Stanley Cup Playoffs · 2017-18 season
NHL Playoff Bracket 2018
The Washington Capitals won the 2018 Stanley Cup, beating the Vegas Golden Knights 4-1 in the Final.
Washington Capitals2018 Stanley Cup championBeat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-1 in the Final; Evgeny Kuznetsov led the Final with 8 points. Final game by game →
Bracket
First Round: East
- D1
Lightning4WC2TBL wins 4-1 · games and leaders →
Devils1 - D2
Bruins4D3BOS wins 4-3 · games and leaders →
Maple Leafs3 - D1Capitals4WC1WSH wins 4-2 · games and leaders →
Blue Jackets2 - D2
Penguins4D3PIT wins 4-2 · games and leaders →
Flyers2
Seeds: D1–D3 division places, WC1–WC2 wild cards (2020: the seeding from the bubble round robin). Series wins from the NHL schedule feed.
First Round: West
Second Round: East
Second Round: West
Conference Final
Every series: result and top scorer
| Round | Series | Result | GP | Top scorer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Round | TBL vs. NJD | TBL wins 4-1 | 5 | Nikita Kucherov (TBL) 5G 5A |
| First Round | BOS vs. TOR | BOS wins 4-3 | 7 | David Pastrnak (BOS) 5G 8A |
| First Round | WSH vs. CBJ | WSH wins 4-2 | 6 | John Carlson (WSH) 1G 8A |
| First Round | PIT vs. PHI | PIT wins 4-2 | 6 | Jake Guentzel (PIT) 6G 7A |
| First Round | NSH vs. COL | NSH wins 4-2 | 6 | Austin Watson (NSH) 4G 3A |
| First Round | WPG vs. MIN | WPG wins 4-1 | 5 | Mark Scheifele (WPG) 4G 1A |
| First Round | VGK vs. LAK | VGK wins 4-0 | 4 | Reilly Smith (VGK) 0G 3A |
| First Round | ANA vs. SJS | SJS wins 4-0 | 4 | Logan Couture (SJS) 2G 3A |
| Second Round | TBL vs. BOS | TBL wins 4-1 | 5 | Patrice Bergeron (BOS) 5G 3A |
| Second Round | WSH vs. PIT | WSH wins 4-2 | 6 | Jake Guentzel (PIT) 4G 4A |
| Second Round | NSH vs. WPG | WPG wins 4-3 | 7 | Mark Scheifele (WPG) 7G 4A |
| Second Round | VGK vs. SJS | VGK wins 4-2 | 6 | Jonathan Marchessault (VGK) 4G 5A |
| Conference Final | TBL vs. WSH | WSH wins 4-3 | 7 | Evgeny Kuznetsov (WSH) 4G 6A |
| Conference Final | WPG vs. VGK | VGK wins 4-1 | 5 | Jonathan Marchessault (VGK) 4G 3A |
| Stanley Cup Final | VGK vs. WSH | WSH wins 4-1 | 5 | Evgeny Kuznetsov (WSH) 1G 7A |
How the NHL playoff format works
16 teams make the Stanley Cup Playoffs, eight from each conference: the top three teams in each of the four divisions plus two wild cards per conference, the two best remaining records. Every round is a best-of-seven series, and the team with the better regular-season record has home ice: games 1, 2, 5 and 7.
Division winners play the wild cards in the first round (the better division winner gets the second wild card), and the second- and third-place teams in each division meet. The bracket is fixed: there is no reseeding between rounds. The two conference champions meet in the Stanley Cup Final.
Playoff overtime never ends in a shootout: teams play full 20-minute 5-on-5 periods until a goal. The 2020 playoffs were the exception to the format, played in two bubbles with a qualifying round and round-robin seeding games before the usual 16-team bracket. Series scores on this page come from the NHL schedule feed; player totals come from our box scores.
Playoff brackets by year
- 2026 playoffsCarolina Hurricanes over Golden Knights
- 2025 playoffsFlorida Panthers over Oilers
- 2024 playoffsFlorida Panthers over Oilers
- 2023 playoffsVegas Golden Knights over Panthers
- 2022 playoffsColorado Avalanche over Lightning
- 2021 playoffsTampa Bay Lightning over Canadiens
- 2020 playoffsTampa Bay Lightning over Stars
- 2019 playoffsSt. Louis Blues over Bruins
- 2018 playoffsWashington Capitals over Golden Knights
Related: magic numbers and clinch scenarios · NHL draft classes · scores tonight
Frequently asked questions
Who won the 2018 Stanley Cup?
The Washington Capitals won the 2018 Stanley Cup, beating the Vegas Golden Knights 4-1 in a 5-game Final.
Which 2018 playoff series went seven games?
3 series went the distance in 2018: Bruins over Maple Leafs (First Round); Jets over Predators (Second Round); Capitals over Lightning (Conference Final).
How many 2018 playoff games went to overtime?
10 of the 84 games played in the 2018 playoffs were decided in overtime. Playoff overtime is full 20-minute periods of 5-on-5 until someone scores; there are no shootouts.
How many sweeps were there in the 2018 playoffs?
There were 2 four-game sweeps in the 2018 playoffs.