Every 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1 jersey and uniform matchup graded, updated game by game. Home team wears color, road team wears white. That's the NHL playoff standard. We score each jersey matchup on a 10-point scale and give credit for iconic alternates and throwback sweaters that carry the right vibe.
Below, every matchup graded, newest first. Jump to any section with the links above.
Round 1 Game 7
Sunday delivered the only Game 7 of Round 1 with Montreal visiting Tampa Bay at Amalie Arena for the winner-take-all series finale. Lightning blue at home against Canadiens road whites, the same matchup from Games 1, 2, and 5 at Amalie. Same 5 out of 10. Montreal stole Game 7 on the road in whites to close out the series 4-3 and complete the Round 1 bracket.
Game 7: Montreal Canadiens at Tampa Bay Lightning
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Score: 5 / 10
Lightning blue at home against Canadiens road whites, the fourth time this series ran back the same combination at Amalie Arena. Same matchup as Games 1, 2, and 5, same 5 out of 10. The Lightning blue is a clean primary but does not deliver the visual energy the Canadiens red generated every time the series was at Bell Centre, and Montreal whites read flat against the dark Tampa backdrop. Five out of 10. Montreal won Game 7 on the road to close the series 4-3 and advance to Round 2.
Round 1 Game 6 Matchups
Friday delivered three more Game 6 elimination matchups to Round 1, all primary-home setups, with two series wrapping and one pushed to Game 7. Montreal hosted Tampa Bay at Bell Centre with a closeout chance up 3-2, the Canadiens back in iconic red home against Lightning road whites for the same 9 out of 10 grade as Games 3 and 4, but Tampa stole Game 6 to force a Game 7 at Amalie Arena. The Canadiens then won Game 7 at Tampa on Sunday to close the series 4-3 and advance to Round 2. Boston hosted Buffalo at TD Garden facing elimination, the Bruins in primary black home against Sabres road whites for the same 8 out of 10 grade as Games 3 and 4, and Buffalo closed out the series 4-2 in Boston to advance to Round 2 with the Sabres road whites finishing 3-0. Utah hosted Vegas at Delta Center facing elimination, the Mammoth in primary black home against Knights road whites for the same 7 out of 10 grade as Games 3 and 4, and Vegas closed out the series 4-2 in Salt Lake to advance to Round 2. Friday averaged 8 out of 10 across the three games.
Thursday delivered two Game 6 closeouts before Friday's slate. Minnesota hosted Dallas at Xcel Energy Center and closed out the series 4-2, the Wild back in the green primary against Stars road whites for the third game in this exact uniform combination. Anaheim hosted Edmonton at Honda Center and closed out 4-2, the Ducks back in their iconic orange home against Oilers road whites for the third game in this combination, the same look that earned a 9 in Games 3 and 4. Pittsburgh visited Philadelphia on Wednesday for the first Game 6 of the round, the Flyers ran back the orange home sweater against Penguins road whites and the third perfect 10 in this combination closed the series 4-2 Philadelphia.
Game 6: Tampa Bay Lightning at Montreal Canadiens
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Score: 9 / 10
Canadiens red home sweater against Lightning white road uniform, the same matchup as Games 3 and 4 of this series and the same 9 out of 10 grade. Habs red is one of the most recognizable sweaters in pro sports and Tampa whites pop on the Bell Centre broadcast. Tampa Bay stole Game 6 in Montreal to force a Game 7 at Amalie Arena, but the Canadiens came back and won Game 7 on the road to close the series 4-3.
Game 6: Buffalo Sabres at Boston Bruins
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Score: 8 / 10
Bruins black home sweater against Sabres white road uniform, the same matchup as Games 3 and 4 of this series and the same 8 out of 10 grade. Buffalo closed out the series 4-2 at TD Garden to advance to Round 2, the Sabres road whites finishing 3-0 in this series.
Game 6: Vegas Golden Knights at Utah Mammoth
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Score: 7 / 10
Mammoth black home sweater against Vegas white road uniform, the same matchup as Games 3 and 4 of this series and the same 7 out of 10 grade. Mammoth black-and-blue against Vegas whites delivers the broadcast contrast that the Vegas gold home sweater never quite hit in Games 1 and 2. Vegas closed out the series 4-2 at Delta Center to advance to Round 2, Utah eliminated at home.
