NHL Playoff Bracket 2016: Schedule, Format and Stanley Cup Odds
The long grind of the 82-game NHL regular season is over, and the serious business of fighting for the Stanley Cup and growing rally beards is about to begin.
After the focus for the last week of the season was on which teams would make the the final playoff positions in the Eastern Conference—the Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers were successful, while the Boston Bruins are left crying in their beer—it shifts to the Washington Capitals in the Eastern Conference and the tough gauntlet in the Western Conference.
The playoffs begin April 13, and the full first-round schedule was announced by the NHL late Sunday night. The team that hoists the Stanley Cup will have survived four best-of-seven playoff series against the best and most competitive teams in the league.
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The Capitals were the best team in the league by a wide margin in the regular season. They won the Presidents' Trophy with 120 points; no other team had more than 109 points.
The Capitals thrived under head coach Barry Trotz from the start of the season and have star power with Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom, along with a top-notch defensive crew led by John Carlson and Matt Niskanen and a Vezina Trophy-worthy goaltender in Braden Holtby.
The problem for the Capitals as they face off against the Flyers is their history of playoff failures. They have had other notable teams in the past but have never won the Stanley Cup. Heartbreak has overtaken them during every playoff chase, and overcoming that history will take significant mental fortitude.
The Capitals are 9-2 favorites to win the Stanley Cup, according to Odds Checker.
| Eastern | Washington (1-Metropolitan) | Philadelphia (2-WC) | Washington should survive a tough and nasty series. |
| Eastern | Pittsburgh (2-Metropolitan) | N.Y. Rangers (3-Metropolitan) | The Rangers have tormented Pens in the postseason. |
| Eastern | Florida (1-Atlantic | N.Y. Islanders (1-WC) | The Islanders may be poised for an upset. |
| Eastern | Tampa Bay (2-Atlantic) | Detroit (3-Atlantic) | The Red Wings are looking for revenge. |
| Western | Dallas (1-Central) | Minnesota (2-WC) | The Stars have the firepower to win in six. |
| Western | St. Louis (2-Central) | Chicago (3-Central) | The Blues must rid themselves of their playoff demons. |
| Western | Anaheim (1-Pacific) | Nashville (1-WC) | The talented Ducks are rolling. |
| Western | Los Angeles (2-Pacific) | San Jose (3-Pacific) | It's going to be a tough and nasty seven-game series here. |
While the Capitals won the Metropolitan Division, the second-place Pittsburgh Penguins were the hottest team in the league at the end of the season, as Sidney Crosby (36 goals, 85 points) found his stride in early January and never slowed down the rest of the year.
The Penguins won eight of 10 games down the stretch and finished with 104 points. They will meet the New York Rangers in the first round, a team that has eliminated them in each of the past two seasons. The Rangers made it to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014 and the Eastern Conference Final a year ago and have proved they can play well in the postseason.
The Penguins seemed burdened early in the season, and their overall play was disappointing, but after Mike Sullivan took over as head coach, their speed returned and they became formidable opponents. The Penguins, who last won the Stanley Cup in 2009, are 8-1 to win the Stanley Cup.
| Washington Capitals | Eastern | 9-2 |
| Los Angeles Kings | Western | 19-2 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | Western | 10-1 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | Eastern | 8-1 |
| St. Louis Blues | Western | 15-2 |
| Anaheim Ducks | Western | 8-1 |
| Dallas Stars | Western | 6-1 |
| Florida Panthers | Eastern | 11-1 |
| N.Y. Rangers | Eastern | 16-1 |
| San Jose Sharks | Western | 18-1 |
| Nashville Predators | Western | 22-1 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | Eastern | 23-1 |
| N.Y. Islanders | Eastern | 22-1 |
| Minnesota Wild | Western | 30-1 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | Eastern | 25-1 |
| Detroit Red Wings | Eastern | 33-1 |
The Florida Panthers won the Atlantic Division with Roberto Luongo in goal and veteran Jaromir Jagr playing a starring role at the age of 44, scoring 27 goals and 39 assists. The Panthers have size, speed and youth in Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov and defenseman Aaron Ekblad, and they are dangerous after reaching the 103-point mark this year.
The New York Islanders took the No. 1 wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference and will offer solid resistance led by John Tavares (33 goals, 70 points). It would not be a surprise if the Islanders and Panthers went the seven-game distance.
The Tampa Bay Lightning would like to have a similar run to the one they had last year when they reached the Stanley Cup Final. They beat the Detroit Red Wings in the opening round and will meet the Wings again this season.
The Red Wings clinched third place in the Atlantic Division despite losing their regular-season finale against the Rangers because the Bruins got blown out in their final game by the Ottawa Senators.
The Dallas Stars had the best record in the Western Conference, as they finished with 109 points. That will give them home-ice advantage in every series unless they face the Capitals in the Stanley Cup Final.
The Stars got off to a brilliant start this year and have star players in Jamie Benn, Jason Spezza and Patrick Sharp. They will be even stronger when the explosive Tyler Seguin returns from a cut on his Achilles. The Stars are 6-1 to win the Stanley Cup.
The Stars will face the eighth-seeded Minnesota Wild in the opening round. While the Stars earned 20 points more than the Wild, Minnesota has plenty of speed and talent and could extend this series to six or seven games.
The St. Louis Blues were in contention for the Central Division title until the final game of the season and will face the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round. The Blues have been victimized by a series of early defeats in the playoffs in recent years, and head coach Ken Hitchcock's team will be tested by the defending Stanley Cup champions.
If the Blues can finally overcome the Blackhawks, they may be very dangerous throughout the rest of the playoffs. However, if they lose another first-round series, Hitchcock's status will be anything but secure. With Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews leading the way, the Blackhawks are capable of winning the Stanley Cup yet again. This round will be a major test for both teams.
The Anaheim Ducks won a makeup game in Washington Sunday night by a 2-0 margin over the Capitals, which gave them the Pacific Division title by a point (103-102) over the Los Angeles Kings. The Ducks will play the Nashville Predators in the opening round, while the Kings will have a potentially nasty first-round matchup with the San Jose Sharks.
The Kings could have won the division if they had been able to beat the Winnipeg Jets at home in the regular-season finale, but they blew a 3-0 lead and dropped a 4-3 shootout decision that opened the door for the Ducks.
