Stanley Cup Playoffs · 2022-23 season
NHL Playoff Bracket 2023
The Vegas Golden Knights won the 2023 Stanley Cup, beating the Florida Panthers 4-1 in the Final.
Vegas Golden Knights2023 Stanley Cup championBeat the Florida Panthers 4-1 in the Final; Mark Stone led the Final with 9 points. Final game by game →
Bracket
First Round: East
- D1
Bruins3WC2FLA wins 4-3 · games and leaders →
Panthers4 - D2
Maple Leafs4D3TOR wins 4-2 · games and leaders →
Lightning2 - D1
Hurricanes4WC1CAR wins 4-2 · games and leaders →
Islanders2 - D2
Devils4D3NJD wins 4-3 · games and leaders →
Rangers3
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 | BOS vs. FLA | FLA wins 4-3 | 7 | Matthew Tkachuk (FLA) 5G 6A |
| First Round | TOR vs. TBL | TOR wins 4-2 | 6 | Mitch Marner (TOR) 2G 9A |
| First Round | CAR vs. NYI | CAR wins 4-2 | 6 | Sebastian Aho (CAR) 4G 3A |
| First Round | NJD vs. NYR | NJD wins 4-3 | 7 | Chris Kreider (NYR) 6G 3A |
| First Round | COL vs. SEA | SEA wins 4-3 | 7 | Mikko Rantanen (COL) 7G 3A |
| First Round | DAL vs. MIN | DAL wins 4-2 | 6 | Roope Hintz (DAL) 5G 7A |
| First Round | VGK vs. WPG | VGK wins 4-1 | 5 | Chandler Stephenson (VGK) 4G 4A |
| First Round | EDM vs. LAK | EDM wins 4-2 | 6 | Leon Draisaitl (EDM) 7G 4A |
| Second Round | TOR vs. FLA | FLA wins 4-1 | 5 | Aaron Ekblad (FLA) 1G 4A |
| Second Round | CAR vs. NJD | CAR wins 4-1 | 5 | Jordan Martinook (CAR) 3G 7A |
| Second Round | DAL vs. SEA | DAL wins 4-3 | 7 | Joe Pavelski (DAL) 8G 1A |
| Second Round | VGK vs. EDM | VGK wins 4-2 | 6 | Connor McDavid (EDM) 5G 5A |
| Conference Final | CAR vs. FLA | FLA wins 4-0 | 4 | Matthew Tkachuk (FLA) 4G 1A |
| Conference Final | VGK vs. DAL | VGK wins 4-2 | 6 | Jonathan Marchessault (VGK) 4G 3A |
| Stanley Cup Final | VGK vs. FLA | VGK wins 4-1 | 5 | Mark Stone (VGK) 5G 4A |
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 2023 Stanley Cup?
The Vegas Golden Knights won the 2023 Stanley Cup, beating the Florida Panthers 4-1 in a 5-game Final.
Which 2023 playoff series went seven games?
4 series went the distance in 2023: Panthers over Bruins (First Round); Devils over Rangers (First Round); Kraken over Avalanche (First Round); Stars over Kraken (Second Round).
How many 2023 playoff games went to overtime?
24 of the 88 games played in the 2023 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 2023 playoffs?
There were 1 four-game sweeps in the 2023 playoffs.