NHL Playoffs 2026: Nine Teams Advance to Conference Semifinals as Lightning Edge Canadiens in Game 7
Tampa Bay's victory over Montreal sets up a clash with Buffalo, while Colorado and Minnesota will meet in the West following a historic series win for the Wild.
The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs have been reduced to nine remaining teams as the competition moves into the conference semifinals. The field is now set for the next phase of the postseason, with the bracket determined by a combination of decisive sweeps and dramatic Game 7 victories.
In the Eastern Conference, the Tampa Bay Lightning secured their place in the second round by defeating the Montreal Canadiens in a Game 7 on Sunday, May 3, in Tampa. This victory follows a thrilling 1-0 overtime win by the Bolts in Game 6, setting up a potential matchup between the Lightning and the Buffalo Sabres in the next round.
Meanwhile, the Carolina Hurricanes advanced to the second round by sweeping the Ottawa Senators. They will now face the Philadelphia Flyers, who reached the round after upsetting their biggest rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins, in a six-game series. The Flyers' victory over the Penguins adds a layer of unpredictability to the East, where the Hurricanes are considered the clear favourite but face a determined opponent.
In the Western Conference, the Colorado Avalanche made quick work of the Los Angeles Kings, sweeping them in four games to advance. They will now face the Minnesota Wild, who have secured their first playoff series victory since 2015 by defeating the Dallas Stars in six games. This Western matchup is expected to feature a notable clash between top defencemen Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes.
The structure of the second round sees the winners of the Lightning–Canadiens series meeting the Sabres, while the Hurricanes will host the Flyers. In the West, the Avalanche will take on the Wild, continuing the momentum of a postseason that has seen several teams advance through both the first and second rounds with varying degrees of difficulty.
CBS Sports provided the comprehensive schedule and results leading up to this stage, confirming the Game 7 details and the subsequent pairings for the conference semifinals. The broadcast information indicates that the upcoming games will be aired on networks such as ABC and TNT, with specific start times scheduled for the first games of the second round.
As the playoffs progress, the focus shifts to these nine franchises battling for Lord Stanley, with the narrative now centred on the conference semifinals. The results from the first round, including the Wild's historic return to the second round and the Flyers' upset of the Penguins, have set the stage for a competitive second round across the league.
