NHL Playoffs 2026: What We've Learned So Far
I've been watching hockey long enough to know when a playoff tournament is telling you something. And this year's been loud.
We're down to four teams now, and the picture heading into the conference finals is sharper than it was a month ago. Some things have been confirmed. Some surprises have rewritten the script entirely.
Here's what I see.
COLORADO IS THE REAL DEAL — AND THEY KNOW IT
The Avalanche haven't just been winning. They've been controlling games in a way that feels different. They wrapped up the Presidents' Trophy back in October and never really let go of it.
Nathan MacKinnon has been on a mission since the first round. There's something driving him this year — you could see it in the way he played in these playoffs. He has that look, the one where nothing on the ice surprises him anymore.
And here's what I keep coming back to: he's not doing it alone. Cale Makar is one of those players who makes everyone around him better — the kind of defenseman who changes how a team operates. And in net, Scott Wedgewood has been exactly what Colorado needed. A career backup who stepped up when it mattered most. That matters.
VEGAS HAS BEEN HERE BEFORE — THAT'S A PROBLEM FOR EVERYONE ELSE
Look, the Golden Knights didn't make the West Final by accident. They're there because they've been built for exactly these moments.
John Tortorella took over behind the bench in late March — and you can see his fingerprints all over how this team plays now. There's an edge to them. A physicality. When the playoffs got tight, they didn't flinch.
And then there's Mitch Marner. I remember the conversations about him in Toronto. "He can't win in the playoffs." "He's soft when it matters." That's what people said. Watch these playoffs and tell me that same player exists. Because I don't recognize him. He's been one of the most dangerous players in the entire tournament.
Colorado's the favorite. But Vegas won't go quietly.
CAROLINA IS UNDEFEATED — AND HUNGRY
Eight wins. Zero losses. The Hurricanes have swept their way through the first two rounds, beating Ottawa and Philadelphia without dropping a game.
Frederik Andersen is 36 years old and playing like he's 26. In net, he's been a wall — exactly what Carolina needed after years of playoff exits that broke the fanbase's heart.
And Taylor Hall, the 2018 MVP, has been doing everything. He's on another level right now. The Hurricanes are in the East Final for the third time in four years, and you can feel the urgency in that organization. They've been close so many times. They want more than close.
CANADA'S LAST HOPE — AND IT'S REAL
Here's something I didn't expect to be saying in May 2026: the Montreal Canadiens are Canada's best chance to end a 33-year Stanley Cup drought.
Let that sit for a second.
Montreal took out Buffalo in Game 7 on May 14 — a 6-3 final, with Slafkovsky's overtime winner completing a comeback from 1-3 down. That's the kind of moment that changes a franchise's direction. They earned this.
Canada hasn't won the Cup since Montreal did it in 1993. Thirty-three years is a long time for a country that lives and breathes this sport. Now the Canadiens walk into the East Final against Carolina — the only undefeated team left in the tournament — with an entire nation's hope riding on them.
SOME THINGS WE DIDN'T EXPECT
The Florida Panthers were in the Final three straight years. Three. This year, injuries caught up with them. No three-peat.
Edmonton came in as a favorite. The Ducks knocked them out.
The new blood in this tournament didn't just show up — they won series. That's what happens when you build teams the right way and give them time. The bracket looks different now than it did in October.
TWO ROUNDS LEFT — AND EVERYTHING STILL TO PLAY FOR
Colorado versus Vegas. Carolina versus Montreal. Two series, four teams, everything on the line.
Colorado's the favorite in the West. Vegas has the experience. Carolina is undefeated and knows what it takes to get to this point. And Montreal — Canada's last hope — is playing with nothing to lose and everything to prove.
I've watched a lot of playoffs. The ones that matter most are the ones where you don't know the ending. This year, I genuinely don't.
That's what makes it worth watching.