2023 NHL Playoff Bracket: Stanley Cup Final Matchup & Schedule

NHL Playoff Bracket as of June 10, 2023.

The 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs are in their final stage, with the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers battling it out in the Stanley Cup Final. VGK has taken a 3-1 series lead over Florida in the best-of-seven series.

The image above displays the 2023 NHL Playoff bracket and will be updated in real-time after each game. The Vegas Golden Knights are one win away from winning their first NHL Championship and hoisting hockey’s ultimate prize.

You’ll find much more NHL playoff information on this page below, including NHL playoff matchups and the NHL Playoff schedule. The only thing we don’t have here are NHL playoff odds. You can jump to a specific section using the links below:

NHL Playoff Matchups | NHL Playoff Schedule | NHL Playoff Picture | NHL Playoff FAQs

NHL Playoff Matchups

NHL Playoff Matchups as of June 10, 2023.

There is only one remaining matchup in the 2023 NHL Playoff bracket. The Eastern-Conference champion Florida Panthers are battling the Western-Conference Champion Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final. The Golden Knights are currently up 3-1 in the series, with Game 5 set for Tuesday, June 13th.

Vegas won Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final by a 5-2 score before following up with an even more impressive showing in Game 2. The Knights dominated the Panthers with a 7-2 route, chasing Florida’s Conn Smythe favorite goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky in the process. It’s worth noting VGK is now a perfect 7-0 all-time against Florida at T-Mobile Arena.

Florida responded in Game 3, however, prevailing in a 3-2 overtime thriller at FLA Live Arena. Carter Verhaegue sniped the overtime winner early in extra time, while goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky returned to form with a 25-save performance. Vegas regained the momentum in Game 4, securing a 3-2 win in Game 4 to push the Panthers to the brink of elimination.

 

In terms of NHL playoff scoring leaders, Dallas Stars’ forward Roope Hintz and Florida Matthew Tlachuk lead the way with 24 points apiece. It’s Jonathan Marchessault, however, who leads both teams in playoff goals (13) and is the current Conn Smythe favorite.

The eighth-seeded Panthers shocked the NHL Eastern Conference in the playoffs, upsetting the No. 1 Boston Bruins, No. 4 Toronto Maple Leafs, and No. 2 Carolina Hurricanes to advance to the final round. This is Florida’s first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 1996. They have never won a championship.

The Vegas Golden Knights, meanwhile, took a more conventional route to the Final in the Western Conference. Vegas entered as the top team in the West before beating the No. 8 Winnipeg Jets, No. 2 Edmonton Oilers, and No. 4 Dallas Stars. This is VGK’s second Cup-Final appearance. Much like Florida, they are also searching for their first championship.

NHL Playoff Schedule

The NHL 2023 Stanley Cup Final began on Saturday, June 3rd and will conclude on Monday, June 19th (at the latest). You can view the NHL playoff schedule for today (and beyond) below.

Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final is Tuesday, June 13th. The puck drops at 8:00 pm EST on TNT.

NHL Playoff Picture

The Boston Bruins had a historic regular season and entered the postseason as the top seed in the NHL Playoff standings by a wide margin. Boston suffered a shocking upset in Round 1 of the playoffs, which caused a seismic shift in the Stanley Cup odds.

 

In the Western Conference, the Vegas Golden Knights finished the season atop the standings with 111 points. While the Knights have taken care of business, the most surprising playoff result was the reigning-champion Colorado Avalanche losing in seven games to the No. 7 Seattle Kraken in Round 1.

How is the NHL Playoff Bracket Set up?

With the NHL playoff structure reverted to its regular format, this is how the seeding will work. There are eight teams from both the Eastern Conference and Western Conference that will make it to the postseason.

The Eastern Conference will have the top three teams from the Metropolitan Division and Atlantic Division, along with two wild-card spots. The Western Conference playoff schedule will feature the top three teams from both the Pacific and Central Division, along with the two best teams outside of those six as the wild cards.

The top two seeds in each division in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference will play the Wild Card teams in Round 1. Meanwhile, the other #2 and #3 seeds in each division will play each other in the first round. A team may be ahead of another team in regular-season points but could be in a Wild Card spot because all three teams in their division are ahead of them.

The Bruins leading the way in the NHL Playoff standings, they will take on the bottom feeder in the East. That was the resilient Florida Panthers. In the West, the Golden Knights topped the standings, so they faced the eighth-seeded Jets.

How Many Teams Make the NHL Playoffs?

16 total teams make the Stanley Cup playoffs, eight from the East and eight from the West. Most teams will play a seven-game series against a team from their division.

The Bruins became the first team to clinch a spot in the NHL playoff bracket on March 11th, 2023. The Pittsburgh Penguins were the final team eliminated from the NHL Playoff picture on April 12th, ending their 16-year postseason run.

How Long Do The Stanley Cup Playoffs Last?

The Stanley Cup Playoffs last an average of 57 days. In the 2022 NHL Playoffs, the postseason began on May 2nd, 2022 and finished on June 26th, 2022 (56 days). Based on the average length, the 2023 NHL Playoffs will approximately conclude on June 13, 2023.

How long the Stanley Cup Playoffs last is ultimately dependent on the number of games played. If every series goes to a Game 7, there would be a maximum number of 105 total games played. On the other hand, if every series is a sweep, there would be only 60 total games played. The average amount of games played in an NHL playoff is 86.

NHL Playoff Bracket FAQs

What dates are the Stanley Cup finals?

The start date of the Stanley Cup finals is Saturday, June 3rd, 2023.

How many games are in the NHL playoffs?

Each series is a best of seven. The winning team will need to win 16 games, but the champion could play as many as 28 if all four of their series go the full seven games. The maximum number of games in one playoff (all teams) is 105.

When was the last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup?

The last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup was the Montreal Canadiens in 1993. Canadian teams have made the finals six times since then (Vancouver, 1994; Calgary, 2004; Edmonton, 2006; Ottawa, 2007; Vancouver, 2011; Montreal, 2021).

How is the NHL playoff bracket determined?

The NHL playoff bracket is determined by division position and regular-season record. The top three teams in each division make up the first 12 teams in the playoffs, while the remaining four spots are filled by the next two highest-placed finishers in each conference.

How do upsets affect the NHL playoff bracket?

Upsets are common in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and can shake up the bracket. The winners of the First Round play one another in the Second Round to determine the four participants in the Conference Finals.

What happens if there is a tie in the NHL playoff bracket?

If there is a tie in the NHL playoff bracket, the seeding is determined by which team has more regulation wins. The second tiebreaker is regulation plus overtime wins.