by Vegas Writer
Monday, Apr 20, 2026Other than Pacific Division rivals Anaheim and Edmonton, the rest of the NHL playoff field has gotten a game out of the way.
Here are 11 burning questions to be answered now that Philadelphia, Carolina, Minnesota, Buffalo, Colorado, Montreal and Vegas took a 1-0 series lead over the weekend:
Who are the hungry newbies in this year's NHL playoff bracket?
The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs feature six teams that did not qualify for the postseason last year: Anaheim, Boston, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Utah.
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With that many new playoff teams, will we see a first-time Stanley Cup winner?
Four of 16 teams in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs are in search of their first-ever championship: the Sabres, Senators, Wild and Mammoth, and two of them opened their opening round series with a win.
And make note, the past eight Cups have been won by six different teams, with four of those being first-time winners: the Panthers in 2024, the Golden Knights in 2023, the Blues in 2019 and the Capitals in 2018.
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Speaking of the Sabres, who are in the playoffs for the first time since 2011, how have other teams fared after long playoff droughts?
Among the four other teams that snapped playoff droughts of nine-plus years, the Hurricanes (2019; 9 seasons) and Devils (1988; 9 seasons) each advanced to the Conference Finals; the Oilers (2017; 10 seasons) reached the Second Round; and finally, the Panthers (2012; 10 seasons) got to Game 7 of their opening series.
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Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff led the Sabres to their last series win in 2007. Is there any other coach who has ever gone 10 or more years between series wins with a franchise?
If the Sabres advance to the second round, Ruff’s 19-year gap between series wins with one franchise would be the largest in league history.
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The Mammoth skated in their first postseason ever Sunday, when they lost 4-2 in Vegas. Historically, how do teams perform in their first-ever playoff run, and does Utah have a chance to respond?
The NHL’s two newest teams before the Mammoth – the Kraken and Golden Knights – each won at least one round in their first playoff run. Like Utah, Seattle also finished as the first Wild Card in the West before defeating the Central Division-leading Avalanche in the 2023 First Round. Vegas advanced all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in 2018.
Since the 1990s, the Ducks won a round in their first playoff run in 1997, the Panthers reached the Final in 1996, and the Sharks upset the Red Wings in the opening round of the 1994 postseason.
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The Penguins return to the playoffs and are in search of their fourth Stanley Cup in the Sidney Crosby era. How rare would it be if Sid the Kid hoisted the Cup?
The Penguins' trio of Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang have won three Cups together since 2009 and can help Pittsburgh become the first team to win four championships within 20 years since Detroit won four from 1997 to 2008 – a span of just 11 years.
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The NHL’s two highest-scoring rookies, Ivan Demidov and Beckett Sennecke are in the postseason. How much impact can rookies have in their first postseason?
Most recently, rookies have become more impactful, with 18 NHL freshmen recording 15 or more points in a playoff run, seven of those instances occurring since 2009-10.
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How often does the team that wins the Presidents' Trophy - the No. 1 seed in the overall NHL standings - win the Stanley Cup?
The odds are stacked against the Colorado Avalanche. Since the NHL’s expansion era (1967-68), the team that finished first in the overall NHL standings has gone on to win the Stanley Cup 15 times in 57 years (26.3%). That said, it's happened only four times since 1999-00, the last in 2013, with the Chicago Blackhawks.
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The regular season closed with some intense Wild Card races. Do Wild Card teams have a shot this postseason?
At least one Wild Card team has advanced out of the First Round in six of the 10 previous years under that format, including multiple teams four times in a single postseason. In 2019, all four Wild Card teams advanced to the Second Round.
That said, make note that a Wild Card team has never won the Stanley Cup, though two have reached the Final: the 2023 Panthers and 2017 Predators.
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Is another Atlantic Division team headed to the Final?
A team currently in the Atlantic Division has reached the Stanley Cup Final in seven consecutive seasons. The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs feature five Atlantic Division teams of the eight-team field: Boston, Buffalo, Montreal, Ottawa and Tampa Bay.
The Atlantic Division teams are 4-3 in the Stanley Cup Final..
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The Oilers are out to reach the Stanley Cup Final for a third straight year. How rare would that be?
Only seven teams in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68) have reached the Final in three straight years, and only two have done so in the past four decades: the Panthers (2023 – 2025) and Lightning (2020 – 2022).
Now, make note that each of the last six NHL franchises to skate in at least three straight championship series won at least one Stanley Cup. So, if the Oilers make it, a series bet on them might make sense.
