NHL Finals Live Stream

Are you familiar with the format of the NHL postseason? Maybe you were, but this year it’s different. You already may have guessed the reason. The changes were made due to the current coronavirus pandemic.

NHL Finals live stream will be available to watch internationally. So, whether you’re in the US, Canada, or any other country, you can watch it.

Before the finals, certain numbers of teams will compete in a specific format to get qualified for the finals. So, read the full article to know about this year’s playoff format.

Format

Format

This year, a total of 16 teams got qualified for the play-off rounds. Usually, that would be 24 teams. In this season, the teams were reduced to lower the total number of games. Previously, teams used to play 82 games, but this season it will be around 56 games.

However, the play-off will happen in a few rounds. We’ll talk more about it later in the article. From the 16 teams, only two teams will remain at the end. And they will fight for the Stanley Cup. To know who will get the glory, you’ll have to watch the NHL Finals live stream.

Nonetheless, the game format will remain the same. It will be the best of seven series matches. That means two teams will compete against each other and play seven games. The first team to secure four wins will be victorious. Playing all seven games isn’t required. As soon as one team gets four wins, the series will be over, and the winning team will advance to the next round.

Divisions

In NHL season 2020-21, a total of four conference divisions will participate. Yes, no conference this year. The 16 teams are divided into four divisions. Each division contains four teams.

The divisions and their participating teams in the play-off are:

Central Division

Last year’s Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning is competing in the central division. Though they finished third in the regular season, they managed to survive the first round of the play-off

  1. Carolina Hurricanes (Central Division Champion)
  2. Florida Panthers
  3. Tampa Bay Lightning (Defending Champion)
  4. Nashville Predators

East Division

Pittsburgh Penguins became the East Division Champion after the end of the regular season. But they failed to secure victory against New York in the play-off. Hence they’re already out.

  1. Pittsburgh Penguins (East Division Champion)
  2. Washington Capitals
  3. Boston Bruins
  4. New York Islanders

West Division

The Colorado Avalanche from the West Division is one of the most favorite teams to win the Stanley Cup Finals this year. They’ve won the President’s Trophy. Moreover, they advanced to the second round of the playoff without losing any games in the first round.

  1. Colorado Avalanche (West Division Champion & Presidents’ Trophy Winner)
  2. Vegas Golden Knights
  3. Minnesota Wild
  4. St. Louis Blues

North Division

The North Division of the NHL is composed of four Canadian teams. Usually, Canadian teams struggle in the play-off rounds. But this year, we found the Champion from this division. Watch the NHL Finals live stream to find out if they make it.

  1. Toronto Maple Leafs (North Division Champion)
  2. Edmonton Oilers
  3. Winnipeg Jets
  4. Montreal Canadiens
Tournament Format 2021

Play-Off Bracket

The first two rounds of the play-off will happen between the teams in the divisions. In the first round, two teams will be eliminated, and the remaining two will compete in qualifying for the semi-finals. After the two rounds, 4 out of 16 teams will be left. In the semi-finals, the team with the best regular-season record will compete against the fourth team. And the other two teams will play against each other. Then finally, two teams will battle in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Final Thoughts

No matter what the format is, the NHL will always be exciting. Watch the NHL Finals live stream in July to see who finally gets the Stanley Cup Championship Trophy.