NHL Playoff Predictions 2026: Which East Teams Win Round 1? Expect Some Game 7s
The NHL's 2025-26 Stanley Cup playoffs begin on Saturday.
Judging by the matchups in the Eastern Conference, we could be in store for an entertaining - if not an unpredictable - first round.
The Buffalo Sabres, which had gone 14 years without qualifying for the playoffs, will play a Boston Bruins team that is back in the playoffs for the ninth time in 10 years. The Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens will face each other in a rematch of the 2021 Stanley Cup final. Meanwhile, Ottawa and Carolina will do battle for the first time, while the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers will revive a Battle of Pennsylvania.
Here is a look at who we predict will advance to the second round.
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Pittsburgh Penguins (M2) Vs. Philadelphia Flyers (M3)
Season series: 2-2
Why Pittsburgh will win: Should anybody count out Penguins icons Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang?
Sure, those players aren't in their prime anymore, but Pittsburgh surprised the league by carving out a playoff berth when few believed them capable of doing so.
The Penguins are still very much a team in transition, but the emotional boost they'll get from their veteran core playing what could be their final playoff games could see them overachieve as they've done this season.
The Pens' dynamic offense – which ranked third in the NHL with 3.54 goals per game – might very well atone for a defense that is mediocre at best.
Why Philadelphia will win: After Feb. 25, when they were a subpar 25-21-11, the Flyers went 18-6-1 to soar into third place in the Metro.
Flyers coach Rick Tocchet worked his magic with his group, and despite their youth and lack of NHL experience, Philadelphia's roster has shown the future to be very bright.
The Flyers will have to work around Crosby and Malkin if they want to win this series. But Philly's underrated defense – the ninth-best in the league at 2.91 goals against per game – is significantly better than Pittsburgh's, which ranked 24th at 3.15. That defensive edge is why we're picking the Flyers to win this series.
Prediction: Flyers in six games
Tampa Bay Lightning (A2) Vs. Montreal Canadiens (A3)
Season series: Series tied 2-2
Why Tampa Bay will win:We've said it consistently – the road to the Cup final in the East goes through Tampa Bay.
Though the Lightning had a less effective final 10 weeks of the season, the truth is that this Bolts team is more experienced and has more high-end players than the Canadiens.
A key factor will be Tampa's goaltending, which is far and away superior to Montreal's. Andrei Vasilevskiy has nothing more to prove to anyone, but this year, he was fantastic, posting a .912 save percentage and a 2.31 GAA in 58 appearances.
Why Montreal will win: The Canadiens have been one of the most thrilling teams in the league this season, with the NHL's seventh-best offense at 3.40 goals per game.
With young stars Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki leading the way – as well as a terrific defense corps – the Habs might be able to put a scare into the Lightning.
Montreal isn't anywhere close to its peak, and with most people likely to pick Tampa Bay to win this series, the Canadiens can play free and easy.
Prediction: Tampa Bay in five games
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This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 3:32 PM.