Stanley Cup Playoffs · 2019-20 season

NHL Playoff Bracket 2020

The Tampa Bay Lightning won the 2020 Stanley Cup, beating the Dallas Stars 4-2 in the Final.

Updated Oct 20, 5:27 PM ET after TBL 2, DAL 0 (Sep 28)

Tampa Bay Lightning2020 Stanley Cup champion

Beat the Dallas Stars 4-2 in the Final. Final game by game →

Bracket

Qualifying Round: East

Seeds: D1–D3 division places, WC1–WC2 wild cards (2020: the seeding from the bubble round robin). Series wins from the NHL schedule feed.

Qualifying Round: West

C5Oilers1
C12Blackhawks3
CHI wins 3-1 · games and leaders →
C6Predators1
C11Coyotes3
ARI wins 3-1 · games and leaders →
C7Canucks3
C10Wild1
VAN wins 3-1 · games and leaders →
C8Flames3
C9Jets1
CGY wins 3-1 · games and leaders →

First Round: East

First Round: West

Second Round: East

Second Round: West

Conference Final

Stanley Cup Final

C2TBL4vsC4DAL2

C2Lightning4
C4Stars2
TBL wins 4-2 · games and leaders →

Every series: result and top scorer

Every series of the playoffs with its result, games and leading scorer
Round	Series	Result	GP	Top scorer
Qualifying Round	PIT vs. MTL	MTL wins 3-1	4	–
Qualifying Round	CAR vs. NYR	CAR wins 3-0	3	–
Qualifying Round	NYI vs. FLA	NYI wins 3-1	4	–
Qualifying Round	TOR vs. CBJ	CBJ wins 3-2	5	–
Qualifying Round	EDM vs. CHI	CHI wins 3-1	4	–
Qualifying Round	NSH vs. ARI	ARI wins 3-1	4	–
Qualifying Round	VAN vs. MIN	VAN wins 3-1	4	–
Qualifying Round	CGY vs. WPG	CGY wins 3-1	4	–
First Round	PHI vs. MTL	PHI wins 4-2	6	–
First Round	TBL vs. CBJ	TBL wins 4-1	5	–
First Round	WSH vs. NYI	NYI wins 4-1	5	–
First Round	BOS vs. CAR	BOS wins 4-1	5	–
First Round	VGK vs. CHI	VGK wins 4-1	5	–
First Round	COL vs. ARI	COL wins 4-1	5	–
First Round	DAL vs. CGY	DAL wins 4-2	6	–
First Round	STL vs. VAN	VAN wins 4-2	6	–
Second Round	PHI vs. NYI	NYI wins 4-3	7	–
Second Round	TBL vs. BOS	TBL wins 4-1	5	–
Second Round	VGK vs. VAN	VGK wins 4-3	7	–
Second Round	COL vs. DAL	DAL wins 4-3	7	–
Conference Final	TBL vs. NYI	TBL wins 4-2	6	–
Conference Final	VGK vs. DAL	DAL wins 4-1	5	–
Stanley Cup Final	TBL vs. DAL	TBL wins 4-2	6	–

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

Frequently asked questions

Who won the 2020 Stanley Cup?

The Tampa Bay Lightning won the 2020 Stanley Cup, beating the Dallas Stars 4-2 in a 6-game Final.

Which 2020 playoff series went seven games?

3 series went the distance in 2020: Islanders over Flyers (Second Round); Golden Knights over Canucks (Second Round); Stars over Avalanche (Second Round).

How many 2020 playoff games went to overtime?

25 of the 118 games played in the 2020 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 2020 playoffs?

There were 0 four-game sweeps in the 2020 playoffs.