NHL Playoffs 2021: Stanley Cup Bracket, Schedule and Predictions

David Becker/Associated Press

It's been a thrilling start to the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs. Each of the first four games has been decided by one goal, and three of them went to overtime. 

But there's a ton more still to come. Four first-round series are only one game in, while the other four haven't even started. And while there are some teams expected to make deeper playoff runs than others, anything is still possible.

The Washington Capitals, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning and Minnesota Wild own 1-0 leads in their best-of-seven opening-round series.

Here's a look at the full Stanley Cup playoff bracket and schedule, followed by some predictions for how things will unfold this postseason.

Joel Auerbach/Associated Press

East Division

No. 1 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. No. 4 New York Islanders
Game 1: New York won 4-3 (OT)
Game 2: Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network
Game 3: Thursday at 7 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network
Game 4: Saturday at 3 p.m. ET, NBC
Game 5 (if needed): May 24, TBD
Game 6 (if needed): May 26, TBD
Game 7 (if needed): May 28, TBD

No. 2 Washington Capitals vs. No. 3 Boston Bruins
Game 1: Washington won 3-2 (OT)
Game 2: Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network
Game 3: Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network
Game 4: Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network
Game 5 (if needed): Sunday, TBD
Game 6 (if needed): May 25, TBD
Game 7 (if needed): May 27, TBD

North Division

No. 1 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. No. 4 Montreal Canadiens
Game 1: Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET, NHL Network
Game 2: Saturday at 7 p.m. ET, CNBC
Game 3: May 24, TBD
Game 4: May 25, TBD
Game 5 (if needed): May 27, TBD
Game 6 (if needed): May 29, TBD
Game 7 (if needed): May 31, TBD

No. 2 Edmonton Oilers vs. No. 3 Winnipeg Jets
Game 1: Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network
Game 2: Friday at 9 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network
Game 3: Sunday, TBD
Game 4: May 24, TBD
Game 5 (if needed): May 26, TBD
Game 6 (if needed): May 28, TBD
Game 7 (if needed): May 30, TBD

Central Division

No. 1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. No. 4 Nashville Predators
Game 1: Monday at 8 p.m. ET, CNBC
Game 2: Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET, CNBC
Game 3: Friday at 7 p.m. ET, USA Network
Game 4: Sunday, TBD
Game 5 (if needed): May 25, TBD
Game 6 (if needed): May 27, TBD
Game 7 (if needed): May 29, TBD

No. 2 Florida Panthers vs. No. 3 Tampa Bay Lightning
Game 1: Tampa Bay won 5-4
Game 2: Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET, CNBC
Game 3: Thursday at 6:30 p.m. ET, USA Network
Game 4: Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET, CNBC
Game 5 (if needed): May 24, TBD
Game 6 (if needed): May 26, TBD
Game 7 (if needed): May 28, TBD

West Division

No. 1 Colorado Avalanche vs. No. 4 St. Louis Blues
Game 1: Monday at 10 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network
Game 2: Wednesday at 10:30 p.m. ET, CNBC
Game 3: Friday at 9:30 p.m. ET, USA Network
Game 4: Sunday, TBD
Game 5 (if needed): May 25, TBD
Game 6 (if needed): May 27, TBD
Game 7 (if needed): May 29, TBD

No. 2 Vegas Golden Knights vs. No. 3 Minnesota Wild
Game 1: Minnesota won 1-0 (OT)
Game 2: Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network
Game 3: Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network
Game 4: Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, NBC
Game 5 (if needed): May 24, TBD
Game 6 (if needed): May 26, TBD
Game 7 (if needed): May 28, TBD

David Becker/Associated Press

The Wild appear to have the Golden Knights' number this season. After going 5-1-2 against Vegas during the regular season, Minnesota opened its first-round series by beating the Golden Knights 1-0 in overtime. Joel Eriksson Ek scored three minutes, 20 seconds into OT to give the Wild a Game 1 win.

But the star of the game for Minnesota was goaltender Cam Talbot, who made 42 saves in the shutout win. And if Talbot (who had a 2.63 goals-against average and .915 save percentage in 33 regular-season starts) continues to be that stingy in the net, the Wild will be difficult for the Golden Knights to beat.

"The longer it stays scoreless, it favors us," Talbot said, per W.G. Ramirez of the Associated Press. "We bent in the first period, but we knew they were going to have a push and come out hard. I just have to focus on my game. I can't worry about what happens at the other end."

Vegas was expected to be a Stanley Cup contender. Instead, it will get knocked out in the first round for the second time in three years. Talbot and the Wild's defense should keep their momentum going, while they will get enough offense to upset the Golden Knights in the opening round.

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

After goaltender Vitek Vanecek exited the Capitals' Game 1 win over the Bruins because of an injury, there's some uncertainty in the net moving forward. If Vanecek remains out, will 39-year-old Craig Anderson play well enough for the Caps to make a run at a second Stanley Cup in four years?

Eventually, the answer may be no. But not anytime soon. And that's because Washington has a ton of offensive talent. So the rest of the East Division teams are going to have trouble stopping the Capitals from scoring goals.

In the Game 1 overtime win over Boston, Washington got goals from Tom Wilson, Brenden Dillon and Nic Dowd, who netted the game-winner 4:41 into OT. None of those players ranked in the Caps' top four regular-season goal scorers, which shows the depth they possess.

Washington has plenty of veteran leadership to pair with its offensive prowess. That's going to be a tough combination to stop, so expect the Capitals to be among the final four teams remaining in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Peter Power/Associated Press

While the playoffs are underway, the Maple Leafs won't play their first postseason game until Thursday, when they host Game 1 of their first-round series against the Canadiens. But that will give Toronto some time to rest up for what could be a long postseason.

One of the four North Division teams will be among the final four in the playoffs and will try to become the first team from Canada to win the Stanley Cup since Montreal in 1993. The Maple Leafs were the best team in the division in the regular season, and that should continue in the postseason, as they will beat the Canadiens, then either the Edmonton Oilers or Winnipeg Jets in the second round.

However, Toronto won't stop there. Having not won a playoff series since 2004, the Maple Leafs will use that momentum to go on to win their first Stanley Cup since 1967.

In addition to center Auston Matthews (who scored an NHL-high 41 goals during the regular season), Toronto has a deep, experienced lineup that is hungry for postseason success. Once it can overcome the hurdle of winning a playoff series, it will be ready to keep rolling. And that will lead to the Maple Leafs being the last team standing in the 2020-21 season.