Road to the 2026 Stanley Cup Final: Ranking the 14 NHL playoff series that got us here – The Athletic
The Athletic has live coverage of Hurricanes vs. Golden Knights in Game 3 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final.
We’re two games into the Stanley Cup Final, and so far the series between the Hurricanes and Golden Knights has all the makings of a classic. The teams are tied, both games have been fantastic, and it still feels like there are a ton of twists and turns left to come.
That’s where we’re headed. But let’s not forget how we got here.
Yes, it’s time for our annual ranking of the 14 series that paved the way. This is an admittedly subjective exercise, but it’s based on some general criteria I’m guessing most fans can agree on. A longer series is better than a short one. Closer games are better than blowouts, and overtime is best of all. Some bad blood, controversy or other memorable moments will always help. And expectations matter, sometimes a lot.
Overall, I’d say this year’s postseason has been good but not great. I’m not sure we’ve seen the sort of classic series we’ll be talking about a decade from now, although a few matchups have come close. Let’s remember some series, working our way down from worst to best while hoping the Hurricanes and Golden Knights can bump everyone down a spot with a final for the ages.
14. Avalanche over Kings in four (first round)
Expectations: The Presidents’ Trophy winners earn a first-round bye against an overwhelmed opponent they could finish with ease.
What we got: The Presidents’ Trophy winners earn a first-round bye against an overwhelmed opponent they could finish with just slightly less ease than we’d thought.
Overtimes: One, a Colorado win in Game 2.
Most memorable moment: The decisive Game 4, in which all of Colorado’s stars showed up to overwhelm a Kings team that already knew it was over.
Bottom line: I feel like this one is already being remembered as more one-sided than it actually was; that third period in Game 4 was the only time the Avs really pulled away from a Kings squad that gave them all they had. It just wasn’t anywhere near enough, and there was never a moment where anyone felt like the Kings had a chance to win this.
13. Hurricanes over Flyers in four (second round)
Expectations: A heavy favorite taking on a feisty underdog who’d already surprised us once.
What we got: Some close games, but not much in the way of surprises.
Overtimes: Two, with Carolina winning in Games 2 and 4.
Most memorable moment: Jackson Blake scoring the OT series-winner to finish the sweep.
Bottom line: You have to give the Flyers credit for even getting this far, but I’m not sure they generated a single highlight during this mercifully short series.
12. Golden Knights over Avalanche in four (conference final)
Expectations: A strong Golden Knights team that seemed to be peaking at just the right moment would face a powerhouse that had rolled over everyone so far in a series stacked with star power.
What we got: A hobbled Avs team that was nowhere near full power, and a stunning sweep.
Overtimes: An inexcusable zero, the only one of these 14 series that’s true for.
Most memorable moment: You could make a case that it came in the hours before puck drop for Game 1, when we found out Cale Makar wouldn’t be playing for Colorado. But let’s go with the third period of Game 3, with the Golden Knights finishing their comeback from down 3-0 as Nathan MacKinnon limped off with yet another Colorado injury.
Bottom line: This series had its moments, and it certainly wasn’t the worst of the postseason. But in terms of meeting expectations, nothing fell short quite like this one.
11. Hurricanes over Canadiens in five (conference final)
Expectations: The unstoppable force of a young team with destiny on its side vs. the immovable object of a veteran team with a perfect record but tons of emotional baggage.
What we got: A five-game series with two overtimes that was somehow the most lopsided matchup of the entire postseason.
Overtimes: Games 2 and 3, both Hurricanes wins.
Most memorable moment: Andrei Svechnikov’s Game 3 OT winner to end a game where Carolina outshot Montreal 39 to 13. As it turns out, that was the last time in the series that the Habs would feel like they had any sort of chance.
Bottom line: Does the NHL have a conference final problem? Gary Bettman loves to defend his playoff format by arguing that it artificially enhances the first round. He doesn’t say the “artificially” part out loud, but it’s implied; there are only so many top-tier matchups to go around, after all, so if we’re intentionally frontloading them into the first round, then that’s going to come at a cost down the line.
Not counting the 2020-2021 season, where COVID forced everything to be done differently, Bettman’s preferred format hasn’t served up a Game 7 in the conference final since 2018, while there have been four sweeps and five five-gamers in that time. Then again, that’s a smallish sample size and there were some true bangers in the years right before, so the jury is still out. It’s worth wondering about, though.
10. Flyers over Penguins in six (first round)
Expectations: A classic rivalry matchup featuring two surprise playoff teams, who’d whip up some bad blood before Sidney Crosby and friends moved on.
What we got: Three quick Flyers wins to basically end the drama, two Penguins wins to rekindle a bit of it, then a fun Flyers OT win to end the series in six. But for the most part, the bad blood never really surfaced.
Overtimes: One, a 1-0 Flyers win in Game 6 to end it.
Most memorable moment: Cam York’s series-winner wasn’t exactly one for the highlight reels, but it did set off an A+ celebration in Philly. (Special shout-out to the fan who managed to nail the popcorn toss for the camera.)
Bottom line: This series is a good example of how sequence can matter. Re-order a few of the games and this one probably ends up feeling closer to classic status than it ever really did. It was fine. It just wasn’t anything like the madness of 2012.
9. Hurricanes over Senators in four (first round)
Expectations: A sneaky good matchup pitting a Cup favorite against a wild-card team finally finding its game after a trying season. Somebody on the podcast even predicted the Senators would win the Metro, although I can’t remember who.
What we got: Four close games, four Carolina wins and zero Brady Tkachuk points.
Overtimes: One, a Carolina win in Game 2.
Most memorable moment: Let’s go with the chaotic and confusing OT sequence that featured a goal, a review, a reversal and a penalty shot.
