16-04-2025
When does the NHL playoffs start? What to know ahead of Stanley Cup playoffs 2025
When does the NHL playoffs start? What to know ahead of Stanley Cup playoffs 2025
The NHL's 82-game regular season is in its final days, and the postseason will start on Saturday.
The Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets are the top teams in their conferences, and 13 of the 16 playoff teams have already been determined. That includes the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche, who will play each other in the first round.
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Two playoff spots are still to be determined in a regular season that concludes Thursday night.
When does the NHL playoffs start?
The best-of-seven first rounds begin Saturday, April 19.
NHL playoff format
Teams begin play in their division for the first two rounds, then the third round is the conference championship. The top three teams in the four divisions make the playoffs, and then two wild cards from each conference. The last wild card will go in a bracket with the points leaders (Washington and Winnipeg), with the better wild card in the other bracket.
The Stanley Cup Finals are the fourth round and will begin June 8.
NHL Western Conference standings
Winnipeg Jets-X
Vegas Golden Knights-X
Dallas Stars-X
Los Angeles Kings-X
Colorado Avalanche-X
Edmonton Oilers-X
Minnesota Wild
St. Louis Blues
Calgary Flames
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X-clinched playoffs.
Eastern Conference standings
X-clinched playoffs
NHL playoff tiebreakers
If teams are tied on points, the first tiebreaker is regulation wins. The next tiebreaker is regulation plus overtime wins (i.e., no shootout wins).
Western Conference playoff picture pairings
Central Division
Winnipeg Jets vs. St. Louis Blues
Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche
Pacific Division
Las Vegas Golden Knights vs. Minnesota Wild
Los Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers
Eastern Conference playoff picture pairings
Atlantic Division
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Ottawa Senators
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers
Metropolitan Division
Washington Capitals vs. Montreal Canadiens
Carolina Hurricanes vs. New Jersey Devils
Dallas Stars playoffs
The Dallas Stars will be the home team when they take on the Colorado Avalanche beginning either Saturday or Sunday. The Stars will host games 1, 2, 5 and 7.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@ @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Stanley Cup playoffs 2025: Playoff picture, standings
