The 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs was the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL) for the 2021–22 season. The playoffs began on May 2, 2022, one day after the regular season ended, and concluded on June 26, 2022, with the Colorado Avalanche winning their third Stanley Cup in franchise history, defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning four games to two in the Stanley Cup Final.
With the Government of Canada allowing cross-border travel for fully vaccinated players and team personnel between Canada and the United States, the league was able to return to its usual two conference, four division alignment. As a result, the standard 16-team playoff format from 2014–2019 that was used before the COVID-19 pandemic was reinstated.
The Florida Panthers made the playoffs as the Presidents' Trophy winners with the most points (i.e. best record) during the regular season. This was the final season of the Pittsburgh Penguins' 16-season playoff streak, the longest active streak in the four major North American professional sports leagues at the time. Three of the semifinalists from the previous season (the Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders and Vegas Golden Knights) failed to qualify for the playoffs. The Los Angeles Kings ended a two-year run in which no teams from California qualified for the playoffs. All eight playoff teams from the Eastern Conference finished the season with at least 100 points, marking the first playoffs in NHL history in which all eight teams in a single conference qualified with at least 100 points.
Florida's opening round series victory over the Washington Capitals was their first series win since the 1996 Eastern Conference finals. This postseason marked the third time that the league played 50 or more games in the opening round of the playoffs since this round was changed to a best-of-seven format in 1987. The first round featured five game sevens, the most in a single playoff round since 1992, when there were six game sevens in the division semifinals. On May 15, for the first time since 1997, and the second time in League history, both game sevens went into overtime. With their conference final series victory, the Tampa Bay Lightning became the third team in league history to win at least eleven consecutive playoff series; joining the Montreal Canadiens (1976–1980) and New York Islanders (1980–1984) in accomplishing this feat.
Playoff seeds
This was the seventh year and first since 2019, in which the top three teams in each division made the playoffs, along with two wild cards in each conference (for a total of eight playoff teams from each conference).
The following teams qualified for the playoffs:
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division Florida Panthers, Atlantic Division champions, Eastern Conference regular season champions, Presidents' Trophy winners – 122 points Toronto Maple Leafs – 115 points Tampa Bay Lightning – 110 points (39 )
Metropolitan Division Carolina Hurricanes, Metropolitan Division champions – 116 points New York Rangers – 110 points (44 ) Pittsburgh Penguins – 103 points
Wild cards Boston Bruins – 107 points Washington Capitals – 100 points
Western Conference
Central Division Colorado Avalanche, Central Division champions, Western Conference regular season champions – 119 points Minnesota Wild – 113 points St. Louis Blues – 109 points
Pacific Division Calgary Flames, Pacific Division champions – 111 points Edmonton Oilers – 104 points Los Angeles Kings – 99 points
Wild cards Dallas Stars – 98 points Nashville Predators – 97 points
Playoff bracket In each round, teams compete in a best-of-seven series following a 2–2–1–1–1 format (scores in the bracket indicate the number of games won in each best-of-seven series). The team with home ice advantage plays at home for games one and two (and games five and seven, if necessary), and the other team is at home for games three and four (and game six, if necessary). The top three teams in each division make the playoffs, along with two wild cards in each conference, for a total of eight teams from each conference.
In the first round, the lower seeded wild card in each conference played against the division winner with the best record while the other wild card played against the other division winner, and both wild cards were de facto #4 seeds. The other series matched the second and third place teams from the divisions. In the first two rounds, home ice advantage was awarded to the team with the better seed. In the conference finals and Stanley Cup Final, home ice advantage was awarded to the team with the better regular season record.
Legend A1, A2, A3 – The first, second, and third place teams from the Atlantic Division, respectively M1, M2, M3 – The first, second, and third place teams from the Metropolitan Division, respectively C1, C2, C3 – The first, second, and third place teams from the Central Division, respectively P1, P2, P3 – The first, second, and third place teams from the Pacific Division, respectively WC1, WC2 – The first and second place teams in the Wild Card, respectively
First round
Eastern Conference first round
(A1) Florida Panthers vs. (WC2) Washington Capitals The Florida Panthers earned the Presidents' Trophy as the NHL's best regular season team with 122 points. Washington finished as the Eastern Conference's second wild card, earning 100 points. This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. Florida won two of the three games in this year's regular season series.
The Panthers defeated the Capitals in six games and won their first playoff series since 1996. In game one, the Capitals overcame a one-goal deficit in the third period and gained the lead at 10:37 on T. J. Oshie's goal to win 4–2. Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe both scored a goal and provided an assist in the Panthers' 5–1 victory in game two. Ilya Samsonov made 29 saves for the Capitals in game three, outscoring the Panthers 6–1 and taking a 2–1 series lead. Verhaeghe scored twice in game four, including the overtime-winning goal for the Panthers, tying the series up 2–2 in a 3–2 triumph. In game five, Verhaeghe scored twice and assisted on the other three Panthers’ goals in Florida's three-goal comeback, taking the game 5–3 to lead the series 3–2. In game six, Claude Giroux scored a goal and provided two assists and Verhaeghe scored the overtime goal in a 4–3 victory sending the Panthers to the second round for the first time in 26 years.
