2022 NHL Playoffs

The 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs was the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL) for the 2021–22 season. The playoffs began on May 2, 2022, one day after the regular season ended, and concluded on June 26, 2022, with the Colorado Avalanche winning their third Stanley Cup in franchise history, defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning four games to two in the Stanley Cup Finals.

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 standard 16-team playoff format that was used before the COVID-19 pandemic from 2014–2019 was reinstated.

The Florida Panthers made the playoffs as the Presidents' Trophy winners with the most points (i.e. best record) during the regular season. This was the final season of the Pittsburgh Penguins' 16-season playoff streak, the longest active streak in the four major North American professional sports leagues at the time. Three of the semifinalists from the previous season (the Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders and Vegas Golden Knights) failed to qualify for the playoffs. The Los Angeles Kings ended a two-year run in which no teams from California qualified for the playoffs. All eight playoff teams from the Eastern Conference finished the season with at least 100 points, marking the first playoffs in NHL history in which all eight teams in a single conference qualified with at least 100 points.

Florida's opening round series victory over the Washington Capitals was their first series win since the 1996 Eastern Conference finals. This postseason marked the third time that the league played 50 or more games in the opening round of the playoffs since this round was changed to a best-of-seven format in 1987. The first round featured five game sevens, the most in a single playoff round since 1992, when there were six game sevens in the division semifinals. On May 15, for the first time since 1997, and the second time in League history, both game sevens went into overtime. With their conference final series victory, the Tampa Bay Lightning became the third team in league history to win at least eleven consecutive playoff series; joining the Montreal Canadiens (1976–1980) and New York Islanders (1980–1984) in accomplishing this feat.

Playoff seeds

This was the seventh year and first since 2019, in which the top three teams in each division made the playoffs, along with two wild cards in each conference (for a total of eight playoff teams from each conference).

The following teams qualified for the playoffs:

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

# Florida Panthers, Atlantic Division champions, Eastern Conference regular season champions, Presidents' Trophy winners – 122 points
# Toronto Maple Leafs – 115 points
# Tampa Bay Lightning – 110 points (39 )

Metropolitan Division

# Carolina Hurricanes, Metropolitan Division champions – 116 points
# New York Rangers – 110 points (44 )
# Pittsburgh Penguins – 103 points

Wild cards

# Boston Bruins – 107 points
# Washington Capitals – 100 points

Western Conference

Central Division

# Colorado Avalanche, Central Division champions, Western Conference regular season champions – 119 points
# Minnesota Wild – 113 points
# St. Louis Blues – 109 points

Pacific Division

# Calgary Flames, Pacific Division champions – 111 points
# Edmonton Oilers – 104 points
# Los Angeles Kings – 99 points

Wild cards

# Dallas Stars – 98 points
# Nashville Predators – 97 points

Playoff bracket

In each round, teams compete in a best-of-seven series following a 2–2–1–1–1 format (scores in the bracket indicate the number of games won in each best-of-seven series). The team with home ice advantage plays at home for games one and two (and games five and seven, if necessary), and the other team is at home for games three and four (and game six, if necessary). The top three teams in each division make the playoffs, along with two wild cards in each conference, for a total of eight teams from each conference.

In the first round, the lower seeded wild card in each conference played against the division winner with the best record while the other wild card played against the other division winner, and both wild cards were de facto #4 seeds. The other series matched the second and third place teams from the divisions. In the first two rounds, home ice advantage was awarded to the team with the better seed. In the conference finals and Stanley Cup Finals, home ice advantage was awarded to the team with the better regular season record.

;Legend
* A1, A2, A3 – The first, second, and third place teams from the Atlantic Division, respectively
* M1, M2, M3 – The first, second, and third place teams from the Metropolitan Division, respectively
* C1, C2, C3 – The first, second, and third place teams from the Central Division, respectively
* P1, P2, P3 – The first, second, and third place teams from the Pacific Division, respectively
* WC1, WC2 – The first and second place teams in the Wild Card, respectively

First round

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 was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. Florida won two of the three games in this year's regular season series.

The Panthers defeated the Capitals in six games and won their first playoff series since 1996. In game one, the Capitals overcame a one-goal deficit in the third period and gained the lead at 10:37 on T. J. Oshie's goal to win 4–2. Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe both scored a goal and provided an assist in the Panthers' 5–1 victory in game two. Ilya Samsonov made 29 saves for the Capitals in game three, outscoring the Panthers 6–1 and taking a 2–1 series lead. Verhaeghe scored twice in game four, including the overtime-winning goal for the Panthers, tying the series up 2–2 in a 3–2 triumph. In game five, Verhaeghe scored twice and assisted on the other three Panthers’ goals in Florida's three-goal comeback, taking the game 5–3 to lead the series 3–2. In game six, Claude Giroux scored a goal and provided two assists and Verhaeghe scored the overtime goal in a 4–3 victory sending the Panthers to the second round for the first time in 26 years.

