Bracket fills out
- Bleacher Report updated the Stanley Cup playoffs bracket as first‑round games completed across the board. - The update confirms teams like the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks are active in the evolving bracket. - The roundup consolidates schedules and top moments from recent games for fans tracking the tournament (bleacherreport.com)
The 2026 Stanley Cup playoff bracket is now fully underway, with all eight first-round series opened by Monday, April 20. (nhl.com) As of Wednesday morning, April 22, four series were split 1-1: Boston Bruins-Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens-Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars-Minnesota Wild, and Vegas Golden Knights-Utah Mammoth. Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers each led 2-0, while Colorado Avalanche also held a 2-0 edge over the Los Angeles Kings. (nhl.com 1) (nhl.com 2) The last matchup to begin was Edmonton Oilers against Anaheim Ducks on Monday, April 20, at Rogers Place in Edmonton. Edmonton entered as the Pacific Division’s No. 2 seed with 93 points, and Anaheim entered as the No. 3 seed with 92 points. (bleacherreport.com) (nhl.com) By the official bracket on Tuesday, April 21, Edmonton led Anaheim 1-0, with Game 2 set for Wednesday, April 22, before the series shifts to Honda Center for Games 3 and 4 on April 24 and April 26. (nhl.com 1) (nhl.com 2) The field looks different from the last two springs because the Florida Panthers, who won the Stanley Cup in 2024 and 2025, missed the 2026 playoffs. ESPN noted that guarantees a new champion for the first time since 2023. (espn.com) Anaheim’s return is one of the bracket’s bigger changes. The Ducks are in the postseason for the first time since 2018, while Edmonton is in for a seventh straight year and is trying to reach the Stanley Cup Final for a third consecutive season. (nhl.com) Other Western series carry their own recent history. Dallas has reached the conference final in each of the past three postseasons, and Vegas opened against Utah after winning the Pacific Division. (nhl.com 1) (nhl.com 2) The first round is a best-of-seven format, and the schedule already runs into early May if series go the distance. The current NHL slate lists potential Game 7s from May 2 through May 3. (nhl.com) For fans following the bracket day to day, the picture is now less about who qualified and more about who can grab control before the series change cities. By April 22, every matchup had produced at least one result, and the board finally looked complete. (nhl.com)
