Stanley Cup Playoffs · 2021-22 season
NHL Playoff Bracket 2022
The Colorado Avalanche won the 2022 Stanley Cup, beating the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2 in the Final.
Colorado Avalanche2022 Stanley Cup championBeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2 in the Final; Mikko Rantanen led the Final with 8 points. Final game by game →
Bracket
First Round: East
- D1
Panthers4WC2FLA wins 4-2 · games and leaders →
Capitals2 - D2
Maple Leafs3D3TBL wins 4-3 · games and leaders →
Lightning4 - D1
Hurricanes4WC1CAR wins 4-3 · games and leaders →
Bruins3 - D2
Rangers4D3NYR wins 4-3 · games and leaders →
Penguins3
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 | FLA vs. WSH | FLA wins 4-2 | 6 | Carter Verhaeghe (FLA) 6G 6A |
| First Round | TOR vs. TBL | TBL wins 4-3 | 7 | Auston Matthews (TOR) 4G 5A |
| First Round | CAR vs. BOS | CAR wins 4-3 | 7 | Brad Marchand (BOS) 4G 7A |
| First Round | NYR vs. PIT | NYR wins 4-3 | 7 | Mika Zibanejad (NYR) 3G 8A |
| First Round | COL vs. NSH | COL wins 4-0 | 4 | Cale Makar (COL) 3G 7A |
| First Round | MIN vs. STL | STL wins 4-2 | 6 | David Perron (STL) 5G 4A |
| First Round | CGY vs. DAL | CGY wins 4-3 | 7 | Johnny Gaudreau (CGY) 2G 6A |
| First Round | EDM vs. LAK | EDM wins 4-3 | 7 | Connor McDavid (EDM) 4G 10A |
| Second Round | FLA vs. TBL | TBL wins 4-0 | 4 | Nikita Kucherov (TBL) 2G 5A |
| Second Round | CAR vs. NYR | NYR wins 4-3 | 7 | Mika Zibanejad (NYR) 4G 4A |
| Second Round | COL vs. STL | COL wins 4-2 | 6 | Nazem Kadri (COL) 4G 3A |
| Second Round | CGY vs. EDM | EDM wins 4-1 | 5 | Leon Draisaitl (EDM) 2G 15A |
| Conference Final | NYR vs. TBL | TBL wins 4-2 | 6 | Ondrej Palat (TBL) 4G 4A |
| Conference Final | COL vs. EDM | COL wins 4-0 | 4 | Cale Makar (COL) 2G 7A |
| Stanley Cup Final | COL vs. TBL | COL wins 4-2 | 6 | Mikko Rantanen (COL) 0G 8A |
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 2022 Stanley Cup?
The Colorado Avalanche won the 2022 Stanley Cup, beating the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2 in a 6-game Final.
Which 2022 playoff series went seven games?
6 series went the distance in 2022: Lightning over Maple Leafs (First Round); Hurricanes over Bruins (First Round); Rangers over Penguins (First Round); Flames over Stars (First Round); Oilers over Kings (First Round); Rangers over Hurricanes (Second Round).
How many 2022 playoff games went to overtime?
15 of the 89 games played in the 2022 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 2022 playoffs?
There were 3 four-game sweeps in the 2022 playoffs.