First-round series of the 2026 NHL playoffs are wrapping up this week, with games that began April 18 setting the bracket for a second round that starts May 6.
The absence that will dominate conversation this spring is the Florida Panthers, the back-to-back Stanley Cup winners who missed the postseason after a season plagued by injuries. Among teams still alive are the Carolina Hurricanes, Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins.
For viewers, the practical question is simple: where to watch. First-round games have been airing on TNT and networks, and the tournament’s schedule means every game of the Stanley Cup Final in June will air on TNT; the Final window is June 3–19 and the tournament could run as late as June 19 if a full seven-game series is necessary. Games broadcast on TNT will stream on HBO Max, while games on and ESPN2 stream on Unlimited; broadcasts can also be located on streaming platforms such as DirecTV.
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Subscription options and price tiers matter now because the second round begins May 6. ’s lower-cost option, Select, is priced at $12.99 per month or $129.99 per year; the new tier is $29.99 per month or $299.99 per year. HBO Max Standard Plan subscribers can stream games broadcast on TNT, and the ad-free HBO Max Standard or Premium plans cost $18.49 per month or $22.99 per month, respectively. Fans checking their choices may also search for fubo alongside these services to compare local feeds and blackout rules before committing.
The structure of the bracket is straightforward: the top three teams in each division automatically qualify, and two wild card teams advance as the next-best records. That format is now filtering toward May’s second round, when fewer series and higher stakes will concentrate the national windows and, for many fans, push decisions about which subscription to keep.
The tension for viewers is the fragmentation of the schedule across pay tiers and apps. Some games sit behind ’s streaming layers, others behind HBO Max where TNT carries the marquee June dates, and cord-cutters who rely on single services may find crucial matchups split across platforms or subject to regional restrictions. Prices for a full set of options stack quickly if a household doesn’t already subscribe to the necessary services.
If you need a plan: confirm what you already have, note that the second round starts May 6, and remember the Final will be exclusively on TNT if you want every potential Stanley Cup game through June 19. Check accounts now — whether you prefer a la carte Select, the new tier, HBO Max, or other streaming choices — so you’re set for the next wave of playoff hockey.