(A2) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (A3) Tampa Bay Lightning The Toronto Maple Leafs finished second in the Atlantic Division, earning 115 points. The Tampa Bay Lightning earned 110 points to finish third in the Atlantic Division. This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. These teams split their four-game regular season series.
The Lightning defeated the Maple Leafs in seven games. In game one, Maple Leaf's forward Auston Matthews provided two goals and an assist in Jack Campbell's 24-save 5–0 shutout. Victor Hedman had a goal and three assists for the Lightning in game two, giving Tampa Bay a 5–3 victory. In game three, Pierre Engvall provided three assists for the Maple Leafs, staving off a potential comeback from Tampa Bay and winning 5–2. In game four, the Lightning got off to a quick start, scoring three goals within the first eight minutes of the game en route to a 7–3 victory. The Maple Leafs came back from a 2–0 deficit in Game 5 with William Nylander providing a goal and two assists in a 4–3 victory. In game 6, although the Maple Leafs came back from a two-goal deficit, the Lightning's Brayden Point scored in overtime to extend the series to a seventh game in a 4–3 affair. In game 7, Nick Paul scored twice while the Lightning defended their 2–1 lead onto the victory and a second round advancement. With their game seven loss, the Maple Leafs lost eight consecutive playoff series and ten potential series-clinching games. After Florida won a playoff series for the first time since 1996, Toronto held the NHL's longest active playoff series win drought, as they last won a playoff series in 2004.
(M1) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (WC1) Boston Bruins The Carolina Hurricanes finished first in the Metropolitan Division earning 116 points. Boston finished as the Eastern Conference's first wild card earning 107 points. This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams, with Boston winning five of the six previous series. They last met in the 2020 Eastern Conference first round, which Boston won in five games. Carolina won all three games in this year's regular season series.
The Hurricanes defeated the Bruins in seven games, with the home team victorious in every game. Antti Raanta made 35 saves in game one, backstopping the Hurricanes in a 5–1 victory. Upon Hurricanes forward Nino Niederreiter's two goals and Pyotr Kochetkov's 30 saves in relief of Raanta in game two, Carolina gained 2–0 series lead by defeating Boston 5–2. In game three, Brad Marchand scored a goal and provided two assists in the Bruins' 4–2 victory. In game four, Marchand scored or provided an assist on every Bruins goal in Boston's 5–2 victory, tying the series 2–2. In game five, Seth Jarvis scored twice and Teuvo Teravainen assisted thrice in the Hurricanes 5–1 victory, taking a 3–2 series lead in the process. In game six, Charlie Coyle and Marchand each scored a goal and provided an assist in the Bruins' 5–2 victory tying the series 3–3. Max Domi scored twice and added an assist in game seven, granting Carolina a 3–2 victory and an advancement to the second round.
(M2) New York Rangers vs. (M3) Pittsburgh Penguins The New York Rangers finished second in the Metropolitan Division with 110 points. The Pittsburgh Penguins earned 103 points to finish third in the Metropolitan Division. This was the eighth playoff meeting between these two teams with Pittsburgh winning five of the seven previous series. They last met in the 2016 Eastern Conference first round, which Pittsburgh won in five games. New York won three of the four games in this year's regular season series.
The Rangers came back from a 3–1 series deficit to defeat the Penguins in seven games. In game one, although Igor Shesterkin made 79 saves for the Rangers, Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin scored for Pittsburgh at 5:58 of triple overtime to win 4–3. In game two, Artemi Panarin and Frank Vatrano both scored a goal and provided two assists in the Rangers' 5–2 victory. In game three, although the Rangers tied the game after being down 4–1, Penguins forward Danton Heinen's goal proved to be the game-winning goal at 11:02 of the third period giving Pittsburgh a 7–4 victory. The Penguins scored five times in the second period of game four, chasing goalie Shesterkin in a 7–2 rout. In game five, the Rangers successfully came back from a two-goal deficit to win 5–3, forcing a sixth game. Chris Kreider gave the Rangers a lead late in the third period of game six, giving his team a 5–3 victory and tying the series 3–3. In game seven and the subsequent overtime, Panarin scored for New York sending the Rangers to the second round with a 4–3 victory. This marked the first time the Penguins lost a game seven on the road in franchise history after winning the previous six instances. The Rangers equalled both the Montreal Canadiens and Vancouver Canucks for most comebacks from a 3–1 series deficit with three. The Rangers also became the first team in Stanley Cup playoff history to record three consecutive comeback wins in elimination games within the same series.
Western Conference first round
(C1) Colorado Avalanche vs. (WC2) Nashville Predators