Updated May 20, 2026
The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs are down to four teams, with the Colorado Avalanche facing the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final and the Carolina Hurricanes taking on the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference Final.
Colorado Avalanche
VS
Vegas Golden Knights
Carolina Hurricanes
VS
Montreal Canadiens
At ATS, we are having some fun with the Conference Finals by letting the team make their picks. Some of us follow hockey closely, some of us are going with gut feel, and a few may be trusting vibes more than statistics. Either way, we are picking who reaches the Stanley Cup Final, how long each series goes, and what we think is the best story left in the playoffs.
Colorado Avalanche vs. Vegas Golden Knights
ATS Member | Pick | Best Angle |
|---|---|---|
Henrik Norman | Avalanche in 5 | The Avalanche pace and depth should be too much if Vegas is still missing Mark Stone. |
Jay Sanin | Avalanche in 7 | The Avalanche should win this series, but they are the top seed that will face more resistance in this round, as the Golden Knights’ experience won’t let them go away without a fight. |
Peyton Powell | Avalanche in 6 | The Avalanche speed and star power are just too much for Vegas to handle. |
Simon Cripps | Avalanche in 6 | A red-hot offense and one of the few hockey players I've heard of in Nathan MacKinnon. Sign me up! |
Gus Anderson | Avalanche in 6 | Feels like the Avalanche just have a little more firepower offensively, even though Vegas won’t make it easy. |
Jacob Davour | Avalanche in 5 | Even if the Golden Knights have some strong special teams stats, and players like Mitch Marner are in good form, the Avalanche are going to be too tough a task. |
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Montreal Canadiens
ATS Member | Pick | Best Angle |
|---|---|---|
Henrik Norman | Hurricanes in 6 | The Hurricanes carry more depth, are better structured, and should eventually grind the Canadiens down, wave after wave. |
Jay Sanin | Hurricanes in 5 | I rated the Hurricanes way above the rest of the Eastern Conference going into the playoffs, and they haven't let me down yet. They will benefit from an early rest advantage and ride that to the Stanley Cup Final. |
Peyton Powell | Hurricanes in 5 | The Hurricanes depth, defense, and rest advantage finally catch up to the Canadiens. |
Simon Cripps | Canadiens in 7 | The Hurricanes may have gone 8-0 in the playoffs so far, but Henrik won't shut up about the rust factor, so I'll take the Canadiens. |
Gus Anderson | Hurricanes in 5 | The Hurricanes just look like the more complete team right now and their depth should be the difference. |
Jacob Davour | Canadiens in 7 | This is the Canadiens’ year. They are going to shock the Hurricanes with their shot-blocking, commitment, and dominance in the faceoff circle. |
Editor’s note: These are staff predictions for fun and debate. Some picks are built on hockey analysis, some are based on series feel, and at least one may be pure chaos.