(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 was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. These teams split their four-game regular season series.

The Lightning defeated the Maple Leafs in seven games. In game one, Maple Leaf's forward Auston Matthews provided two goals and an assist in Jack Campbell's 24-save 5–0 shutout. Victor Hedman had a goal and three assists for the Lightning in game two, giving Tampa Bay a 5–3 victory. In game three, Pierre Engvall provided three assists for the Maple Leafs, staving off a potential comeback from Tampa Bay and winning 5–2. In game four, the Lightning got off to a quick start, scoring three goals within the first eight minutes of the game en route to a 7–3 victory. The Maple Leafs came back from a 2–0 deficit in Game 5 with William Nylander providing a goal and two assists in a 4–3 victory. In game 6, although the Maple Leafs came back from a two-goal deficit, the Lightning's Brayden Point scored in overtime to extend the series to a seventh game in a 4–3 affair. In game 7, Nick Paul scored twice while the Lightning defended their 2–1 lead onto the victory and a second round advancement. With their game seven loss, the Maple Leafs lost eight consecutive playoff series and ten potential series-clinching games. After Florida won a playoff series for the first time since 1996, Toronto held the NHL's longest active playoff series win drought, as they last won a playoff series in 2004.

(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 was 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.

The Hurricanes defeated the Bruins in seven games, with the home team victorious in every game. Antti Raanta made 35 saves in game one, backstopping the Hurricanes in a 5–1 victory. Upon Hurricanes forward Nino Niederreiter's two goals and Pyotr Kochetkov's 30 saves in relief of Raanta in game two, Carolina gained 2–0 series lead by defeating Boston 5–2. In game three, Brad Marchand scored a goal and provided two assists in the Bruins' 4–2 victory. In game four, Marchand scored or provided an assist on every Bruins goal in Boston's 5–2 victory, tying the series 2–2. In game five, Seth Jarvis scored twice and Teuvo Teravainen assisted thrice in the Hurricanes 5–1 victory, taking a 3–2 series lead in the process. In game six, Charlie Coyle and Marchand each scored a goal and provided an assist in the Bruins' 5–2 victory tying the series 3–3. Max Domi scored twice and added an assist in game seven, granting Carolina a 3–2 victory and an advancement to the second round.

(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 was 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.

The Rangers came back from a 3–1 series deficit to defeat the Penguins in seven games. In game one, although Igor Shesterkin made 79 saves for the Rangers, Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin scored for Pittsburgh at 5:58 of triple overtime to win 4–3. In game two, Artemi Panarin and Frank Vatrano both scored a goal and provided two assists in the Rangers' 5–2 victory. In game three, although the Rangers tied the game after being down 4–1, Penguins forward Danton Heinen's goal proved to be the game-winning goal at 11:02 of the third period giving Pittsburgh a 7–4 victory. The Penguins scored five times in the second period of game four, chasing goalie Shesterkin in a 7–2 rout. In game five, the Rangers successfully came back from a two-goal deficit to win 5–3, forcing a sixth game. Chris Kreider gave the Rangers a lead late in the third period of game six, giving his team a 5–3 victory and tying the series 3–3. In game seven and the subsequent overtime, Panarin scored for New York sending the Rangers to the second round with a 4–3 victory. This marked the first time the Penguins lost a game seven on the road in franchise history after winning the previous six instances. The Rangers equalled both the Montreal Canadiens and Vancouver Canucks for most comebacks from a 3–1 series deficit with three. The Rangers also became the first team in Stanley Cup playoff history to record three consecutive comeback wins in elimination games within the same series.

Western Conference first round

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

The Colorado Avalanche finished first in the Central Division and Western Conference earning 119 points. The Nashville Predators earned 97 points to finish as the Western Conference's second wild card. This was 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.

The Avalanche defeated the Predators in a four-game sweep. Colorado scored five times in the first period of game one, forcing Nashville to switch goalies in a 7–2 affair. In game two, the Avalanche shot 51 times at Predators' goalie Connor Ingram and at 8:31 of overtime, Cale Makar scored to give Colorado a 2–1 victory. Gabriel Landeskog scored and assisted twice in game three, helping the Avalanche obtain both a 7–3 victory and 3–0 series lead. In game four, Andre Burakovsky's goal and two assists helped lift the Avalanche to a 5–3 victory, advancing to the second round.

