The 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs was the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL) for the 2023–24 season. The playoffs began on April 20, 2024, and concluded on June 24, 2024, with the Florida Panthers winning their first Stanley Cup in franchise history, defeating the Edmonton Oilers four games to three in the Stanley Cup Final.
The New York Rangers made the playoffs as the Presidents' Trophy winners with the most points (i.e. best record) during the regular season. Both the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs extended their respective playoff streaks to eight consecutive seasons, the longest active streaks in the NHL. Additionally, this was the final season of the streak for Boston. For the second year in a row and third time since entering the NHL as expansion teams in the 1967–68 NHL season, both Pennsylvania-based teams (the Flyers and Penguins) missed the playoffs in the same season. Marc-Andre Fleury missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006.
For the fifth consecutive season and the eighth in the last ten seasons, a Florida-based team reached the conference finals/semifinals and reached the Stanley Cup Final for the fifth consecutive season. Aleksander Barkov became the first Finnish captain to win the Cup. For the first time since 2015, the New York Rangers became the only Presidents' Trophy winning team to hold this award twice and advance to the semifinal round of the playoffs in the last ten years. While the Oilers knocked off the division champion Canucks, this was the first time since 2018 that three of the four conference finaliststhe Rangers, Panthers and Starswere their respective division champions. During game four of the Stanley Cup Final, Connor McDavid set the playoff record for most assists in one year, eclipsing the previous record set by Wayne Gretzky in 1988. The Edmonton Oilers became the tenth team to tie a series after trailing 3–0 in a series and the third team to do so in the Stanley Cup Final.
Playoff seeds
This was the ninth year 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 – 110 points Boston Bruins – 109 points Toronto Maple Leafs – 102 points
Metropolitan Division New York Rangers, Metropolitan Division champions, Eastern Conference regular season champions, Presidents' Trophy winners – 114 points Carolina Hurricanes – 111 points New York Islanders – 94 points
Wild Cards Tampa Bay Lightning – 98 points Washington Capitals – 91 points
Western Conference
Central Division Dallas Stars, Central Division champions, Western Conference regular season champions – 113 points Winnipeg Jets – 110 points Colorado Avalanche – 107 points
Pacific Division Vancouver Canucks, Pacific Division champions – 109 points Edmonton Oilers – 104 points Los Angeles Kings – 99 points
Wild Cards Nashville Predators – 99 points Vegas Golden Knights – 98 points
Playoff bracket In each round, teams competed 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 played at home for games one and two (and games five and seven, if necessary), and the other team played at home for games three and four (and game six, if necessary). The top three teams in each division made 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 the 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. Thereafter, it was awarded to the team that had 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. (WC1) Tampa Bay Lightning The Florida Panthers finished first in the Atlantic Division earning 110 points. The Tampa Bay Lightning finished as the Eastern Conference's first wild card earning 98 points. This was the third playoff meeting between these two rivals with Tampa Bay winning both previous series. They last met in the 2022 Eastern Conference second round, which Tampa Bay won in a four-game sweep. Florida won two of the three games in the regular season series.
The Panthers defeated the Lightning in five games. Aleksander Barkov assisted twice for the Panthers in game one, emerging victorious for a 3–2 score. In game two, Carter Verhaeghe scored the overtime game-winning goal for the Panthers, providing a 3–2 victory for Florida and a 2–0 series lead. Matthew Tkachuk scored twice for the Panthers in game three, pushing the series to a 3–0 series lead with a 5–3 win. In game four, Steven Stamkos and Brandon Hagel both scored twice for Tampa Bay to prevent a series sweep by Florida, defeating the Panthers 6–3 to force game five. However, Barkov and Verhaeghe both scored twice and provided an assist for the Panthers in the subsequent game five, routing the Lightning 6–1 to advance to the second round.
(A2) Boston Bruins vs. (A3) Toronto Maple Leafs The Boston Bruins finished second in the Atlantic Division earning 109 points. The Toronto Maple Leafs earned 102 points to finish third in the Atlantic. This was the seventeenth playoff meeting between these two rivals with both teams splitting the sixteen previous series, but with Boston winning the past six playoff series. They last met in the 2019 Eastern Conference first round, which Boston won in seven games. Boston won all four games in the regular season series.
