It’s now a 16-team race to decide who takes home Lord Stanley’s Cup. It’s been an exciting fight for playoff seeding on both sides of the bracket. From top to bottom, the Eastern Conference has been the strongest throughout the year and the most exciting to watch down the stretch. The conference has five 100-point teams and two of the three favorites to win it all. Speaking of winning it all, let’s take a look at each playoff team’s last Stanley Cup win, starting in the East.
Read More: Last Stanley Cup win for each Western Conference team
Last Stanley Cup Win: Eastern Conference
Boston Bruins
Last Stanley Cup: 2011
15 years ago, the Boston Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks in seven games to win their sixth Stanley Cup in franchise history, which is the fourth most in the NHL. Since then, they’ve been to two Stanley Cup Finals, including their last appearance in 2019, but didn’t capture the ultimate prize in either instance.
Last season, the Bruins missed the playoffs in a disastrous year but bounced back this season and became one of the most surprising teams in the league. They clinched the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference and became the fifth team on this side of the bracket to hit the 100-point mark.
Buffalo Sabres
Last Stanley Cup: never
14 years. That’s how long the Buffalo Sabres playoff drought lasted until they ultimately broke through with a fantastic season in 2025-26. Not only did they make the playoffs, but the Sabres finished first in the Atlantic Division with 109 points, which was the fourth most in the entire league.
2011 was the last time they made the playoffs. That same year was the last time that the Bruins won the Stanley Cup. Those two teams will face each other in round 1. The Sabres have never won a Stanley Cup, but just getting their first playoff appearance in a decade and a half is a success. It will be a marvelous sight in Buffalo when the puck drops in Game 1.
Carolina Hurricanes
Last Stanley Cup: 2006
The Carolina Hurricanes won their one and only Stanley Cup in 2006 when they defeated the Edmonton Oilers in seven games. After that, they missed the playoffs in 11 of the next 12 seasons. They got back on track when they hired Rob Brind’Amour as head coach in 2018-19. In his first season, he took the Hurricanes to the Eastern Conference Final. Since then, Carolina has been one of the favorites to win the cup every season. In that span, they’ve been to three conference finals but have never broken through despite being one of the best teams in the league.
Brind’Amour now has his team with the most points in the East with 113 points (53-22-7) and maybe the best chance to finally win himself a championship with Carolina.
Montreal Canadiens
Last Stanley Cup: 1993
In the NHL era, the Montreal Canadiens have won the most Stanley Cups with 23. It’s the most storied franchise in hockey history. With that being said, they’re looking for their first cup since 1993. With the exception of the Covid season in 2020-21, 1993 was also the last time Montreal has been to the final.
Their first-round opponent this season? The same team that they faced during that Covid season in the final, the Tampa Bay Lightning. The two teams also finished with 106 points.
Ottawa Senators
Last Stanley Cup: never
This current Ottawa Senators franchise established in the 1992-93 season has never won the Stanley Cup. They’ve been to one final against the Anaheim Ducks in 2007, but lost in five games. This will be their second straight playoff appearance after missing the previous seven seasons.
The Sens were in a very tight race with several different teams down the stretch for the second wild card spot in the East, and they ultimately secured it with 99 points. Their good defense will go against a good Hurricanes offense in the first round.
Philadelphia Flyers
Last Stanley Cup: 1975
It’s been 50+ years since the Philadelphia Flyers won the Stanley Cup. The last time they did so, they were on top of the world as back-to-back champions, winning in 1974 and 1975. The Flyers had a chance for a three-peat the next season but got swept by the Canadiens in the cup final. Philadelphia was also a series win away from more Stanley Cups in 1980, 1985, 1987, 1997, and 2010.
The Flyers enter the playoffs this season as one of the hottest teams in the league, finishing with 98 points. This is the first time they’ve made the playoffs since 2020.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Last Stanley Cup: 2017
The Pittsburgh Penguins have won the Stanley Cup five times, twice being in back-to-back fashion. The first time was in 1991 and 1992, while the second one was in 2016 and 2017, the last time they won. They also sprinkled in a Stanley Cup win in 2009. After being the team to beat for years, led by none other than Sidney Crosby, this is the first time that the Penguins will make the playoffs in three years. Before that, they’ve been knocked out in the first round/qualifying round in the previous four years.
There’s a belief that they can do some damage in these playoffs, but it won’t be easy as they face their fierce in-state rival, the Flyers, in round 1.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Last Stanley Cup: 2021
The latest team among the playoff field to win a Stanley Cup in either conference is none other than the Lightning, who emphatically announced their presence to begin the 2020s with back-to-back Stanley Cup wins in 2020 and 2021. They also made the final in 2022 before losing to the Colorado Avalanche.
They won their first championship back in 2004 and are now looking for their fourth Stanley Cup in franchise history.
Eastern Conference Matchups:
Ottawa Senators (Wild Card 2) vs Carolina Hurricanes (Metro 1)
Philadelphia Flyers (Metro 3) vs Pittsburgh Penguins (Metro 2)
Boston Bruins (Wild Card 1) vs Buffalo Sabres (Atlantic 1)
Montreal Canadiens (Atlantic 3) vs Tampa Bay Lightning (Atlantic 2
Main Image: Pool Photo-Imagn Images
