This year’s 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs will look a bit different than usual. In a normal year, the NHL playoffs would be divided by conference and feature the wild card system fans have been accustomed to for the last seven years or so. Now, however, thanks to the pandemic-shortened 56-game season that featured just intra-division play, the Stanley Cup playoffs are set to get a little weird and a little wild.
Of course, NHL playoff hockey is playoff hockey. We’re going to get the same heart-stopping, intense postseason action we usually do until a Stanley Cup champion is crowned. It’ll just look a bit different than normal.
There’s a lot to get caught up on, from which teams made the playoffs to seeding to the schedule and more. With that in mind, here’s all you need to know about the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs and how they’ll work.