2024 Stanley Cup playoffs

Qualifying Teams and Playoff Format

The 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs involved sixteen teams, eight from each conference, as per the NHL's established format. The top three teams from each of the four divisions earned automatic berths, with two additional wild card spots in each conference awarded to the next two highest-placed teams. The New York Rangers claimed the Presidents' Trophy as the league's top regular season team with 114 points, earning home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs. Other division champions included the Florida Panthers (Atlantic), Dallas Stars (Central), and Vancouver Canucks (Pacific). The playoff bracket followed a best-of-seven series format with a 2-2-1-1-1 home-ice schedule. In the first round, the lower-seeded wild card played the conference's top division winner, while the higher-seeded wild card faced the other division winner. Home-ice advantage in the first two rounds was determined by seeding, while the conference finals and Stanley Cup Final awarded it to the team with the superior regular season record.

The Eastern Conference qualifiers from the Atlantic Division were the Florida Panthers (110 points), Boston Bruins (109 points), and Toronto Maple Leafs (102 points). The Metropolitan Division sent the New York Rangers (114 points), Carolina Hurricanes (111 points), and New York Islanders (94 points). The Eastern wild cards were the Tampa Bay Lightning (98 points) and the Washington Capitals (91 points), who won a tiebreaker over the Detroit Red Wings with 32 regulation wins. In the Western Conference, the Central Division was represented by the Dallas Stars (113 points), Winnipeg Jets (110 points), and Colorado Avalanche (107 points). The Pacific Division qualifiers were the Vancouver Canucks (109 points), Edmonton Oilers (104 points), and Los Angeles Kings (99 points). The Western wild cards were the Nashville Predators (99 points) and the Vegas Golden Knights (98 points).

Eastern Conference First Round

The Eastern Conference first round featured several intense matchups, including a historic rivalry series. The Presidents' Trophy-winning New York Rangers swept the Washington Capitals in four games, marking their first playoff sweep since 2007. The Rangers scored three goals in a span of 2:06 in the second period of game one en route to a 4-1 victory. Artemi Panarin scored a goal and an assist in the series-clinching game four, a 4-2 win. The Florida Panthers defeated their in-state rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning, in five games, with Carter Verhaeghe scoring an overtime winner in game two for a 3-2 victory. Matthew Tkachuk scored twice in a 5-3 game three win to give Florida a 3-0 series lead. The Lightning staved off elimination in game four with a 6-3 win, but the Panthers routed them 6-1 in game five, with Aleksander Barkov and Verhaeghe each scoring two goals and an assist.

The Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs renewed their long-standing rivalry in a seven-game series. The Bruins won the series after leading three games to one, with David Pastrnak scoring the overtime winner in game seven at 1:54 of the extra period for a 2-1 victory. This loss extended the Maple Leafs' game seven losing streak to six games and marked their seventh consecutive playoff series loss to Boston. The series featured strong performances from Boston's Brad Marchand, who scored twice and added an assist in a game three win, and Toronto's William Nylander, who scored twice in a game six victory to force the decisive game. The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the New York Islanders in five games, featuring a dramatic double-overtime win by the Islanders in game four to stave off elimination. The Hurricanes clinched the series with a 6-3 game five win, scoring twice in an eight-second span in the third period to take the lead.

Western Conference First Round

The Western Conference first round was highlighted by a thrilling seven-game series and several decisive victories. The Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights, meeting in the playoffs for the third time, played a full seven-game series. The Stars advanced after a 2-1 victory in game seven, with Radek Faksa scoring the series-winning goal and Jake Oettinger making 22 saves. The series saw Vegas take a 2-0 lead before Dallas rallied, with Wyatt Johnston scoring an overtime winner in game three and adding two assists in a game five win. The Colorado Avalanche defeated the Winnipeg Jets in five games, with Valeri Nichushkin recording a hat-trick in a 5-1 game four victory. The Avalanche were granted a five-goal third period in a 6-2 game three win, and Mikko Rantanen scored twice with an assist in the series-clinching 6-3 game five victory.

