NHL Playoffs 2021: 1st-Round Schedule, Ranking Top Stanley Cup Contenders

After a strange year in the NHL in which there was a shortened 56-game regular season, divisional realignments and intradivisional play only, we have finally reached the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs. 

That's the same structure the league will follow through the first two rounds of the postseason. The records of the four semifinalists will determine their conference finals seeds, with the two winners moving on to the Stanley Cup Final. 

Below, we'll break down the entire Stanley Cup playoffs bracket and first-round schedule, and then we'll take a closer look at the three top contenders who are vying for their chance to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup this summer. 

East Division

No. 1 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. No. 4 New York Islanders

Game 1: New York won 4-3 (OT)

Game 2: Tuesday at Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

Game 3: Thursday at New York, 7 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

Game 4: Saturday at New York, 3 p.m. ET, NBC

Game 5 (if needed): May 24 at Pittsburgh, TBD

Game 6 (if needed): May 26 at New York, TBD

Game 7 (if needed): May 28 at Pittsburgh, TBD     

No. 2 Washington Capitals vs. No. 3 Boston Bruins

Game 1: Washington won 3-2 (OT)

Game 2: Monday at Washington, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

Game 3: Wednesday at Boston, 6:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

Game 4: Friday at Boston, 6:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

Game 5 (if needed): Sunday at Washington, TBD

Game 6 (if needed): May 25 at Boston, TBD

Game 7 (if needed): May 27 at Washington, TBD       

North Division

No. 1 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. No. 4 Montreal Canadiens

Game 1: Thursday at Toronto, 7:30 p.m. ET, NHL Network

Game 2: Saturday at Toronto, 7 p.m. ET, CNBC

Game 3: May 24 at Montreal, TBD

Game 4: May 25 at Montreal, TBD

Game 5 (if necessary): May 27 at Toronto, TBD

Game 6 (if necessary): May 29 at Montreal, TBD

Game 7 (if necessary): May 31 at Toronto, TBD

No. 2 Edmonton Oilers vs. No. 3 Winnipeg Jets

Game 1: Wednesday at Edmonton, 9 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

Game 2: Friday at Edmonton, 9 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

Game 3: Sunday at Winnipeg, TBD

Game 4: May 24 at Winnipeg, TBD

Game 5 (if necessary): May 26 at Edmonton, TBD

Game 6 (if necessary): May 28 at Winnipeg, TBD

Game 7 (if necessary): May 30 at Edmonton, TBD      

Central Division

No. 1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. No. 4 Nashville Predators

Game 1: Monday at Carolina, 8 p.m. ET, CNBC

Game 2: Wednesday at Carolina, 8 p.m. ET, CNBC

Game 3: Friday at Nashville, 7 p.m. ET, USA Network

Game 4: Sunday at Nashville, TBD

Game 5 (if necessary): May 25 at Carolina, TBD

Game 6 (if necessary): May 27 at Nashville, TBD

Game 7 (if necessary): May 29 at Carolina, TBD

No. 2 Florida Panthers vs. No. 3 Tampa Bay Lightning

Game 1: 5-4, Tampa Bay 

Game 2: Tuesday at Florida, 8 p.m. ET, CNBC

Game 3: Thursday at Tampa, 6:30 p.m. ET, USA Network

Game 4: Saturday at Tampa, 12:30 p.m. ET, CNBC

Game 5 (if necessary): May 24 at Florida, TBD

Game 6 (if necessary): May 26 at Tampa, TBD

Game 7 (if necessary): May 28 at Florida, TBD      

West Division

No. 1 Colorado Avalanche vs. No. 4 St. Louis Blues

Game 1: Monday at Colorado, 10 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

Game 2: Wednesday at Colorado, 10:30 p.m. ET, CNBC

Game 3: Friday at St. Louis, 9:30 p.m. ET, USA Network

Game 4: Sunday at St. Louis, TBD

Game 5 (if necessary): May 25 at Colorado, TBD

Game 6 (if necessary): May 27 at St. Louis, TBD

Game 7 (if needed): May 29 at Colorado, TBD

No. 2 Vegas Golden Knights vs. No. 3 Minnesota Wild

Game 1: 1-0 (OT), Minnesota

Game 2: Tuesday at Vegas, 10 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

Game 3: Thursday at Minnesota, 9:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

Game 4: Saturday at Minnesota, 8 p.m. ET, NBC

Game 5 (if necessary): May 24 at Vegas, TBD

Game 6 (if necessary): May 26 at Minnesota, TBD

Game 7 (if necessary): May 28 at Vegas, TBD

No. 1 Colorado Avalanche

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

On May 13, the Colorado Avalanche clinched the Presidents' Trophy as the winningest regular-season team.

The last time the Avs finished with the best record, they won Stanley Cup in 2001, so it goes without saying that Colorado is the team to beat this postseason. 

The Avalanche are powered by a young core that includes alternate captain Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, who finished first and second in scoring, respectively, in the West Division. Tyson Jost had two goals in the 5-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings that secured the Presidents' Trophy.

All three players are the results of first-round draft investments ranging from 2013 to 2016, and those picks are finally paying big dividends for the Avalanche. 

No. 2 Vegas Golden Knights

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

Since their founding in the 2017-18 NHL season, the Vegas Golden Knights have never not known what it is to contend.

After reaching the Stanley Cup Final in that first season, the Golden Knights earned 93 points in 2018-19 and reached the conference final in 2019-20, when they were defeated by the Dallas Stars. 

This year, Vegas once again has a smooth road to the Stanley Cup Final.

Though the Golden Knights finished second in the West Division, they had 82 points, same as the Presidents' Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche.

Even though the No. 3 Minnesota Wild will present a curveball for the Golden Knights, led by Rookie of the Year favorite Kirill Kaprizov, it's hard to imagine that the Golden Knights won't advance to the second round.

No. 1 Carolina Hurricanes

Mark Zaleski/Associated Press

The Carolina Hurricanes saw a chance at the Stanley Cup slip through their fingers in 2019, when they lost in the Eastern Conference Final to the Boston Bruins. It was Carolina's first playoff appearance since 2009, but this is a team that wants to put its losing ways behind it. 

The Hurricanes could advance to the Stanley Cup Final off the strength of their special teams; their power play ranks second and their penalty kill third.

Rod Brind'Amour led Carolina to a Stanley Cup victory as captain in 2006; now he'd like to do it again as its head coach. 

Carolina has more valuable experience it can lean on, as well. Captain Jordan Staal knows what it's like to hoist the Cup; so too does Teuvo Teravainen.

After years without contending, Carolina is ready to rebrand its image.