The 2021 NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs are here.
But that's the only normal thing this year.
For one, the regular season and the postseason are overlapping as the North Division wraps things up after an almost three-week-longCOVID-19 pause for the Canucks. That happened in late March/early April, well after things already were switched up regarding the divisions.
MORE:First-round schedule, odds for 2021 Stanley Cup chase
With the road to lifting Lord Stanley's Cup beginning on Sat., May 15, here's a quick look at the who, the what and the why for 2021.
How was the 2021 NHL season structured?
Now that the 2021 season is (almost) done, a quick reminder of how things got here.
First off, the season was a 56-game sprint that began on Jan. 13 with 10 teams hitting the ice, including the 2020 Stanley Cup champion Lightning. Fun fact: Two of those games also featured the same matchup in the first round of this season'splayoffs; theMaple Leafs beat the Canadiens5-4 in overtimeand the Blues beat the Avalanche 4-1.
Teams were dividedinto four brand-spanking-new (but only for this season) divisions because of the Canadian-U.S. borderclosure (which was extended through May 21, for now) and to limit travel. The games were kept to inter-divisional play with teams facing their division foes eight to 10 times. The East, Central and West played each member of their division eight times; the North was a little lopsided but fans got to see 10(!) Battles of Alberta.
East Division:Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals
North Division:Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, Winnipeg Jets
West Division:Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, St. Louis Blues, San Jose Sharks, Vegas Golden Knights
Central Division:Carolina Hurricanes,Chicago Blackhawks,Columbus BlueJackets, Dallas Stars,Detroit Red Wings,Florida Panthers,Nashville Predators,Tampa Bay Lightning
MORE: Hurricanes broadcaster Tripp Tracy chats playoffs, Matthews and McDavid
Which teams arein the 2021 NHL playoffs?
Gone is the qualifying round of summer bubble hockey. The normal number of teams advanced to the Stanley Cup in 2021, with 16 clubs raring to go.
These are the team's that will compete for the Stanley Cup and their seeding.
East Division: (1) Penguins (2) Capitals (3) Bruins (4) Islanders
North Division: (1) Maple Leafs (2) Oilers (3) Jets (4) Canadiens
West Division: (1) Avalanche (2) Golden Knights (3) Wild (4) Blues
Central Division: (1) Hurricanes (2) Panthers (3) Lightning (4) Predators
Who won the 2021 Presidents' Trophy?
It came down to the Avalanche's last game,but thanks to a 5-1 win over the Kings, Colorado snagged the franchise's third Presidents' Trophy. The other two times? Back in 1997 and then in 2001, which also happens to be the last time the team won the Stanley Cup.
With the win, the Avalanche bypassed the Golden Knights for the top spot (thanks to 35 regulation wins). And, while the game was maybe not as entertaining after the Avs began to demolish the Kings, Vegas netminder Robin Lehner's tweets kept things light.
I believe in you guys. @LAKings pic.twitter.com/0IsRYOJe9Q
— Robin Lehner (@RobinLehner) May 14, 2021
🤬
— Robin Lehner (@RobinLehner) May 14, 2021
It was my fault we are not president trophy winners but... I’m gonna blame @LAKings for it. Makes me feel a bit better 😂. They have a bright future with cal Petersen.
— Robin Lehner (@RobinLehner) May 14, 2021
2021 Stanley Cup bracket
How will the 2021 NHL playoffs work?
With the tweaks to the divisions, things look a little different this year. One normal element is that each series will be a best-of-seven.
Here's thebreakdown:
The match-ups:
East Division:(1) Penguins vs.(4) Islanders;(2) Capitals vs. (3) Bruins
North Division:(1)Maple Leafs vs. (4) Canadiens; (2) Oilers vs. (3) Jets
West Division:(1) Avalanche vs. (4) Blues; (2) Golden Knights vs. (3) Wild
Central Division:(1) Hurricanes vs.(4) Predators;(2) Panthers vs. (3) Lightning
The first seed of each division will play the fourth-placeteam while the No. 2 and No. 3 teams will meet.
The winners of these first-round meetings will then face off to crown a division winner.
Once the divisions wrap up their play, the four remaining teams advance to the Stanley Cup semifinals. The four teams will be re-seeded based on their regular-season point totals with the team with the most points facing the team with the fewest. The winners of the semis battle it out in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final.
Sorry, but there will not be an awarding of the Prince of Wales Trophy or Clarence S. Campbell Bowl in 2021.
Are fans allowed?
The 12 teams in the United States have been allowing fans into their buildings for a while,with some teams upping their capacity recently. In Canada, like the regular season, fans will not be in attendance.
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) May 14, 2021NHL playoff fan capacity:
Nashville: 12,135
St. Louis: 9,000
Colorado: 7,750
Vegas: 7,567
Tampa Bay: 7,000
New York Islanders: 6,800
Pittsburgh: 5,000
Washington: 5,000
Minnesota: 4,500
Boston: 4,291
Carolina: Unknown
Florida: UnknownToronto, Montreal, Edmonton, Winnipeg: 0
Where will the North Division winner play?
Because of the border closure between the United States and Canada, and Canada's quarantine requirement upon arrival, there have been some discussions regarding whetherthe teamwill need to be relocated.If cross-border travel is not allowed by the Canadian government, it sounds like the Canadian division champ will relocate to an NHL city (whose team did not make the playoffs) south of the border.
ESPN's Greg Wyshynskireports thatthe NHL has told the Canadian government that it will need to know by June 1, which is one day after the first round can end, if it goes the distance.
