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Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason

From the first round all the way through the Stanley Cup Final, ESPN has you covered. Explore the full results, and coverage on each team.

Makar scores 2 goals and Avalanche beat Stars 5-3 in Game 5 to stay alive in playoffs

— Colorado finally got to play with the lead against the Dallas Stars, though the Avalanche are still behind in the series.

Minnesota pull even late for a 2-2 draw with Galaxy

Second-half substitutes Dejan Joveljic and Diego Fagundez scored seven minutes apart for the LA Galaxy, but Minnesota United responded with a late goal for a 2-2 draw on Wednesday night in Saint Paul, Minn.

Judge power fuels Yankees in 4-0 win over Twins as slugger hits 3rd-deck homer and 3 doubles

— Aaron Judge followed a 467-foot home run with three hard-hit doubles, driving in two runs for the New York Yankees in a 4-0 victory over the

Valdez strikes out eight in seven innings, Astros limit A's to two hits in 3-0 victory

— Framber Valdez struck out eight in seven strong innings and combined with Seth Martinez for a two-hitter, and the Houston Astros beat the Oakland Athletics 3-0 on Wednesday for their season-high fourth straight victory.

The 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs are here! The NHL's 32 teams are down to just eight left in the second round, after a thrilling first eight matchups in the first.

Will the New York Rangers parlay their success in winning the Presidents' Trophy to a championship -- thus breaking the "curse" of that award? Are the Dallas Stars now the team to beat after knocking off the defending champion Vegas Golden Knights?

Read on for the full playoff coverage from every first-round series all the way through the Stanley Cup Final.

More: Playoff schedule Conn Smythe Watch Lapsed fan's guide Wyshynski's bracket Top 50 players Cup contender comps

Second round Atlantic Division

A1 Florida Panthers vs.

A2 Boston Bruins

Path to Round 2:

Panthers: defeated Lightning 4-1 Bruins: defeated Maple Leafs 4-3

Leading scorers in Round 1:

Panthers: Matthew Tkachuk, Carter Verhaeghe (9 points) Bruins: Brad Marchand (8 points)

Schedule: (FLA leads 3-2)

Game 1: BOS 5, FLA 1 | Recap | Replay Game 2: FLA 6, BOS 1 | Recap | Replay Game 3: FLA 6, BOS 2 | Recap | Replay Game 4: FLA 3, BOS 2 | Recap | Replay Game 5: BOS 2, FLA 1 | Recap | Replay Game 6: FLA @ BOS | May 17, 7 p.m. (TNT) | Preview Game 7: BOS @ FLA | May 19, TBD* | Preview

Consensus pick: Panthers

Metropolitan Division

M1 New York Rangers vs.

M2 Carolina Hurricanes

Path to Round 2:

Rangers: defeated Capitals 4-0 Hurricanes: defeated Islanders 4-1

Leading scorers in Round 1:

Rangers: Mika Zibanejad (7 points) Hurricanes: Seth Jarvis (7 points)

Schedule: (NYR leads 3-2)

Game 1: NYR 4, CAR 3 | Recap | Replay Game 2: NYR 4, CAR 3 (2OT) | Recap | Replay Game 3: NYR 3, CAR 2 (OT) | Recap | Replay Game 4: CAR 4, NYR 3 | Recap | Replay Game 5: CAR 4, NYR 1 | Recap | Replay Game 6: NYR @ CAR | May 16, 7 p.m. (TNT) | Preview Game 7: CAR @ NYR | May 18, TBD* | Preview

Consensus pick: Rangers

Central Division

C1 Dallas Stars vs.

C3 Colorado Avalanche

Path to Round 2:

Stars: defeated Golden Knights 4-3 Avalanche: defeated Jets 4-1

Leading scorers in Round 1:

Stars: Wyatt Johnston (7 points) Avalanche: Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar (9 points)

Schedule: (DAL leads 3-2)

Game 1: COL 4, DAL 3 (OT) | Recap | Replay Game 2: DAL 5, COL 3 | Recap | Replay Game 3: DAL 4, COL 1 | Recap | Replay Game 4: DAL 5, COL 1 | Recap | Replay Game 5: COL 5, DAL 3 | Recap | Replay Game 6: DAL @ COL | May 17, 10 p.m. (TNT) | Preview Game 7: COL @ DAL | May 19, TBD* | Preview

Consensus pick: Stars

Pacific Division

P1 Vancouver Canucks vs.

P2 Edmonton Oilers

Path to Round 2:

Canucks: defeated Predators 4-2 Oilers: defeated Kings 4-1

Leading scorers in Round 1:

Canucks: Brock Boeser, J.T. Miller (6 points) Oilers: Connor McDavid (12 points)

Schedule: (series tied 2-2)

Game 1: VAN 5, EDM 4 | Recap | Replay Game 2: EDM 4, VAN 3 (OT) | Recap | Replay Game 3: VAN 4, EDM 3 |  Recap | Replay Game 4: EDM 3, VAN 2 | Recap | Replay Game 5: EDM @ VAN | May 16, 10 p.m. (TNT) | Preview Game 6: VAN @ EDM | May 18, TBD | Preview Game 7: EDM @ VAN | May 20, TBD* | Preview

Consensus pick: Oilers

First round Atlantic Division

A1 Florida Panthers vs.

WC1 Tampa Bay Lightning

Regular-season records:

Panthers: 52-24-6, 110 points Lightning: 45-29-8, 98 points

Leading scorers:

Panthers: Sam Reinhart, 94 points (57 G, 37 A) Lightning: Nikita Kucherov, 144 points (44 G, 100 A)

Consensus pick: Panthers

Schedule: (FLA wins 4-1)

Keys to the offseason for the Lightning

Game 1: FLA 3, TB 2 | Recap | Replay Game 2: FLA 3, TB 2 (OT) | Recap | Replay Game 3: FLA 5, TB 3 | Recap | Replay Game 4: TB 6, FLA 3 | Recap | Replay Game 5: FLA 6, TB 1 | Recap | Replay

A2 Boston Bruins vs.

