All Times Eastern

2023 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND SCHEDULE

All Times Eastern.

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

The 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs was the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL) for the 2022–23 season. The playoffs began on April 12, 2023, and ended on June 12, 2023, with the Colorado Avalanche defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games to win the Stanley Cup.

A total of 16 teams qualified for the playoffs, eight from each of the Eastern and Western Conferences. The playoffs were held in a best-of-seven format, with the higher-seeded team hosting the first, second, fifth, and seventh games of each series. The first two rounds of the playoffs were played within each conference, with the Eastern Conference and Western Conference Finals being played between the winners of each conference's second round. The Stanley Cup Finals were played between the winners of the Eastern Conference and Western Conference Finals.

The playoffs were marked by several upsets, including the Florida Panthers, who were the Presidents Trophy winners during the regular season, being eliminated in the second round by the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Edmonton Oilers, who were led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, were also eliminated in the second round by the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche went on to win the Stanley Cup, their third in franchise history.