Bottom line: A big disappointment at the time, although in hindsight, the Senators gave the Hurricanes as tough a challenge as anyone else in the East could manage.
8. Sabres over Bruins in six (first round)
Expectations: A team that was written off after being terrible last season before posting 100 points faced a team that was written off after being terrible in mid-December before posting 109 points, because this league makes total sense.
What we got: A series that fell well short of classic status, but had its share of fun moments.
Overtimes: One, a Boston win to stay alive in Game 5.
Most memorable moment: It came late in Game 1, with the Bruins up 2-0 and coasting before Tage Thompson and the Sabres flipped a switch and scored four times in seven minutes.
Bottom line: This one was never quite as close as the scoreboard made it seem, and the Bruins only managed five goals in the last four games. But after a 15-year absence from the playoffs, this old-school Adams matchup was a fun way to reintroduce the Sabres to postseason hockey.
7. Avalanche over Wild in five (second round)
Expectations: After their first-round bye, the Avs would get some real competition from a Wild team that had just flexed on the Stars.
What we got: A disappointingly brief series with only one especially close final score.
Overtimes: One, with the Avalanche ending it in Game 5 after coming back from down 3-0.
Most memorable moment: With apologies to Brett Kulak’s series-winner, this has to go to the sheer madness that was Game 1. While the series was a bit of a dud, you could make a case that this was the single most entertaining game of the 2026 postseason. Or at least the weirdest.
Bottom line: Expectations were high coming in, and even higher after 15 goals in the opener. After that … meh. But Game 1 was one for the ages.
6. Ducks over Oilers in six (first round)
Expectations: An Oilers team facing a ton of pressure lucks into a matchup against a young team that’s just happy to be there.
What we got: Connor McDavid playing through injury, terrible Edmonton goaltending, some very frustrated stars and a whole lot of tough questions after the Oilers’ shocking first-round exit.
Overtimes: One, a Ducks win in Game 4 that gave them a 3-1 series lead and produced that “this is really happening” vibe.
Most memorable moment: It’s probably that OT goal, which needed replay review to confirm it had crossed the line. OR DID IT? (It clearly did.)
Bottom line: According to the standings, this wasn’t much of an upset. But given where each team was supposed to be in their contention window, it sure felt like one. And playoff upsets are undeniably fun … for everyone but the losing team.
5. Golden Knights over Ducks in six (second round)
Expectations: The young punks who aren’t supposed to be here take on the veteran contenders who’ve looked oddly vulnerable.
What we got: A solid effort from the Ducks, and the Golden Knights serving notice that we could ignore the regular-season record.
Overtimes: One, with the Golden Knights winning Game 5 in what was the series turning point.
Most memorable moment: It should be Pavel Dorofeyev’s OT winner, but it might have to be Mitch Marner’s ridiculous goal to open Game 6. I’m not sure you can win a Conn Smythe based on one goal in the second round, but this one might have done it.
Bottom line: This one was reasonably good, while leaving room for future matchups between these two teams to top it.
4. Wild over Stars in six (first round)
Expectations: The unquestioned main event of the first round, one we’d known was coming just about all season long. Hate the playoff format all you want, but at least you can count on it to serve up a sure thing or two every year.
What we got: A good series that never quite reached that classic status it seemed destined for.
Overtimes: Two, with the teams splitting Games 3 and 4.
Most memorable moment: The finale ended up being the Quinn Hughes statement game, as the best player in the series scored twice, including the third-period winner. Sure, it was a bit of a flukey goal. Or was it? You know what, let’s just all agree he did that on purpose.
Bottom line: It definitely had its moments, but this series not going seven after months of hype was a criminal bait-and-switch by the hockey gods.
3. Golden Knights over Mammoth in six (first round)
Expectations: After the Golden Knights had pulled out of a season-long nosedive in just enough time to finish first in the Pacific pillow fight, the Mammoth felt like a tricky pick to become the league’s first crossover division champ.
What we got: A solid little series that saw the Knights on the ropes early before recovering to win in six.
Overtimes: Two, with the Golden Knights winning Games 4 and 5 to take control of the series.
Most memorable moment: At the time, probably Brett Howden’s double-OT winner in Game 5, a rare sudden-death shorty. But if the Golden Knights ultimately win the Cup, you could argue that their Game 4 win to avoid going down 3-1 may have been the turning point — not just for this series, but for the entire postseason.
Bottom line: When a team goes to the final, their first-round series often sinks to the lower regions of our collective memory. But this was a fun matchup with plenty of twists and turns.
2. Canadiens over Sabres in seven (second round)
Expectations: A lovable collection of youngsters and veterans who weren’t supposed to be here, playing for their rabid fans while trying to stake their claim as the Atlantic’s new powerhouse against … um, also that.
What we got: A weirdly high number of blowouts that somehow still added up to the closest series of the second round.
Overtimes: Just one, but it came in Game 7.
Most memorable moment: Tough call here, but I guess we can go with this.
Bottom line: One criticism of this year’s postseason is that it’s been woefully short on Game 7 showdowns. We can at least be grateful to the Canadiens, who took it upon themselves to make sure we had at least a few to chew on. Speaking of which …
1. Canadiens over Lightning in seven (first round)
Expectations: A classic battle between an up-and-coming team and a grizzled contender, with some bad blood thrown into the mix.
What we got: All that and more, in a ridiculously close series in which every game was tied in the third period.
Overtimes: A playoff-leading four, split between the two teams.
Most memorable moment: It’s honestly tough to narrow it down, but let’s go with Alex Newhook’s fluky game-winner in Game 7, one of only nine shots the Habs managed in the entire game.
Bottom line: An instant classic that more than lived up to the hype. It’s too bad Nikita Kucherov got called back to his home planet after Game 4; he would have loved this series.