A3 Toronto Maple Leafs

Regular-season records:

Bruins: 47-20-15, 109 points Maple Leafs: 46-26-10, 102 points

Leading scorers:

Bruins: David Pastrnak, 110 points (47 G, 63 A) Maple Leafs: Auston Matthews, 107 points (69 G, 38 A)

Consensus pick: Bruins

Schedule: (BOS wins 4-3)

Keys to the offseason for the Maple Leafs

Game 1: BOS 5, TOR 1 | Recap | Replay Game 2: TOR 3, BOS 2 | Recap | Replay Game 3: BOS 4, TOR 2 | Recap | Replay Game 4: BOS 3, TOR 1 | Recap | Replay Game 5: TOR 2, BOS 1 (OT) | Recap | Replay Game 6: TOR 2, BOS 1 | Recap Game 7: BOS 2, TOR 1 (OT) | Recap

Metropolitan Division

M1 New York Rangers vs.

WC2 Washington Capitals

Regular-season records:

Rangers: 55-23-4, 114 points Capitals: 40-31-11, 91 points

Leading scorers:

Rangers: Artemi Panarin, 120 points (49 G, 71 A) Capitals: Dylan Strome, 67 points (27 G, 40 A)

Consensus pick: Rangers

Schedule: (NYR wins 4-0)

Keys to the offseason for the Capitals

Game 1: NYR 4, WSH 1 | Recap | Replay Game 2: NYR 4, WSH 3 | Recap | Replay Game 3: NYR 3, WSH 1 | Recap Game 4: NYR 4, WSH 2 | Recap | Replay

M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs.

M3 New York Islanders

Regular-season records:

Hurricanes: 52-23-7, 111 points Islanders: 39-27-16, 94 points

Leading scorers:

Hurricanes: Sebastian Aho, 89 points (36 G, 53 A) Islanders: Mathew Barzal, 80 points (23 G, 57 A)

Consensus pick: Canes

Schedule: (CAR wins 4-1)

Keys to the offseason for the Islanders

Game 1: CAR 3, NYI 1 | Recap | Replay Game 2: CAR 5, NYI 3 | Recap | Replay Game 3: CAR 3, NYI 2 | Recap | Replay Game 4: NYI 3, CAR 2 (2OT) | Recap | Replay Game 5: CAR 6, NYI 3 | Recap

Central Division

C1 Dallas Stars vs.

WC2 Vegas Golden Knights

Regular-season records:

Stars: 52-21-9, 113 points Golden Knights: 45-29-8, 98 points

Leading scorers:

Stars: Jason Robertson, 80 points (29 G, 51 A) Golden Knights: Jonathan Marchessault, 69 points (42 G, 27 A)

Consensus pick: Stars

Schedule: (Stars win 4-3)

Game 1: VGK 4, DAL 3 | Recap | Replay Game 2: VGK 3, DAL 1 | Recap | Replay Game 3: DAL 3, VGK 2 (OT) | Recap | Replay Game 4: DAL 4, VGK 2 | Recap | Replay Game 5: DAL 3, VGK 2 | Recap | Replay Game 6: VGK 2, DAL 0 | Recap Game 7: DAL 2, VGK 1 | Recap

C2 Winnipeg Jets vs.

C3 Colorado Avalanche

Regular-season records:

Jets: 52-24-6, 110 points Avalanche: 50-25-7, 107 points

Leading scorers:

Jets: Mark Scheifele, 72 points (25 G, 47 A) Avalanche: Nathan MacKinnon, 140 points (51 G, 89 A)

Consensus pick: Avs

Schedule: (COL wins 4-1)

Keys to the offseason for the Jets

Game 1: WPG 7, COL 6 | Recap | Replay Game 2: COL 5, WPG 2 | Recap | Replay Game 3: COL 6, WPG 2 | Recap | Replay Game 4: COL 5, WPG 1 | Recap | Replay Game 5: COL 6, WPG 3 | Recap | Replay

Pacific Division

P1 Vancouver Canucks vs.

WC1 Nashville Predators

Regular-season records:

Canucks: 50-23-9, 109 points Predators: 47-30-5, 99 points

Leading scorers:

Canucks: J.T. Miller, 103 points (37 G, 66 A) Predators: Filip Forsberg, 94 points (48 G, 46 A)

Consensus pick: Canucks

Schedule: (VAN wins 4-2)

Keys to the offseason for the Predators

Game 1: VAN 4, NSH 2 | Recap | Replay Game 2: NSH 4, VAN 1 | Recap | Replay Game 3: VAN 2, NSH 1 | Recap Game 4: VAN 4, NSH 3 (OT) | Recap | Replay Game 5: NSH 2, VAN 1 | Recap Game 6: VAN 1, NSH 0 | Recap

P2 Edmonton Oilers vs.

P3 Los Angeles Kings

Regular-season records:

Oilers: 49-27-6, 104 points Kings: 44-27-11, 99 points

Leading scorers:

Oilers: Connor McDavid, 132 points (32 G, 100 A) Kings: Adrian Kempe, 75 points (28 G, 47 A)

Consensus pick: Oilers

Schedule: (EDM wins 4-1)

Keys to the offseason for the Kings

Game 1: EDM 7, LA 4 | Recap | Replay Game 2: LA 5, EDM 4 (OT) | Recap Game 3: EDM 6, LA 1 | Recap | Replay Game 4: EDM 1, LA 0 | Recap | Replay Game 5: EDM 4 LA 3 | Recap