorado AvalancheSt. Louis Blues5-2
May 23Colorado AvalancheSt. Louis Blues6-3
May 25St. Louis BluesColorado Avalanche5-4 OT
May 27Colorado AvalancheSt. Louis Blues3-2

Avalanche win 4-2

(P1) Calgary Flames vs. (P2) Edmonton Oilers

This is the sixth playoff meeting between these two rivals with Edmonton winning four of the five previous series. They last met in the 1991 Smythe Division Semifinals, which Edmonton won in seven games. These teams split their four-game regular season series.

DateRoad TeamHome TeamScore/Recap
May 18Edmonton OilersCalgary Flames6-9
May 20Edmonton OilersCalgary Flames5-3
May 22Calgary FlamesEdmonton Oilers1-4
May 24Calgary FlamesEdmonton Oilers3-5
May 26Edmonton OilersCalgary Flames5-4 OT

Oilers win 4-1

Eastern Conference Final

(M2) New York Rangers vs. (A3) Tampa Bay Lightning

This is the second playoff meeting between these two teams. New York is making their seventh Semifinals/Conference Final appearance since the league began using a 16-team or greater playoff format in 1980. They lost their most recent appearance in the 2015 Eastern Conference Final, also the most recent playoff meeting between these two teams, in seven games to Tampa Bay. This is Tampa Bay’s eighth Semifinals/Conference Final since entering the league and their third consecutive Third Round appearance, the first team to accomplish this feat since the 2015 Chicago Blackhawks. They won the previous year’s Semifinals against the New York Islanders in seven games. New York won all three games in this year’s regular season series.

DateRoad TeamHome TeamScore
June 1Tampa Bay LightningNew York Rangers2-6
June 3Tampa Bay LightningNew York Rangers2-3
June 5New York RangersTampa Bay Lightning2-3
June 7New York RangersTampa Bay Lightning1-4
June 9Tampa Bay LightningNew York Rangers3-1
June 11New York RangersTampa Bay Lightning1-2

Lightning win 4-2

Western Conference Final

(C1) Colorado Avalanche vs. (P2) Edmonton Oilers

DateRoad TeamHome TeamScore
May 31Edmonton OilersColorado Avalanche6-8
June 3Edmonton OilersColorado Avalanche0-4
June 5Colorado AvalancheEdmonton Oilers4-2
June 7Colorado AvalancheEdmonton Oilers6-5 OT

Avalanche win 4-0

Stanley Cup Final

(C1) Colorado Avalanche vs. (A3) Tampa Bay Lightning

This will be the first playoff meeting between these two teams. Colorado will be making their third Finals appearance. They last appeared in the Final in 2001, which Colorado won against the New Jersey Devils in seven games. This will be Tampa Bay’s third consecutive Finals appearance and fifth overall, they are the first team to appear in three consecutive Finals since the 1985 Edmonton Oilers. They won the previous year’s Finals against the Montreal Canadiens in five games. Colorado won both games in this year’s regular season series.

DateRoad TeamHome TeamScore/Recap
June 15Tampa Bay LightningColorado Avalanche3-4 OT
June 18Tampa Bay LightningColorado Avalanche7-0
June 20Colorado AvalancheTampa Bay Lightning2-6
June 22Colorado AvalancheTampa Bay Lightning3-2 OT
June 24Tampa Bay LightningColorado Avalanche3-2
June 26Colorado AvalancheTampa Bay Lightning2-1

Avalanche win 4-2 and the Stanley Cup; Cale Makar awarded Conn Smythe Trophy

Sources