2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, scores, highlights, analysis

The 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs represent a return to normalcy, after a bubble-encased postseason in 2020and a 2021 tournament that featured realigned intradivisional play, followed by a rebracketing for the final two rounds. Sixteen teams have qualified for a shot, but only one will get to skate the sacred chalice this June.

From the first round all the way through the Stanley Cup Final, ESPN has you covered, including the first 12 games of the playoffs all on ESPN networks, as well as the entire Cup finals on ABC and ESPN+.

Plus, tune in to The Point every weekday afternoon throughout the playoffs for analysis, storytelling and previews of that night's action. And if you miss anything, watch full-game replays on demand on ESPN+, along with highlights from every game on In The Crease.

Read on for the full playoff picture, including previews, analysis, highlights, schedule and more for each team and series.

More: Playoff schedule

How officials handle the pressure of playoffs

Previews for all 16 teams| Best bets

Experts' picks |Wyshynski's full bracket

Ranking the top 50 players in the playoffs

Lapsed fan's guide to the playoffs

Ranking players that need a Cup

Games on Sunday, May 15

Pittsburgh Penguins at New York Rangers: 7 ET (TBS)(series tied 3-3)

Dallas Stars at Calgary Flames: 9:30 ET (ESPN2) (series tied 3-3)

Second-round matchups

Atlantic: No. 1 Florida Panthers vs. No. 3 Tampa Bay Lightning

Metro: No. 1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. NYR/PIT winner

Central: No. 1 Colorado Avalanche vs. No. 3 St. Louis Blues

Pacific: CGY/DAL winner vs. No. 2 Edmonton Oilers

First round

Jump to:

Atlantic: FLA-WSH | TOR-TB

Metro: CAR-BOS | NYR-PIT

Central: COL-NSH | MIN-STL

Pacific: CGY-DAL | EDM-LA

Atlantic Division

No. 1 Florida Panthers vs. No. 4 Washington Capitals

Regular-season records:

• Panthers:58-18-6, 122 points
• Capitals: 44-26-12, 100 points

Leading scorers:

• Panthers:LW Jonathan Huberdeau, 115 points (30 G, 85 A)
• Capitals:LW Alex Ovechkin, 90 points (50 G, 40 A)

Claude Giroux's fun new world with the Panthers

Panthers advance 4-2:

Game 1 (at FLA): Capitals 4, Panthers 2| Replay

Game 2 (at FLA):Panthers 5, Capitals 1| Replay

Game 3 (at WSH):Capitals 6, Panthers 1| Replay

Game 4 (at WSH):Panthers 3, Capital 2 (OT)| Replay

Game 5 (at FLA):Panthers 5, Capitals 3| Replay

Game 6 (at WSH):Panthers 4, Capitals 3 (OT)| Replay

Keys to the offseason for the Capitals

No. 2 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. No. 3 Tampa Bay Lightning

Regular-season records:

• Maple Leafs:54-21-7, 115 points
• Lightning: 51-23-8, 110 points

Leading scorers:

• Maple Leafs:C Auston Matthews, 106 points (60 G, 46 A)
• Lightning:C Steven Stamkos, 106 points (42 G, 64 A)

Why the Lightning's three-peat quest will be so difficult

Lightning advance 4-3:

Game 1 (at TOR): Maple Leafs 5, Lightning 0| Replay

Game 2 (at TOR): Lightning 5, Maple Leafs 3| Replay

Game 3 (at TB): Maple Leafs 5, Lightning 2| Replay

Game 4 (at TB): Lightning 7, Maple Leafs 3| Replay

Game 5 (at TOR): Maple Leafs 4, Lightning 3| Replay

Game 6 (at TB): Lightning 4, Maple Leafs 3 (OT)| Replay

Game 7 (at TOR):Lightning 2, Maple Leafs 1| Replay

Keys to the offseason for the Maple Leafs

Metropolitan Division

No. 1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. No. 4 Boston Bruins

Regular-season records:

• Hurricanes:54-20-8, 116 points
• Bruins: 51-26-5, 107 points

Leading scorers:

• Hurricanes:C Sebastian Aho, 81 points (37 G, 44 A)
• Bruins:LW Brad Marchand, 80 points (32 G, 48 A)

Hurricanes advance 4-3:

Game 1 (at CAR): Hurricanes 5, Bruins 1| Replay

Game 2 (at CAR): Hurricanes 5, Bruins 2| Replay

Game 3 (at BOS): Bruins 4, Hurricanes 2| Replay

Game 4 (at BOS):Bruins 5, Hurricanes 2| Replay

Game 5 (at CAR): Hurricanes 5, Bruins 1| Replay

Game 6 (at BOS): Bruins 5, Hurricanes 2| Replay

Game 7 (at CAR):Hurricanes 3, Bruins 2| Replay

Keys to the offseason for the Bruins

No. 2 New York Rangers vs. No. 3 Pittsburgh Penguins

Regular-season records:

