2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs - Second Round Schedule, Results, and Shifts

The second round is where the playoff picture starts to get a lot less polite and a lot more expensive. The schedule and results are now shaping the pressure points for every team still standing, and each game is starting to feel like a referendum on roster depth, goalie form, and coaching nerve. In this round, one bad bounce can flip a series and one hot line can make a general manager look like a genius. The teams that survive here usually earn it the hard way.