(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 was 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.

The Blues defeated the Wild in six games. In game one, Ville Husso made 37 saves for the Blues and David Perron scored a hat trick in St. Louis' 4–0 victory. The Wild returned with a hat trick of their own in game two when Kirill Kaprizov scored Minnesota's first playoff hat trick in a 6–2 victory. Marc-Andre Fleury made 29 saves for the Wild in game three, backstopping Minnesota into a 5–1 victory. Blues captain Ryan O'Reilly scored a goal and two assists in game four, leading St. Louis to a 5–2 victory. Vladimir Tarasenko scored a hat trick in game five spearheading his team to another 5–2 victory and a 3–2 series lead. In game six, Jordan Binnington made 25 saves for the Blues, defeating the Wild 5–1 and advancing to the second round.

(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 was 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.

The Flames defeated the Stars in seven games. In game one, Calgary's defence limited the Stars' offence to 16 shots as goalie Jacob Markstrom claimed a 1–0 victory. The Stars responded with their own shutout victory in game two, scoring twice in a 2–0 affair with Jake Oettinger making 29 saves in the process. Joe Pavelski lead the Stars with two goals in game three, giving Dallas a 4–2 victory and a 2–1 series lead. The Flames put 54 shots on the Stars goaltender, and with four shots turning into goals, Calgary won game four, 4–1. In game five, Mikael Backlund and Andrew Mangiapane each scored a goal and provided an assist in Calgary's 3–1 comeback victory. In game six, Oettinger made 36 saves for the Stars leading his team to a 4–2 victory and forcing a seventh game. The Flames put on 67 shots in game seven, but with two finding the back of the net on both sides, the game went into overtime. In the extra period, Calgary forward Johnny Gaudreau scored to give the Flames a 3–2 victory and a second round advancement. In the loss, Oettinger became the second goalie since 1955 to post 60 or more saves in a seventh game.

(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 was the eighth playoff meeting between these two rivals 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.

The Oilers defeated the Kings in seven games. In game one, Phillip Danault's goal with 5:14 left in the third period proved to be the game-winning goal for the Kings who edged the Oilers 4–3. Mike Smith stopped all 30 shots in game two, ending his ten-game playoff losing streak with a 6–0 shutout victory. The Oilers dominated game three, forcing Los Angeles to switch goalies and giving Evander Kane a hat trick in the process of an 8–2 rout. Jonathan Quick claimed a 31-save shutout in game four, backstopping the Kings to a 4–0 victory. In the process, he became the leading United States-born goalie in playoff shutouts with 10. In game five, the Oilers came back from a two-goal deficit to tie the match; however, Kings forward Adrian Kempe's overtime goal, his second score of the affair, gave Los Angeles the 5–4 victory and a 3–2 series lead. In game six, Connor McDavid scored a goal and provided two assists in the Oilers' 4–2 victory, forcing a seventh game in Edmonton. In game seven, McDavid scored and assisted in a 2–0 victory as they advanced to the second round.

Second round

Eastern Conference second round

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

This was 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.

The Lightning defeated the Panthers in a four-game sweep. In game one, Corey Perry and Nikita Kucherov both scored a goal and assisted in Tampa Bay's 4–1 victory. Ross Colton's goal with 3.8 seconds left in game two provided Tampa Bay with a 2–1 victory and a 2–0 series lead. Kucherov scored a goal and assisted three times in the Lightning's 5–1 victory of game three, who took a 3–0 series lead in the process. In game four, Andrei Vasilevskiy made 49 saves in a 2–0 shutout, advancing the Lightning to the Conference finals for the third consecutive season. With their victory, they became the first team since the 1980–1984 New York Islanders dynasty to win ten consecutive playoff series and they equalled the 1956–1960 Montreal Canadiens in consecutive series victories.

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

This was 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.

The Rangers defeated the Hurricanes in seven games. After Sebastian Aho tied the game late for Carolina in game one, Ian Cole scored in overtime to give the Hurricanes a 2–1 victory. In game two, Aho scored a goal and provided an assist in Antti Raanta's 21 save shutout for the Hurricanes' 2–0 victory. The Rangers rebounded in game three; aided by Igor Shesterkin's 43 saves, New York defeated Carolina 3–1. In game four, Andrew Copp notched a goal and two assists in the Rangers 4–1 victory, evening the series 2–2. The Hurricanes shot 34 times at Shesterkin in game five, banking in three goals for a 3–1 victory and a 3–2 series lead. In game six, Shesterkin made 37 saves and Filip Chytil scored twice for the Rangers who defeated Carolina 5–2 to force a seventh game. New York shut the door on Carolina in game seven, outscoring the Hurricanes 6–2 to advance to the conference final for the first time since 2015.

