NHL Playoff Schedule: Dates, TV Channels, Scores For Second Round

The second round of the 2026 National Hockey League Stanley Cup Playoffs is finally over and it basically locks in the last four clubs for the Conference Finals and this round- it started early May 2026 and it turned into a weird mix of sweeps, careful defensive tweaks and one Atlantic Division series that went all the way to a Game 7 overtime finish, the kind of clash people usually keep talking about for years and National broadcast stuff was split between ABC, ESPN, TNT, and truTV; while the regional broadcasts kept rolling via Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada.

Eastern Conference Semi-Finals: Overview and Outcomes

The Metropolitan Division series ended fast; a four-game sweep. Carolina, one of the league’s top outfits, got past the Philadelphia Flyers through structured defensive effort and solid special teams work. The main thread the whole way was Carolina’s penalty kill, they kept messing up Philadelphia’s power-play rhythm, time after time. On top of that Carolina got timely scoring from younger names, so the postseason started with an unbeaten run through those first two rounds.

Game 1- Carolina defeated Philadelphia

Game 2- Carolina defeated Philadelphia in overtime

Game 3- Carolina defeated Philadelphia

Game 4- Carolina defeated Philadelphia in overtime

Then over in the Atlantic Division- the Buffalo Sabres and the Montreal Canadiens needed the whole seven games. Buffalo came out with some early momentum at home, but Montreal answered back using sharp special teams play and a more balanced attack overall. The Sabres kept forcing the issue and pushed the series right to the edge, with a loud, high-tempo Game 6 win at KeyBank Center, then the deciding Game 7 finally slid into overtime. Montreal moved on off a late overtime goal keeping up one of those organization’s strongest playoff stretches in recent seasons.

Game 1- Buffalo defeated Montreal

Game 2- Montreal defeated Buffalo

Game 3- Montreal defeated Buffalo

Game 4- Buffalo defeated Montreal

Game 5- Montreal defeated Buffalo

Game 6- Buffalo defeated Montreal, and

Game 7- Montreal defeated Buffalo in overtime

Western Conference Semi-Finals: Overview and Outcomes

Over in the Central Division, the Colorado Avalanche took on the Minnesota Wild and Colorado controlled the opening part of the matchup- grabbing the first games at Ball Arena, helped by a transition-heavy offensive approach. Minnesota flipped the script midway, with a tougher defensive showing backed up by steady goaltending, plus tighter neutral zone discipline. Even when Minnesota slowed the pace for stretches , Colorado re-gathered momentum later in the series and ended it all in five.

Game 1- Colorado defeated Minnesota

Game 2- Colorado defeated Minnesota

Game 3- Minnesota defeated Colorado

Game 4- Colorado defeated Minnesota

Game 5- Colorado defeated Minnesota in overtime.

In the Pacific Division, the Vegas Golden Knights cleared the Anaheim Ducks in six games and Vegas started with disciplined defensive play and smart puck handling, while Anaheim responded with a more aggressive offensive vibe in Game 2 and the shift really showed up later- when Vegas grabbed an overtime win, then finished the job on the road in Game 6.

Game 1- Vegas defeated Anaheim

Game 2- Anaheim defeated Vegas

Game 3- Vegas defeated Anaheim

Game 4- Anaheim defeated Vegas,

Game 5- Vegas defeated Anaheim in overtime

Game 6- Vegas defeated Anaheim

Now that the second round is wrapped- the Conference Finals pairings are officially locked in. The next chapter of the postseason is set to begin later in May and national coverage will keep appearing across ESPN, TNT, and other broadcast partners, as the Stanley Cup chase

keeps getting closer to the Final.