The 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs have officially begun, with the Vegas Golden Knights set to defend their title. The New York Rangers captured the Presidents’ Trophy with the best record throughout the 2023-24 regular season, finishing with a 55-23-4 record (114 points), just edging out the Dallas Stars for that honor. The playoffs will feature a best-of-seven format, with home-ice advantage going to the team with the top seed in the first two rounds of the playoffs. The team with the most points in the regular season has home-ice advantage in the conference finals and Stanley Cup Final.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs kicked off on April 20 with a matchup between the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders. The division winner with the most points in each conference will face the second Wild Card team in the first round, while the division winner with fewer points in each conference will match up with the top Wild Card team in the first round.
The playoffs consist of four rounds: the first round, the second round, the conference finals, and the Stanley Cup Finals. In the first round, the top team in the conference plays the second wild-card team, and the other division winner takes on the other wild-card team. The No. 2 team from each division plays the No. 3 team from the same division. After the first round, the teams do not get reseeded in the second round. Instead, the winner of the series between the No. 2 and No. 3 teams for a division plays the winner of the series between their division winner and the wild card team. After the second round, the last two teams in each conference square off in the conference finals, with the Eastern and Western Conference winners then fighting for the Stanley Cup in the finals. Each series features a best-of-seven format played in a 2–2–1–1–1 style, with the team with the better record playing Games 1, 2, 5, and 7 at its home arena, while its opponent hosts Games 3, 4, and 6. Only the first four games in the series are guaranteed, with Games 5, 6, and 7 only played if necessary 234.
The favorite teams to win the Stanley Cup in 2024, according to predictions and odds, include:
- Dallas Stars: They are the favorite to win the Stanley Cup this season, with seven out of 15 NHL.com staff members picking them to win it all 1.
- New York Rangers: Despite the President’s Trophy curse, they are favored in their first-round matchup and have odds of +800 to win the championship 2.
- Carolina Hurricanes: They are +300 favorites to win the East and make it to the Stanley Cup Final, ending the regular season with a +63 goal differential 2.
- Florida Panthers: They are also considered a strong contender, with odds of +700 to win the Stanley Cup 2.
- Edmonton Oilers: They are among the favorites with odds of +700 to win the championship 2.
These predictions and odds reflect a mix of strong performances during the regular season and the confidence of experts in these teams’ abilities to advance through the playoffs and ultimately win the Stanley Cup.
Eastern Conference Playoff Bracket
Atlantic Division:
(1) Florida Panthers vs. (WC2) Tampa Bay Lightning
(2) Boston Bruins vs. (3) Toronto Maple Leafs (Wild Card 1)
Metropolitan Division:
(1) New York Rangers (Presidents’ Trophy Winner) vs. (WC2) Washington Capitals (Wild Card 2)
(2) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (3) New York Islanders
Western Conference Playoff Bracket
Central Division:
(1) Dallas Stars vs. (WC2) Vegas Golden Knights (Wild Card 2)
(2) Winnipeg Jets vs. (3) Colorado Avalanche (Wild Card 3)
Pacific Division:
(1) Vancouver Canucks vs. (WC1) Nashville Predators (Wild Card 1)
(2) Edmonton Oilers vs. (3) Los Angeles Kings (Wild Card 3)
The winners of the first-round series within each division’s bracket will advance to the second round to determine the four participants in the Conference Finals.
The search results highlight that the Bruins, Avalanche, and Oilers are heavily favored in their respective first-round matchups.
The Rangers-Capitals and Panthers-Lightning series are also expected to be closely contested.
The 2024 NHL Playoffs are underway! Here’s a breakdown of the teams that made it and their brackets:
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
(1) Florida Panthers
(2) Boston Bruins
(3) Toronto Maple Leafs (Wild Card 1)
(WC2) Tampa Bay Lightning (Wild Card 2)
Metropolitan Division
(1) New York Rangers (Presidents’ Trophy Winner)
(2) Carolina Hurricanes
(3) New York Islanders
(WC2) Washington Capitals (Wild Card 2)
Western Conference
Central Division
(1) Dallas Stars
(2) Winnipeg Jets
(3) Colorado Avalanche (Wild Card 3)
(WC2) Vegas Golden Knights (Wild Card 2)
Pacific Division
(1) Vancouver Canucks
(2) Edmonton Oilers
(3) Los Angeles Kings (Wild Card 3)
(WC1) Nashville Predators (Wild Card 1)
The New York Rangers clinched the best record during the regular 2024 NHL season with a record of 55-23-4 .
Eastern Conference:
Atlantic Division:
Florida Panthers
Boston Bruins
Toronto Maple Leafs (Wild Card 1)
Tampa Bay Lightning (Wild Card 2)
Metropolitan Division:
New York Rangers (Presidents’ Trophy Winner)
Carolina Hurricanes
New York Islanders
Washington Capitals (Wild Card 2)
Western Conference:
Central Division:
Dallas Stars
Winnipeg Jets
Colorado Avalanche (Wild Card 3)
Vegas Golden Knights (Wild Card 2)
Pacific Division:
Vancouver Canucks
Edmonton Oilers
Los Angeles Kings (Wild Card 3)
Nashville Predators (Wild Card 1)
Based on the standings you provided for the 2024 NHL playoffs, some teams that might be considered favorites or have a strong chance of winning the Stanley Cup include:
New York Rangers: They won the Presidents’ Trophy, indicating their dominance in the regular season.
Florida Panthers: Leading their division suggests they have a solid chance of making a deep playoff run.
Dallas Stars: Another division leader, indicating strength in their conference.
Vancouver Canucks: As the top seed in the Pacific Division, they have shown their ability to compete at a high level.