Eight teams from each conference have fought for 82 games to make it to the Stanley Cup playoffs. It takes 16 total wins for a team to hoist the Cup and some teams will have the chance to grab their first win tonight.
In the Eastern Conference, the Metropolitan Division champions Carolina Hurricanes will host the Boston Bruins. The New York Rangers finished second in the Metro and will face off against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins, who finished right behind them in third. The Florida Panthers captured the best record in the NHL, as well as the Eastern Conference, and will face off against Alexander Ovechkin and the eighth-seed Washington Capitals.
Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche grabbed the top seed in the West and will play the Nashville Predators, the West’s lowest seeded team. The Calgary Flames won the Pacific Division and will take on the seventh-seed Dallas Stars. The Minnesota Wild grabbed second place in the Central division and will battle the St. Louis Blues, who finished in third. Superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers look to finally make some noise in the playoffs and will be taking on the Los Angeles Kings, who finished one spot below them in the Pacific.
This year, playoff games will be spread out between ABC, ESPN, ESPN 2, TNT and TBS.
With live TV streaming services cord-cutters can watch live TV without a cable subscription. Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch or stream the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Read more: MLB Streaming 2022: How to Watch Your Baseball Team Live This Season
The Stanley Cup playoffs start now.
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NHL Playoffs FAQ
What is the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs’ first-round schedule?
Here’s the schedule for today and tomorrow, including the series status. See NHL.com for the full schedule.
Tuesday, May 3
- Pittsburgh Penguins vs. New York Rangers, Game 1, 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT) on ESPN
- Washington Capitals vs. Florida Panthers, Game 1, 7:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. PT) on ESPN 2
- Nashville Predators vs. Colorado Avalanche, Game 1, 9:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. PT) on ESPN
- Dallas Stars vs. Calgary Flames, Game 1, 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT) on ESPN 2
Wednesday, May 4
- Boston Bruins vs. Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT) on ESPN (Hurricanes lead 1-0)
- Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. PT) on ESPN 2 (Maple Leafs lead 1-0)
- St. Louis Blues vs. Minnesota Wild, Game 2, 9:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. PT) on ESPN (Blues lead 1-0)
- Los Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers, Game 2, 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT) on ESPN 2 (Kings lead 1-0)
What does the full bracket look like?
Which channels will broadcast playoff games?
The NHL playoffs will air on a collection of networks in the US including ABC, ESPN, ESPN 2, TBS and TNT.
The Stanley Cup Finals will air on ESPN in the US and on Sportsnet in Canada.
How can I stream the games on my phone?
If you have a live TV streaming service (like Sling TV, YouTube TV or one of the ones below), you can use its app. If you have cable or satellite, you can use your provider’s app or one of the following (after logging in with your cable provider’s credentials):
- For TNT games, you will need the Watch TNT app. Click on the “person” icon in the lower right and sign in under the section “Sign in with your TV provider.”
- For ESPN and ABC games, use the ESPN app. Click the gear icon in the upper right and then select “Manage TV provider.”
In all cases, you will need to have a TV package that includes ABC, ESPN and TNT to be able to watch NHL playoff games using these apps.
How to watch, livestream the 2022 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs
As these games all air nationally, the best way to catch all the hockey action live, without cable, is with a live TV streaming service.
YouTube TV costs $65 a month and offers all the channels you’ll need for playoffs.
Sling TV’s Orange plan includes ESPN, ESPN 2, TBS and TNT. While Sling lacks access to ABC, you can watch those games using the simulcast stream available on ESPN3.
DirecTV Stream’s cheapest, $70-a-month Plus package includes ESPN, ABC and TNT.
Hulu Plus Live TV costs $70 a month and carries ESPN, ESPN 2, ABC, TBS and TNT.
FuboTV costs $70 per month and includes ABC and ESPN, but not TNT or TBS.
Most live TV streaming services offer a free trial or discounts during the first month, allow you to cancel anytime and all require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our live TV streaming services guide.