The Bruins defeated the Maple Leafs in seven games after leading the series 3–1. In game one, Jake DeBrusk scored twice and goaltender Jeremy Swayman made 35 saves to backstop the Bruins to a 5–1 victory. Max Domi scored a goal and provided an assist for the Maple Leafs in game two to tie the series with a 3–2 victory. Brad Marchand scored twice and provided an assist for the Bruins in game three, emerging victorious over the Maple Leafs 4–2. Marchand continued his goal-scoring and assisting in game four, providing one of each in Boston's 3–1 victory to take a 3–1 series lead. Game five required overtime, wherein Toronto forward Matthew Knies scored to give the Maple Leafs a 2–1 victory, extending the series to a sixth game. In game six, William Nylander scored twice for the Maple Leafs, forcing a seventh game with a 2–1 victory. David Pastrnak scored the overtime-winning goal at 1:54 for the Bruins in game seven, preventing a 3–1 series comeback from the Maple Leafs with a 2–1 victory. With the loss, Toronto extended their game seven-losing streak to six games, with four against Boston; in addition Toronto lost their seventh consecutive playoff series against Boston.
(M1) New York Rangers vs. (WC2) Washington Capitals The New York Rangers earned the Presidents' Trophy as the NHL's best regular season team with 114 points. Washington finished as the Eastern Conference's second wild card earning 91 points, winning the tiebreaker against Detroit with 32 . This was the tenth playoff meeting between these two rivals with New York winning five of the nine previous series. They last met in the 2015 Eastern Conference second round, which New York came back from a 3–1 series deficit to win in seven games. These teams split their four-game regular season series.
The Rangers defeated the Capitals in a four-game sweep. The Rangers scored three goals in the span of 2:06 in the second period of game one en route to a 4–1 victory. In game two, Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad each scored a goal and provided an assist for the Rangers, skating away with a 4–3 victory. Igor Shesterkin made 29 saves for the Rangers in game three, leading New York to a 3–1 victory and a 3–0 series lead. In game four, Artemi Panarin scored a goal and provided an assist to the Rangers' 4–2 victory, completing the four-game sweep. It was the first sweep for the Rangers since 2007, and they became the sixth Presidents' Trophy-winning team to sweep their opening-round series.
(M2) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (M3) New York Islanders The Carolina Hurricanes finished second in the Metropolitan Division earning 111 points. The New York Islanders earned 94 points to finish third in the Metropolitan. This was the second consecutive and third overall playoff meeting between these two teams with Carolina winning both previous series. Carolina won the previous year's Eastern Conference first round in six games. These teams split their four-game regular season series.
The Hurricanes defeated the Islanders in five games. Goaltender Frederik Andersen made 33 saves for the Hurricanes in game one, triumphing over the Islanders 3–1. Down 3–0 in game two, the Hurricanes scored twice in nine seconds with 2:15 left in the game to rally and take the lead to emerge victorious 5–3. In game three, the Hurricanes forced the Islanders to switch out goaltenders after potting three goals on fourteen shots in a 3–2 victory for a 3–0 series lead. Game four went to double-overtime, during which forward Mathew Barzal scored his second of the game for the Islanders, forcing a fifth game with a 3–2 victory. In game five, the Hurricanes scored twice in eight seconds to take a 5–3 lead in the third period, adding an insurance goal to advance to the second round with a 6–3 victory.
Western Conference first round
(C1) Dallas Stars vs. (WC2) Vegas Golden Knights The Dallas Stars finished first in the Central Division and Western Conference earning 113 points. The Vegas Golden Knights earned 98 points to finish as the Western Conference's second wild card. This was the second consecutive and third overall playoff series between these two teams with both teams splitting the previous two series. Vegas won the previous year's Western Conference final in six games. Vegas won all three games in the regular season series.
The Stars defeated the Golden Knights in seven games. Defenceman Brayden McNabb potted a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights in game one who triumphed over the Stars 4–3. In game two, Jonathan Marchessault and Jack Eichel each scored a goal and provided an assist to the Golden Knights' 3–1 victory. Dallas forward Wyatt Johnston scored twice in game three, including the overtime-winning goal with 3:37 remaining, granting the Stars a 3–2 victory. In game four, Jake Oettinger made 32 saves for the Stars, defeating the Golden Knights 4–2 and tying the series 2–2. Johnston assisted twice for the Stars in game five, granting Dallas a 3–2 victory and a 3–2 series lead. In game six, Adin Hill stopped all 23 shots he faced for the Golden Knights, defeating the Stars 2–0 to force a seventh game. In game seven, Oettinger made 22 saves for the Stars and Radek Faksa provided the game-winning goal to send the Stars to the second round with a 2–1 victory.
(C2) Winnipeg Jets vs. (C3) Colorado Avalanche