NHL playoff schedule: Dates, times, television and results
The Tampa Bay Lightning are Stanley Cup champions again.
They beat the Montreal Canadiens in five games to become the third repeat champions in 23 years, joining the 1997-98 Detroit Red Wings and the 2016-17 Pittsburgh Penguins.
They finished third in the Central Division as Nikita Kucherov sat out the regular season recovering from hip surgery. But they returned to Stanley Cup Final after beating the Florida Panthers (six games), Carolina Hurricanes (five) and New York Islanders (seven).
The Canadiens were on the brink of elimination in the first round but won 11 of 13 to upset the Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets and Vegas Golden Knights.
The results:
Stanley Cup Final
All times Eastern. Best of seven. *-if necessary
Lightning win 4-1
Game 1: Lightning 5, Canadiens 1
Game 2: Lightning 3, Canadiens 1
Game 3: Lightning 6, Canadiens 3
Game 4: Canadiens 3, Lightning 2 (OT)
Game 5: Lightning 1, Canadiens 0
Semifinals
No. 1 Vegas vs. No. 4 Montreal
Canadiens win 4-2
Game 1: Golden Knights 4, Canadiens 1
Game 2: Canadiens 3, Golden Knights 2
Game 3: Canadiens 3, Golden Knights 2 (OT)
Game 4: Golden Knights 2, Canadiens 1 (OT)
Game 5: Canadiens 4, Golden Knights 1
Game 6: Canadiens 3, Golden Knights 2 (OT)
No. 2 Tampa Bay vs. No. 3 New York Islanders
Lightning 4-3
Game 1: Islanders 2, Lightning 1
Game 2: Lightning 4, Islanders 2
Game 3: Lightning 2, Islanders 1
Game 4: Islanders 3, Lightning 2
Game 5: Lightning 8, Islanders 0
Game 6: Islanders 3, Lightning 2 (OT)
Game 7: Lightning 1, Islanders 0
Second round
All times Eastern. Best of seven. *-if necessary
East Division
No. 3 Boston vs. No. 4 New York Islanders
Islanders win 4-2
Game 2: Islanders 4, Bruins 3 (OT)
Game 3: Bruins 2, Islanders 1 (OT)
Central Division
No. 1 Carolina vs. No. 3 Tampa Bay
Lightning win 4-1
Game 1: Lightning 2, Hurricanes 1
Game 2: Lightning 2, Hurricanes 1
Game 3: Hurricanes 3, Lightning 2 (OT)
Game 4: Lightning 6, Hurricanes 4
Game 5: Lightning 2, Hurricanes 0
West Division
No. 1 Colorado vs. No. 2 Vegas
Golden Knights win 4-2
Game 1: Avalanche 7, Golden Knights 1
Game 2: Avalanche 3, Golden Knights 2 (OT)
Game 3: Golden Knights 3, Avalanche 2
Game 4: Golden Knights 5, Avalanche 1
Game 5: Golden Knights 3, Avalanche 2 (OT)
Game 6: Golden Knights 6, Avalanche 3
North Division
No. 3 Winnipeg vs. No. 4 Montreal
Canadiens win 4-0
Game 4: Canadiens 3, Jets 2 (OT)
First round
All times ET. Best of seven. *-if necessary
EAST DIVISION
No 1. Pittsburgh vs. No. 4 NY Islanders
Islanders win 4-2
Game 1: Islanders 4, Penguins 3 (OT)
Game 2: Penguins 2, Islanders 1
Game 3: Penguins 5, Islanders 4
Game 4: Islanders 4, Penguins 1
Game 5: Islanders 3, Penguins 2 (2OT)
Game 6: Islanders 5, Penguins 3
No. 2 Washington vs. No. 3 Boston
Bruins win 4-1
Game 1: Capitals 3, Bruins 2 (OT)
Game 2: Bruins 4, Capitals 3 (OT)
Game 3: Bruins 3, Capitals 2 (2OT)
CENTRAL DIVISION
No. 1 Carolina vs. No. 4 Nashville
Hurricanes win 4-2
Game 1: Hurricanes 5, Predators 2
Game 2: Hurricanes 3, Predators 0
Game 3: Predators 5, Hurricanes 4 (2OT)
Game 4: Predators 4, Hurricanes 3 (2OT)
Game 5: Hurricanes 3, Predators 2 (OT)
Game 6: Hurricanes 4, Predators 3 (OT)
No. 2 Florida vs. No. 3 Tampa Bay
Lightning win 4-2
Game 1: Lightning 5, Panthers 4
Game 2: Lightning 3, Panthers 1
Game 3: Panthers 6, Lightning 5 (OT)
Game 4: Lightning 6, Panthers 2
Game 5: Panthers 4, Lightning 1
Game 6: Lightning 4, Panthers 0
WEST DIVISION
No. 1 Colorado vs. No. 4 St. Louis
Avalanche win 4-0
No. 2 Vegas vs. No. 3 Minnesota
Golden Knights win 4-3
Game 1: Wild 1, Golden Knights 0 (OT)
Game 2: Golden Knights 3, Wild 1
Game 3: Golden Knights 5, Wild 2
Game 4: Golden Knights 4, Wild 0
Game 5: Wild 4, Golden Knights 2
Game 6: Wild 3, Golden Knights 0
Game 7: Golden Knights 6, Wild 2
NORTH DIVISION
No. 1 Toronto vs. No. 4 Montreal
Canadiens win 4-3
Game 1: Canadiens 2, Maple Leafs 1
Game 2: Maple Leafs 5, Canadiens 1
Game 3: Maple Leafs 2, Canadiens 1
Game 4: Maple Leafs 4, Canadiens 0
Game 5: Canadiens 4, Maple Leafs 3 (OT)
Game 6: Canadiens 3, Maple Leafs 2 (OT)
Game 7: Canadiens 3, Maple Leafs 1
No. 2 Edmonton vs. No. 3 Winnipeg
Jets win 4-0