© John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
NHL Playoffs Bracket Is Officially Set for 2024 Postseason
The best part of the NHL season has arrived: the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, with games every night and upsets lurking around the corner. While the 16 teams have been set for a few days, it took until the last two games of the regular season to complete the bracket.
The final two matchups in the Western Conference were finalized Thursday night with the Los Angeles Kings jumping in the standings to take the third spot in the Pacific Division, securing a first-round series with the Edmonton Oilers, while the Vegas Golden Knights fell to the second wild-card spot for a series against the Dallas Stars.
The Eastern Conference matchups have been set since Tuesday, when the Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers all started the night with a chance to take the last wild-card spot. But it was the Caps, needing a win over Philly, who snagged that final spot and secured a first-round matchup with this year’s Presidents’ Trophy winners, the New York Rangers.
Here are the full matchups:
Eastern Conference:
(A1) Panthers vs. (WC1) Lightning
(A2) Bruins vs. (A3) Maple Leafs
(M1) Rangers vs. (WC2) Capitals
(M2) Hurricanes vs. (M3) Islanders
Western Conference:
(C1) Stars vs. (WC2) Golden Knights
(C2) Jets vs. (C3) Avalanche
(P1) Canucks vs. (WC1) Predators
(P2) Oilers vs. (P3) Kings
Postseason action begins Saturday. Below is the full bracket.