NHL Stanley Cup Bracket Final Lightning Canadiens
CBS Sports

Hockey fans know that the NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs are one of the best postseasons in sports. And the Stanley Cup Final has come and gone with the Tampa Bay Lightning winning their second consecutive Stanley Cup. The Lightning took down the upstart Montreal Canadiens in five games, with goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy being awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs. 

This season was different from last year, which was different from others in the past due to the coronavirus pandemic. Due to travel restrictions in Canada, the NHL realigned their divisions, with one including just Canadian teams.

The first two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs took place within the division. The first place team faced the fourth-place team and the second-place team played the third-place team. The winners then faced off in the second round. The four teams that advanced to the semifinals were re-seeded using regular season point total. Montreal, which made the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1993 had the worst record of any of the teams in the 16-team field.

NHL Stanley Cup Bracket Final Lightning Canadiens
CBS Sports

Stanley Cup Final

No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning defeat No. 4 Montreal Canadiens, 4-1

Game 1: Lightning 5, Canadiens 1
Game 2: Lightning 3, Canadiens 1
Game 3: Lightning 6, Canadiens 3
Game 4: Canadiens 3, Lightning 2 (OT)
Game 5: Lightning 1, Canadiens 0

No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning defeat. No. 3 New York Islanders, 4-3

Game 1: Islanders 2, Lightning 1
Game 2: Lightning 4, Islanders 2
Game 3: Lightning 2, Islanders 1
Game 4: Islanders 3, Lightning 2
Game 5: Lightning 8, Islanders 0
Game 6: Islanders 3, Lightning 2 (OT)
Game 7: Lightning 1, Islanders 0

No. 4 Montreal Canadiens defeat No. 1 Vegas Golden Knights, 4-2

Game 1: Golden Knights 4, Canadiens 1
Game 2: Canadiens 3, Golden Knights 2
Game 3: Canadiens 3, Golden Knights 2 (OT)
Game 4: Golden Knights 2, Canadiens 1 (OT)
Game 5: Canadiens 4, Golden Knights 1
Game 6: Canadiens 3, Golden Knights 2 (OT)

Round 2

North Division
No. 4 Montreal Canadiens defeat No. 3 Winnipeg Jets, 4-0
Game 1: Canadiens 5, Jets 3
Game 2: Canadiens 1, Jets 0
Game 3: Canadiens 5, Jets 1
Game 4: Canadiens 3, Jets 2 (OT)

East Division
No. 4 New York Islanders defeat No. 3 Boston Bruins, 4-2
Game 1: Bruins 5, Islanders 2
Game 2: Islanders 4, Bruins 3 (OT)
Game 3: Bruins 2, Islanders 1 (OT)
Game 4: Islanders 4, Bruins 1
Game 5: Islanders 5, Bruins 4
Game 6: Islanders 6, Bruins 2

Central Division
No. 3 Tampa Bay Lightning defeat No. 1 Carolina Hurricanes, 4-1
Game 1: Lightning 2, Hurricanes 1
Game 2: Lightning 2, Hurricanes 0
Game 3: Hurricanes 3, Lightning 2 (OT)
Game 4: Lightning 6, Hurricanes 4
Game 5: Lightning 2, Hurricanes 0

West Division
No. 2 Vegas Golden Knights def. No. 1 Colorado Avalanche, 4-2
Game 1: Avalanche 7, Golden Knights 1
Game 2: Avalanche 3, Golden Knights 2 (OT)
Game 3: Golden Knights 3, Avalanche 2
Game 4: Golden Knights 5, Avalanche 1
Game 5: Golden Knights 3, Avalanche 2 (OT)
Game 6: Golden Knights 6, Avalanche 3

Round 1

North Division

No. 4 Montreal Canadiens defeat No. 1 Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-3
Game 1: Canadiens 2, Maple Leafs 1
Game 2: Maple Leafs 5, Canadiens 1
Game 3: Maple Leafs 2, Canadiens 1
Game 4: Maple Leafs 4, Canadiens 0
Game 5: Canadiens 4, Maple Leafs 3 (OT)
Game 6: Canadiens 3, Maple Leafs 2 (OT)
Game 7: Canadiens 3, Maple Leafs 1

No. 3 Winnipeg Jets defeat No. 2 Edmonton Oilers, 4-0 
Game 1: Jets 4, Oilers 1
Game 2: Jets 1, Oilers 0 (OT)
Game 3: Jets 5, Oilers 4 (OT)
Game 4: Jets 4, Oilers 3 (OT) 

East Division

No. 4 New York Islanders defeat No. 1 Pittsburgh Penguins, 4-2
Game 1: Islanders 4, Penguins 3 (OT)
Game 2: Penguins 2, Islanders 1
Game 3: Penguins 5, Islanders 4
Game 4: Islanders 4, Penguins 1
Game 5: Islanders 3, Penguins 2 (OT)
Game 6: Islanders 5, Penguins 3

No. 3 Boston Bruins defeat No. 2 Washington Capitals, 4-1
Game 1: Capitals 3, Bruins 2 (OT)
Game 2: Bruins 4, Capitals 3 (OT)
Game 3: Bruins 3, Capitals 2 (OT)
Game 4: Bruins 4, Capitals 1
Game 5: Bruins 3, Capitals 1

Central Division

No.1 Carolina Hurricanes defeat No. 4 Nashville Predators, 4-2 
Game 1: Hurricanes 5, Predators 2
Game 2: Hurricanes 3, Predators 0
Game 3: Predators 5, Hurricanes 4 (2OT)
Game 4: Predators 4, Hurricanes 3 (2OT)
Game 5: Hurricanes 3, Predators 2 (OT)
Game 6: Hurricanes 4, Predators 3 (OT)

No. 3 Tampa Bay Lightning defeat No. 2 Florida Panthers, 4-2
Game 1: Lightning 5, Panthers 4
Game 2: Lightning 3, Panthers 1
Game 3: Panthers 6, Lightning 5 (OT)
Game 4: Lightning 6, Panthers 2
Game 5: Panthers 4, Lightning 1
Game 6: Lightning 4, Panthers 0

West Division

No. 1 Colorado Avalanche defeat No. 4 St. Louis Blues, 4-0
Game 1: Avalanche 4, Blues 1
Game 2: Avalanche 6, Blues 3
Game 3: Avalanche 5, Blues 1
Game 4: Avalanche 5, Blues 2

No. 2 Vegas Golden Knights defeats No. 3 Minnesota Wild, 4-3
Game 1: Wild 1, Golden Knights 0 (OT)
Game 2: Golden Knights 2, Wild 1
Game 3: Golden Knights 5, Wild 2
Game 4: Golden Knights 4, Wild 0
Game 5: Wild 4, Golden Knights 2
Game 6: Wild 3, Golden Knights 0
Game 7: Golden Knights 6, Wild 2