The Vancouver Canucks edged the Nashville Predators in six tight games, featuring a remarkable comeback in game four where Brock Boeser scored twice in the final minutes to force overtime. Boeser completed a hat-trick by tying the game with 6.2 seconds left in regulation, and Elias Lindholm scored 1:02 into overtime for a 4-3 win and a 3-1 series lead. The Canucks advanced with a 1-0 game six victory on a goal by Pius Suter with 1:39 remaining. The Edmonton Oilers defeated the Los Angeles Kings for the third consecutive postseason, winning their series in five games. Connor McDavid recorded five assists in a 7-4 game one victory where Zach Hyman scored a hat-trick. Stuart Skinner posted a 33-save shutout in a 1-0 game four win, with Evan Bouchard scoring the lone goal. McDavid and Bouchard each had three assists in the series-clinching 4-3 game five victory.

Eastern Conference Second Round

The second round saw the remaining teams battle for a spot in the conference finals. In the East, the Florida Panthers defeated the Boston Bruins in six games, marking their second consecutive appearance in the Eastern Conference Final. The series win included a dramatic game six where Gustav Forsling scored the winning goal with 1:33 remaining in the third period for a 2-1 victory. The Panthers stormed back from a series-opening 5-1 loss, outscoring the Bruins 6-1 in game two behind Aleksander Barkov's two goals and two assists. During the series, the Bruins set an unfortunate playoff record for the most 'too many men on the ice' penalties in a single postseason with seven. The Panthers came back from a two-goal deficit to win game four 3-2 and take a commanding 3-1 series lead before closing it out in six.

The New York Rangers continued their strong play by defeating the Carolina Hurricanes in six games. The Rangers started the playoffs with seven consecutive wins, becoming the first team to do so since the 2008 Pittsburgh Penguins, before their streak was snapped in game four of this series. Vincent Trocheck scored a double-overtime goal in game two for a 4-3 Rangers victory and a 2-0 series lead. Igor Shesterkin made 45 saves and Artemi Panarin scored in overtime for a 3-2 game three win and a 3-0 series lead. The Hurricanes avoided the sweep with a 4-3 game four win on a late goal by Brady Skjei, but the Rangers advanced by winning game six. This was the third playoff meeting between these teams, with the Rangers now holding a 2-1 series advantage.

Western Conference Second Round

In the Western Conference, the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Vancouver Canucks in a seven-game series. The Oilers' victory meant that three of the four conference finalists were their respective division champions, a occurrence not seen since 2018. The series was a back-and-forth affair that required a full seven games to decide. The Oilers' top players, including Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, were instrumental in overcoming the Pacific Division champions. The Dallas Stars advanced past the Colorado Avalanche in six games, setting up a conference final matchup with the Oilers. The Stars' victory was built on strong team defence and timely scoring from throughout their lineup. The second round solidified the contenders, with the Panthers, Rangers, Oilers, and Stars proving to be the league's final four teams. The elimination of the Canucks ended the hopes of a Canadian team winning the Cup on home ice for another season.

Conference Finals

The conference finals determined the two participants in the Stanley Cup Final. The Florida Panthers secured their second consecutive trip to the final by defeating the New York Rangers in six games. This marked the fifth straight season a Florida-based team had reached the conference finals and the fifth consecutive season one had advanced to the Stanley Cup Final. The Panthers' victory demonstrated their balanced attack and strong defensive structure, which managed to contain the Rangers' high-powered offence. The Edmonton Oilers earned their first finals berth since 2006 by defeating the Dallas Stars in six games. The Oilers' victory was powered by their top players, setting the stage for a final between the Panthers' defensive structure and the Oilers' high-powered offence. The conference finals concluded the playoff journeys for the Rangers and Stars, both of whom had excellent regular seasons and deep playoff runs. The Rangers' loss meant the Presidents' Trophy winner had again failed to win the Stanley Cup, a trend that has persisted for many years.

Stanley Cup Final

The 2024 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven series between the Eastern Conference champion Florida Panthers and the Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers. The Panthers stormed to a commanding three-games-to-none series lead, putting the Oilers on the brink of elimination. Edmonton mounted a historic comeback, winning the next three games to force a decisive game seven. This made the Oilers only the tenth team in NHL history to tie a series after trailing 3-0 and just the third to do so in the Stanley Cup Final. The Panthers ultimately prevailed in game seven, winning 2-1 to claim the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Florida captain Aleksander Barkov became the first Finnish captain to hoist the Cup. Despite the loss, Edmonton's Connor McDavid set a new playoff record for most assists in a single postseason, surpassing Wayne Gretzky's 1988 mark, and was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff most valuable player.