Western Conference second round

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

This was 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.

The Avalanche defeated the Blues in six games. In game one, the Avalanche poured 51 shots at Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington, however, the final shot in overtime by defenceman Josh Manson gave Colorado a 3–2 victory. David Perron scored twice in game two and with Binnington stopping 30 shots, St. Louis won 4–1. Binnington was injured and knocked out of the remainder of the series in the first period of game three, and Artturi Lehkonen scored twice for the Avalanche, as Colorado downed the Blues 5–2 for a 2–1 series lead. In game four, Nazem Kadri scored a hat trick and provided an assist in the Avalanche's 6–3 victory. Game 5 featured a wild scoring affair as the Avalanche had gained a three-goal lead and lost it, but banking off Nathan MacKinnon's hat trick goal with 2:46 remaining in the third period, Colorado retrieved a one-goal lead. St. Louis managed to tie the game again, and in the subsequent overtime period, Tyler Bozak scored to give the Blues a 5–4 victory. In game six, Darren Helm's goal with 5.6 seconds remaining proved to be the series-winning goal for Colorado, who advanced to the Conference final for the first time since 2002.

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

This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two rivals with Edmonton winning four of the five previous series and the first second round series between two Canadian-based NHL teams with no all-Canadian division since 2002. They last met in the 1991 Smythe Division semifinals, which Edmonton won in seven games. These teams split their four-game regular season series.

The Oilers defeated the Flames in five games. Game one was an offensive outburst on both sides with a total of fifteen goals, the most in a playoff game within the Battle of Alberta. The Flames who reached a 6–2 lead had that advantage disappear as the Oilers tied the game; however, two of Matthew Tkachuk's hat trick goals sealed the victory for Calgary in a 9–6 affair. The Oilers successively overcame a two-goal deficit in game two with Leon Draisaitl providing a goal and two assists in a 5–3 victory. The Oilers line of Evander Kane, Connor McDavid, and Draisaitl dominated the second period of game three with Kane scoring a natural hat-trick, Draisaitl assisting four times, an NHL playoff record, and McDavid assisting three times, leading to an eventual 4–1 victory. In game four, the Flames tied the game after being down by three goals; however, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins's second goal broke the tie for Edmonton, scoring with 3:37 left in the game to lead the Oilers to a 5–3 victory and a 3–1 series lead. Game five was mainly a back-and-forth affair, with exception to the two-goal comeback by the Oilers. During the second period, Calgary and Edmonton combined to score four goals in 1:11, setting an NHL record for the fastest four goals in a playoff game. During the third period, Calgary had a late goal by Blake Coleman disallowed after video review determined that the puck was kicked into the net. With the game tied at the end of the third period, both teams headed to overtime where McDavid scored to send Edmonton to the Conference final for the first time since 2006.

Conference finals

Eastern Conference final

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

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams. The Rangers made 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 was Tampa Bay's third consecutive and eighth overall semifinals/conference final since entering the league; they're 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.

The Lightning defeated the Rangers in six games. Filip Chytil scored twice for the Rangers in game one, who defeated Tampa Bay 6–2. In game two, Igor Shesterkin made 29 saves for the Rangers in a 3–2 affair which ended the Lightning's 18-game win streak after losing the prior game. The Lightning recovered in game three, coming back from a 2–0 deficit, and with Ondrej Palat's goal with 42 seconds left in the game, Tampa Bay defeated New York 3–2. In game four, Palat scored a goal and provided two assists in goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy's 34 save performance to defeat New York 4–1 and tie the series 2–2. Palat continued his late-goal antics into game five, scoring with 1:50 left in the third period to lead the Lightning to a 3–1 victory and a 3–2 series lead. In game six, the captain Steven Stamkos scored twice to give the Lightning a 2–1 victory and a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals for the third consecutive season.

Western Conference final

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

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams with both teams splitting the two previous series. They last met in the 1998 Western Conference quarterfinals, which Edmonton came back from a 3–1 series deficit to win in seven games. This was Colorado's ninth appearance in the Conference Final. They were defeated in seven games by the Detroit Red Wings in their most recent conference finals appearance in 2002. Edmonton made their tenth appearance in the conference finals. Their most recent appearance was in the 2006 Western Conference final, which Edmonton won against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in five games. Colorado won two of the three games in this year's regular season series.