Here are 11 burning questions to be answered now that Philadelphia, Carolina, Minnesota, Buffalo, Colorado, Montreal and Vegas took a 1-0 series lead over the weekend:
Who are the hungry newbies in this year's NHL playoff bracket?
The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs feature six teams that did not qualify for the postseason last year: Anaheim, Boston, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Utah.
+++
With that many new playoff teams, will we see a first-time Stanley Cup winner?
Four of 16 teams in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs are in search of their first-ever championship: the Sabres, Senators, Wild and Mammoth, and two of them opened their opening round series with a win.
And make note, the past eight Cups have been won by six different teams, with four of those being first-time winners: the Panthers in 2024, the Golden Knights in 2023, the Blues in 2019 and the Capitals in 2018.
+++
Speaking of the Sabres, who are in the playoffs for the first time since 2011, how have other teams fared after long playoff droughts?
Among the four other teams that snapped playoff droughts of nine-plus years, the Hurricanes (2019; 9 seasons) and Devils (1988; 9 seasons) each advanced to the Conference Finals; the Oilers (2017; 10 seasons) reached the Second Round; and finally, the Panthers (2012; 10 seasons) got to Game 7 of their opening series.
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Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff led the Sabres to their last series win in 2007. Is there any other coach who has ever gone 10 or more years between series wins with a franchise?
If the Sabres advance to the second round, Ruff’s 19-year gap between series wins with one franchise would be the largest in league history.
+++
The Mammoth skated in their first postseason ever Sunday, when they lost 4-2 in Vegas. Historically, how do teams perform in their first-ever playoff run, and does Utah have a chance to respond?
The NHL’s two newest teams before the Mammoth – the Kraken and Golden Knights – each won at least one round in their first playoff run. Like Utah, Seattle also finished as the first Wild Card in the West before defeating the Central Division-leading Avalanche in the 2023 First Round. Vegas advanced all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in 2018.
Since the 1990s, the Ducks won a round in their first playoff run in 1997, the Panthers reached the Final in 1996, and the Sharks upset the Red Wings in the opening round of the 1994 postseason.
+++
The Penguins return to the playoffs and are in search of their fourth Stanley Cup in the Sidney Crosby era. How rare would it be if Sid the Kid hoisted the Cup?
The Penguins' trio of Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang have won three Cups together since 2009 and can help Pittsburgh become the first team to win four championships within 20 years since Detroit won four from 1997 to 2008 – a span of just 11 years.
+++
The NHL’s two highest-scoring rookies, Ivan Demidov and Beckett Sennecke are in the postseason. How much impact can rookies have in their first postseason?
Most recently, rookies have become more impactful, with 18 NHL freshmen recording 15 or more points in a playoff run, seven of those instances occurring since 2009-10.
+++
How often does the team that wins the Presidents' Trophy - the No. 1 seed in the overall NHL standings - win the Stanley Cup?
The odds are stacked against the Colorado Avalanche. Since the NHL’s expansion era (1967-68), the team that finished first in the overall NHL standings has gone on to win the Stanley Cup 15 times in 57 years (26.3%). That said, it's happened only four times since 1999-00, the last in 2013, with the Chicago Blackhawks.
+++
The regular season closed with some intense Wild Card races. Do Wild Card teams have a shot this postseason?
At least one Wild Card team has advanced out of the First Round in six of the 10 previous years under that format, including multiple teams four times in a single postseason. In 2019, all four Wild Card teams advanced to the Second Round.
That said, make note that a Wild Card team has never won the Stanley Cup, though two have reached the Final: the 2023 Panthers and 2017 Predators.
+++
Is another Atlantic Division team headed to the Final?
A team currently in the Atlantic Division has reached the Stanley Cup Final in seven consecutive seasons. The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs feature five Atlantic Division teams of the eight-team field: Boston, Buffalo, Montreal, Ottawa and Tampa Bay.
The Atlantic Division teams are 4-3 in the Stanley Cup Final..
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The Oilers are out to reach the Stanley Cup Final for a third straight year. How rare would that be?
Only seven teams in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68) have reached the Final in three straight years, and only two have done so in the past four decades: the Panthers (2023 – 2025) and Lightning (2020 – 2022).
Now, make note that each of the last six NHL franchises to skate in at least three straight championship series won at least one Stanley Cup. So, if the Oilers make it, a series bet on them might make sense.