The final series was a clash of styles, with the Panthers' physical, defensive game against the Oilers' speed and skill. The early games were dominated by Florida's ability to limit Edmonton's scoring chances and capitalize on their own. As the series progressed, the Oilers' star players, particularly McDavid and Draisaitl, began to exert their influence and will their team back into contention. The comeback captured the attention of hockey fans across Canada and the United States, creating a dramatic narrative for the final game. Game seven was a tense, tightly contested affair, with the Panthers scoring early and holding off a furious Oilers push in the third period to secure the championship. The victory sparked celebrations in South Florida and marked the culmination of a long building process for the Panthers organization.

Notable Statistics and Records

The 2024 playoffs were notable for several individual and team achievements. The Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs both extended their playoff appearance streaks to eight consecutive seasons, the longest active streaks at the time, though this was the final season of Boston's streak. The New York Rangers became the only Presidents' Trophy winner in the past decade to both win the award twice and advance to the semifinal round. For the second consecutive year, both Pennsylvania-based teams, the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins, missed the playoffs entirely. Veteran goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury also missed the postseason for the first time since 2006. The playoff structure itself remained consistent for the ninth consecutive year, utilizing the top-three divisional qualifiers and two wild cards per conference.

Additional records and streaks were established during the tournament. The Florida Panthers' victory continued a remarkable run of success for teams based in Florida, marking the fifth straight year a team from the state reached the conference finals. The series between the Oilers and Kings was their third consecutive first-round meeting, with Edmonton winning all three. The Washington Capitals' qualification as the second wild card marked a return to the playoffs after a brief absence, though they were swiftly eliminated by the Rangers. The overall competitive balance of the playoffs was demonstrated by the fact that three of the four division champions reached the conference finals, a rarity in the modern playoff format.

Questions about 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs

Who won the Stanley Cup in 2024?

The Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup in 2024, defeating the Edmonton Oilers four games to three in the final series. This victory marked the first Stanley Cup championship in the Panthers' franchise history. The Panthers won a decisive game seven by a score of 2-1 to secure the title. Captain Aleksander Barkov became the first Finnish-born captain to win the Cup.

Which Canadian teams made the 2024 playoffs?

Four Canadian teams qualified for the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, and Winnipeg Jets all earned postseason berths. The Oilers made the deepest run, advancing to the Stanley Cup Final before losing to the Florida Panthers in seven games. The Canucks and Maple Leafs were eliminated in the first and second rounds, respectively.

Did the Edmonton Oilers almost come back from a 3-0 deficit in the final?

Yes, the Edmonton Oilers staged a historic comeback attempt in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. After losing the first three games to the Florida Panthers, the Oilers won the next three to force a seventh and deciding game. This made them only the third team in NHL history to force a game seven in the final after trailing 3-0. The Panthers ultimately won game seven, preventing the Oilers from completing the comeback.

How did the Toronto Maple Leafs perform in the 2024 playoffs?

The Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated in the first round of the 2024 playoffs by the Boston Bruins in seven games. The Bruins won the series after leading three games to one, with David Pastrnak scoring the overtime winner in game seven. This loss extended the Maple Leafs' streak of losing game sevens to six consecutive games. It also marked their seventh straight playoff series loss to the Bruins dating back several years.

Who won the Presidents' Trophy in 2024 and how far did they go?

The New York Rangers won the Presidents' Trophy in 2024 as the NHL's top regular season team with 114 points. They advanced to the Eastern Conference Final, where they were defeated by the Florida Panthers in six games. The Rangers swept their first-round series against the Washington Capitals, their first playoff sweep since 2007. Their run to the conference final made them the only Presidents' Trophy winner in the past ten years to both win the award twice and reach the semifinal round.

Sources: Wikipedia and current public reporting, checked by the Garbutt Disposal desk. Last updated 2026-10-20.