The Avalanche defeated the Oilers in a four-game sweep. In game one, the Avalanche held off a potential four-goal comeback with an empty net goal to win 8–6. During the game, Cale Makar's goal appeared to be offside due to Valeri Nichushkin still needing to exit the offensive zone, however, the goal was deemed onside with Makar pushing the puck across the blue line and not in possession until Nichushkin became onside. Pavel Francouz stopped all 24 shots he faced in game two and with Nazem Kadri's three assists, Colorado won 4–0. In game three, Nichushkin's two goals helped Colorado obtain a 4–2 victory and a 3–0 series lead. In game four, the Avalanche came back from a two-goal deficit to take the lead, but the Oilers tied the game and it went to overtime. In overtime, Artturi Lehkonen scored to send Colorado to the Finals for the first time since 2001.

Stanley Cup Finals

This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. Colorado made their third Finals appearance. They last appeared in the Finals in 2001, which Colorado won against the New Jersey Devils in seven games. This was Tampa Bay's third consecutive Finals appearance and fifth overall; they were 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.

Player statistics

Skaters

These are the top ten skaters based on points, following the conclusion of the playoffs.

Goaltenders

This is a combined table of the top five goaltenders based on goals against average and the top five goaltenders based on save percentage, with at least 420 minutes played. The table is sorted by GAA, and the criteria for inclusion are bolded.

Media

In Canada, for the eighth postseason under Rogers Media's 12-year contract, coverage was broadcast by Sportsnet networks and CBC Television under the ''Hockey Night in Canada'' brand, and streamed on Sportsnet Now, CBCSports.ca (for games televised by CBC), or the subscription service NHL Live. For first and second round U.S. vs. U.S. games not on CBC, Sportsnet generally simulcasted the U.S. feed instead of producing their own telecast.

In the U.S., this marked the first Stanley Cup playoffs under the NHL's seven-year broadcast rights deals with ESPN and TNT. During the first round, games aired across ESPN, ESPN2, TBS, and TNT. For the second round onward, the games aired on either ESPN or TNT (except for one second-round game which aired on ESPN2 due to ''Sunday Night Baseball'' airing on ESPN). Other ESPN and Turner channels (such as ESPNU, ESPNews, and TruTV) were used in the event of overflow situations. As before, each U.S. team's regional broadcaster televised local coverage of games during the first round, after which all other games were exclusive to the ESPN networks and TNT.

In assigning broadcasters for each game, the NHL had to work around the 2022 NBA playoffs (which shared ESPN and TNT as rightsholders, and started ahead of the Stanley Cup playoffs), ESPN's ''Sunday Night Baseball'', and other such conflicts. In general, the first round was roughly split between ESPN/ESPN2 and TNT/TBS, ensuring that both broadcasters televised two of the first four games in each series, and at least two of the five game seven's. With the NBA Conference finals occurring at the same time with the Stanley Cup second round this year, ESPN ended up being the ''de facto'' exclusive broadcaster for the Carolina–NY Rangers and Calgary–Edmonton series, and TNT doing the same for the Florida–Tampa Bay and Colorado–St. Louis series. Both conference finals also aired exclusively on ESPN and TNT; under the new contracts, ESPN held the first choice of which conference final to air, opting for the Eastern Conference this postseason. As per the new alternating rotation, ABC exclusively aired the Stanley Cup Finals.

Unlike past seasons, there was no coverage of playoff games on U.S. broadcast television until the Stanley Cup Finals (previous rightsholders such as NBC had traditionally offered weekend games on broadcast television during the early rounds), as ESPN had prioritized the carriage of NBA playoff games on broadcast television via ABC instead. Conversely, the Finals were carried in their entirety on broadcast television for the first time since 1980 (which was aired primarily by the Hughes Television Network, but with CBS acquiring the rights to the series-deciding game six as a one-off ''CBS Sports Spectacular'' broadcast); Since then, the Finals were either partially or exclusively carried on cable. There were no live games on over-the-top streaming services until the third round, as ESPN+ only streamed simulcasts of the Eastern Conference finals and Stanley Cup Finals, and Turner Sports did not invoke its option to carry or simulcast games on HBO Max.

American national radio rights to select Stanley Cup playoff games, including the entire conference finals and Stanley Cup Finals, were broadcast on the Sports USA Radio Network via NHL Radio. This was the first of a four-year deal signed between the NHL and Sports USA to syndicate NHL games on U.S. national radio.

References

External links

Stanley Cup playoffs

{{Stanley Cup playoffs

Stanley Cup playoffs
playoffs