NHL playoff bracket 2026: Full schedule, TV channels, scores for hockey's road to Stanley Cup

The 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs have begun, featuring notable storylines including the Buffalo Sabres snapping an NHL-record 14-season postseason drought by winning the Atlantic Division title, where they will face the Boston Bruins in the first round. In the Western Conference, the Colorado Avalanche claimed the Presidents' Trophy, while the Dallas Stars enter on a franchise-record winning streak. The Battle of Pennsylvania rivalry is also renewed, with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers meeting in the first round for the first time since 2018.