"The first team to clinch its playoff ticket faces off against the final team to do so, as the Presidents' Trophy-winning Avalanche begin their quest to win their second Cup of the 2020s. Colorado did well against most teams this season, and that was also the case against L.A., sweeping all three games against the Kings by an aggregate score of 13-5."
"Due to COVID-19-based realignment in the 2021 season, these two Atlantic Division rivals wound up competing in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, won 4-1 by Tampa Bay. Their previous meeting in a traditional playoff format was back in 2015, a 4-2 win for the Lightning."
"For the first time since 2011, the Sabres are competing in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and they do so as Atlantic Division regular-season champs. The B's might be a tough out for Buffalo, as Boston won the season series 3-1, including a 4-3 overtime win on March 25."
The 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs feature eight teams starting their postseason journeys. The Colorado Avalanche, Presidents' Trophy winners, face the L.A. Kings, whom they swept in the regular season. Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens, former rivals, meet again after splitting their regular-season series. The Buffalo Sabres, returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2011, face the Boston Bruins, who won the season series. Key players include Nathan MacKinnon for Colorado and Nikita Kucherov for Tampa Bay, among others.
Read at ESPN.com
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