The 2019 NHL playoffs are here, and right away the team with the best record has been eliminated. The Tampa Bay Lightning won the Presidents Cup with 128 points, tying an NHL record with 62 wins. They owned the top seed in the Eastern Conference but were swept away by the Columbus Blue Jackets in four games.

The defending champion Washington Capitals will begin their title defense as the Metropolitan Division champion, facing off against the wild card Carolina Hurricanes in an Eastern Conference first-round matchup. Alex Ovechkin, the NHL’s leading goal scorer with his eighth 50-goal campaign, was a man possessed in last year’s Stanley Cup playoffs, scoring 15 goals in 24 games.

Last year’s playoff darlings, the expansion Vegas Golden Knights, this year are the third seed from the Pacific Division, after advancing to the Stanley Cup Final in 2018, their first season.

Format

Eight teams in each conference make the playoffs, and will battle in best-of-seven series to determine champs from both the East and West. The top three finishers from each divisions qualify for the playoffs, as well as the best two record in each conference outside of that group as wild cards. Higher-seeded teams get home ice advantage regardless of record. All series, including the Stanley Cup Final, are in 2-2-1-1-1 format.

Teams

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

1. Tampa Bay Lightning (128 points)
2. Boston Bruins (107 points)
3. Toronto Maple Leafs (100 points)

Metropolitan Division

1. Washington Capitals (104 points)
2. New York Islanders (103 points)
3. Pittsburgh Penguins (100 points)

Wild cards

1. Carolina Hurricanes (99 points)
2. Columbus Blue Jackets (98 points)

Western Conference

Pacific Division

1. Calgary Flames (107 points)
2. San Jose Sharks (101 points)
3. Vegas Golden Knights (93 points)

Central Division

1. Nashville Predators (100 points)
2. Winnipeg Jets (99 points)
3. St. Louis Blues (99 points)

Wild cards

1. Dallas Stars (93 points)
2. Colorado Avalanche (90 points)

Television and streaming

The Stanley Cup playoffs will be televised in the U.S. across NBC, NBCSN, CNBC, USA, and NHL Network, and CBS, SN and TVA Sports in Canada. Online streaming is available in the U.S. through NBC Sports Live Extra and fuboTV, and in Canada by CBC.

Bracket & schedule

Source: NHL.com

All times ET
*if necessary

First round

Wednesday, April 10

Game 1: Columbus 4, Tampa Bay 3
Game 1: NY Islanders 4, Pittsburgh 3 (OT)
Game 1: St. Louis 2, Winnipeg 1
Game 1: Dallas 3, Nashville 2
Game 1: San Jose 5, Vegas 2

Thursday, April 11

Game 1: Toronto 4, Boston 1
Game 1: Washington 4, Carolina 2
Game 1: Calgary 4, Colorado 0

Friday, April 12

Game 2: Columbus 5, Tampa Bay 1
Game 2: NY Islanders 3, Pittsburgh 1
Game 2: St. Louis 4, Winnipeg 3
Game 2: Vegas 5, San Jose 3

Saturday, April 13

Game 2: Washington 4, Carolina 3 (OT)
Game 2: Nashville 2, Dallas 1 (OT)
Game 2: Boston 4, Toronto 1
Game 2: Colorado 3, Calgary 2

Sunday, April 14

Game 3: NY Islanders 4, Pittsburgh 1
Game 3: Columbus 3, Tampa Bay 1
Game 3: Winnipeg 6, St. Louis 3
Game 3: Vegas 6, San Jose 3

Monday, April 15

Game 3: Toronto 3, Boston 2
Game 3: Carolina 5, Washington 0
Game 3: Nashville 3, Dallas 2
Game 3: Colorado 6, Calgary 2

Tuesday, April 16

Game 4: Columbus 7, Tampa Bay 3
Game 4: NY Islanders 3, Pittsburgh 1
Game 4: Winnipeg at St. Louis, 9:30 p.m. (CNBC)
Game 4: San Jose at Vegas, 10:30 p.m. (NBCSN)

Wednesday, April 17

Game 4: Boston at Toronto, 7 p.m. (NBCSN)
Game 4: Nashville at Dallas, 8 p.m. (USA)
Game 4: Calgary at Colorado, 10 p.m. (NBCSN)

Thursday, April 18

Game 4: Washington at Carolina, 7 p.m. (CNBC)
Game 5: St. Louis at Winnipeg, TBD
Game 5: Vegas at San Jose, TBD

Friday, April 19

Game 5: Toronto at Boston, TBD
Game 5: Colorado at Calgary, TBD

Saturday, April 20

Game 5: Carolina at Washington, TBD
Game 5: Dallas at Nashville, TBD
Game 6*: Winnipeg at St. Louis, TBD

Sunday, April 21

Game 6*: Calgary at Colorado, TBD
Game 6*: Boston at Toronto, TBD
Game 6*: San Jose at Vegas, TBD

Monday, April 22

Game 6*: Nashville at Dallas, TBD
Game 7*: St. Louis at Winnipeg, TBD
Game 6*: Washington at Carolina, TBD

Tuesday, April 23

Game 7*: Colorado at Calgary, TBD
Game 7*: Toronto at Boston, TBD
Game 7*: Vegas at San Jose, TBD

Wednesday, April 24

Game 7*: Dallas at Nashville, TBD
Game 7*: Carolina at Washington, TBD