A bow was put on the 2022 NHL Standings and season when the Colorado Avalanche secured their first Stanley Cup championship in over 20 years.
Now, with the 2022-2023 NHL regular season underway, find out who is running the roost in the various divisions in the new league year.
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NHL Standings
Which team has the best record in the NHL?
The Boston Bruins continue to be the cream of the NHL crop in 2022-2023. Not only do they have the best record in the East, but they also own the best mark in the league at 39-7-5 (83 points). Behind them is another east powerhouse in the Metropolitan Division leading Carolina Hurricanes at 34-9-8 (76 points).
Next on the NHL standings is the Toronto Maple Leafs with a 31-13-8 record (70 points) then the 32-13-4 (68 points) New Jersey Devils. After that comes the best team so far this season in the Western Conference, the Dallas Stars at 23-13-10 (66 points).
How many teams make the NHL Playoffs?
The top 16 teams from the NHL standings make the playoffs — eight in each conference. Those teams then face off in a best-of-seven series over several rounds. The top three squads in the Metropolitan, Atlantic, Central, and Pacific divisions earn automatic births. Then, the teams with the next highest regular-season points total land the last two spots in the NHL playoffs for a date with the division winners.
NHL Playoff bracket
Once the final eight teams from each conference are decided, the brackets shake out like so. First, the top overall seed faces the lowest of the two wild card teams. Then, the second seed plays the other wild card. After that, the third seed faces the sixth, and the fourth takes on the fifth.
Once winners are decided among the first eight in each conference, the next four teams move on to the semifinal round and are then re-seeded. The team with the most points among the remaining four then faces the semifinal squad with the least regular-season points.
When do the NHL Playoffs start?
Once the regular season came to a close on April 29, the first-round matchups for the 2022 NHL Playoffs kicked off three days later on May 2. The various games for the championship tournament will air on ABC, ESPN, TNT, and TBS.
How many playoff rounds are in the NHL?
There are four rounds in the NHL Playoffs, with three apiece in each conference. The playoff action kicks off with the conference quarterfinals round. The winners from that group then face off in the semifinals, which is then followed by the conference finals featuring the two best teams from the East and West. The victors from each conference final then compete in the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Finals series.
When is the Stanley Cup?
The 2022 NHL Finals between two-time defending champions the Tampa Bay Lightning and Colorado Avalanche began on June, 15. The last six games came to a close 11 days later on June 26.
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Who won the Stanley Cup in 2022?
In a six-game battle of the Eastern and Western Conference’s best, the team with the second-best record in 2022, the Colorado Avalanche, defeated the defending champ Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2.
After winning the first two games at home, including a dominant 7-0 drubbing in Game 2, the Lightning battled back to win two of the next three. However, in Game 6, after being down a goal following the first period, the Avs roared back to score two and win the organization’s third NHL championship 2-1.
2021-2022 NHL Stanley Cup Finals recap
- Game 1: Avalanche 4, Lightning 3
- Game 2: Avalanche 7, Lightning 0
- Game 3: Avalanche 2, Lightning 6
- Game 4: Avalanche 3, Lightning 2 (OT)
- Game 5: Avalanche 2, Lightning 3
- Game 6: Avalanche 2, Lightning 1
Recent Stanley Cup winners
- 2022: Colorado Avalanche (6 games vs Tampa Bay Lightning)
- 2021: Tampa Bay Lightning (5 games vs Montreal Canadiens)
- 2020: Tampa Bay Lightning (6 games vs Dallas Stars)
- 2019: St. Louis Blues (7 games vs Boston Bruins)
- 2018: Washington Capitals (5 games vs Vegas Golden Knights)
- 2017: Pittsburgh Penguins (6 games vs Nashville Predators)
- 2016: Pittsburgh Penguins (6 games vs San Jose Sharks)
- 2015: Chicago Blackhawks (6 games vs Tampa Bay Lightning)
- 2014: Los Angeles Kings (5 games vs New York Rangers)
- 2013: Chicago Blackhawks (6 games vs Boston Bruins)