• Rangers:52-24-6, 110 points
• Penguins: 46-25-11, 103 points

Leading scorers:

• Rangers:LW Artemi Panarin, 96 points (22 G, 74 A)
• Penguins:C Sidney Crosby, 84 points (31 G, 53 A)

Schedule:

Game 1 (at NYR):Penguins 4, Rangers 3 (3OT)| Replay

Game 2 (at NYR): Rangers 5, Penguins 2| Replay

Game 3 (at PIT): Penguins 7, Rangers 4| Replay

Game 4 (at PIT):Penguins 7, Rangers 2| Replay

Game 5 (at NYR):Rangers 5, Penguins 3| Replay

Game 6 (at PIT):Rangers 5, Penguins 3| Replay

Game 7 (at NYR): Sun., May 15, 7 ET (TNT) | Preview

Central Division

No. 1 Colorado Avalanche vs. No. 4 Nashville Predators

Regular-season records:

• Avalanche:56-19-7, 119 points
• Predators: 45-30-7, 97 points

Leading scorers:

• Avalanche:RW Mikko Rantanen, 92 points (36 G, 56 A)
• Predators:D Roman Josi, 95 points (23 G, 72 A)

Avalanche advance 4-0:

Game 1 (at COL):Avalanche 7, Predators 2| Replay

Game 2 (at COL):Avalanche 2, Predators 1 (OT) | Replay

Game 3 (at NSH): Avalanche 7, Predators 3| Replay

Game 4 (at NSH):Avalanche 5, Predators 3| Replay

Keys to the offseason for the Predators

No. 2 Minnesota Wild vs. No. 3 St. Louis Blues

Regular-season records:

• Wild: 53-22-7, 113 points
• Blues: 49-22-11, 109 points

Leading scorers:

• Wild:LW Kirill Kaprizov, 108 points (47 G, 61 A)
• Blues:RW Vladimir Tarasenko, 82 points (34 G, 48 A)

Blues advance 4-2:

Game 1 (at MIN): Blues 4, Wild 0| Replay

Game 2 (at MIN): Wild 6, Blues 2| Replay

Game 3 (at STL): Wild 5, Blues 1| Replay

Game 4 (at STL): Blues 5, Wild 2| Replay

Game 5 (at MIN): Blues 5, Wild 2| Replay

Game 6 (at STL): Blues 5, Wild 1| Replay

Keys to the offseason for the Wild

Pacific Division

No. 1 Calgary Flames vs. No. 4 Dallas Stars

Regular season records:

• Flames:50-21-11, 111 points
• Stars: 46-30-6, 98 points

Leading scorers:

• Flames:LW Johnny Gaudreau, 115 points (40 G, 75 A)
• Stars:C Joe Pavelski, 81 points (27 G, 54 A)

How the Flames' top line continues to ignite their offensive engine

Schedule:

Game 1 (at CGY):Flames 1, Stars 0 | Replay

Game 2 (at CGY):Stars 2, Flames 1 | Replay

Game 3 (at DAL):Stars 4, Flames 2| Replay

Game 4 (at DAL):Flames 4, Stars 1| Replay

Game 5 (at CGY):Flames 3, Stars 1| Replay

Game 6 (at DAL):Stars 4, Flames 2| Replay

Game 7 (at CGY):Sun., May 15, 9:30 ET (ESPN2) | Preview

No. 2 Edmonton Oilers vs. No. 3 Los Angeles Kings

Regular season records:

• Oilers: 49-27-6, 104 points
• Kings: 44-27-11, 99 points

Leading scorers:

• Oilers:C Connor McDavid, 123 points (44 G, 79 A)
• Kings:C Anze Kopitar, 67 points (19 G, 48 A)

Oilers advance 4-3:

Game 1 (at EDM): Kings 4, Oilers 3| Replay

Game 2 (at EDM): Oilers 6, Kings 0| Replay

Game 3 (at LA): Oilers 8, Kings 2| Replay

Game 4 (at LA): Kings 4, Oilers 0| Replay

Game 5 (at EDM): Kings 5, Oilers 4 (OT)| Replay

Game 6 (at LA): Oilers 4, Kings 2| Replay

Game 7 (at EDM): Oilers 2, Kings 0| Replay

Keys to the offseason for the Kings