Game 6: Dallas Stars at Minnesota Wild
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Score: 7 / 10
Series flipped back to Xcel Energy Center and Minnesota hosted Dallas with a closeout chance up 3-2, the Wild back in the green primary at home against Stars road whites for the third game in this exact uniform combination. Same matchup as Games 3 and 4, same 7 grade. The Wild green is one of the cleaner forest-and-cream primary identities in the league and the Stars road whites carry the team's victory green and silver accents cleanly, but the muted color story across both jerseys kept this from cracking the top tier. Seven out of 10. Minnesota closed out the series 4-2 at Xcel Energy Center in the green primary to send Dallas home and advance to Round 2.
Game 6: Edmonton Oilers at Anaheim Ducks
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Score: 9 / 10
Series flipped back to Honda Center and Anaheim hosted Edmonton with a closeout chance up 3-2, the Ducks back in their iconic orange home against Oilers road whites for the third game in this exact uniform combination. Same matchup as Games 3 and 4, same 9 grade. The Ducks orange is one of the most recognizable primary sweaters in the league and the Oilers road whites carry the team's blue and copper accents cleanly. The orange-on-white contrast popped on broadcast every camera angle, and Anaheim closed out the series at home in the iconic orange to send Edmonton home. Nine out of 10. Anaheim advances to Round 2 with a 4-2 series win.
Game 6: Pittsburgh Penguins at Philadelphia Flyers
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Score: 10 / 10
Series swung back to Wells Fargo Center and Philadelphia ran back the Icon Edition orange home sweater against Penguins road whites for the third game in this exact combination. Same uniform pairing that earned a perfect 10 in Games 3 and 4, same broadcast read, same grade. The Flyers orange against Pens whites was the cleanest jersey matchup of Round 1 alongside Sabres-Bruins, and Philadelphia closed out the series at home in the iconic orange to send Pittsburgh home. Pens went back to the road whites for the third time in this combination after Pittsburgh's Game 5 yellow alternate experiment, and the visual energy was at peak. Ten out of 10. Flyers won the series 4-2 to advance to Round 2.
Round 1 Game 5 Matchups
Monday tipped the first Game 5 of Round 1 with the Pens-Flyers elimination matchup. Tuesday delivered a full three-game slate of Game 5s. Wednesday picks up two more Game 5 swing games. Tampa is wearing the blue home primary against Montreal road whites at Amalie Arena for the swing-game Game 5 with the series tied 2-2. Vegas is wearing the gold primary at T-Mobile Arena against Mammoth road whites for the swing-game Game 5 in their series. Boston ran back its iconic road whites against Buffalo royal blue at KeyBank Center on Tuesday and stole Game 5 to push the series to 3-2 Sabres heading back to TD Garden. Minnesota ran back its road whites against the Stars black alternate at American Airlines Center and won the swing game to take a 3-2 series lead heading home for Game 6. Edmonton ran back its blue home sweater against Ducks road whites at Rogers Place and got the win to send the series back to Anaheim 3-2 Ducks. Pittsburgh extended the series 3-2 in Monday's Game 5 to send Round 1 back to Philadelphia for Game 6.
Game 5: Montreal Canadiens at Tampa Bay Lightning
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Score: 5 / 10
Series flipped back to Amalie Arena and Tampa ran back the same blue primary that opened the series, with Montreal in road whites for the third game in this exact uniform combination. Same matchup as Games 1 and 2, same 5 grade. The Lightning blue is a clean primary but does not deliver the visual energy that the Canadiens red home generated in Games 3 and 4 at Bell Centre, and Habs whites against it read flat against the dark Tampa backdrop. Five out of 10. Montreal stole the swing-game Game 5 in Tampa to take a 3-2 series lead, setting up the Game 6 return to Bell Centre and ultimately a Game 7 the Canadiens won on the road to advance.
Game 5: Utah Mammoth at Vegas Golden Knights
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Score: 6 / 10
Series flipped back to T-Mobile Arena and Vegas ran back the same gold primary at home that opened the series against Mammoth road whites. Same matchup as Games 1 and 2, same 6 grade. The Golden Knights gold is one of the most distinctive primary sweaters in the league when it lands on a clean broadcast, but the Mammoth's whites are a quiet road set and the contrast against Vegas gold reads softer than the louder primary-home matchups elsewhere in Round 1. Six out of 10. Vegas took the swing-game Game 5 at home to grab a 3-2 series lead heading back to Salt Lake City for the Game 6 closeout chance.
Game 5: Boston Bruins at Buffalo Sabres
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Score: 10 / 10
Series flips back to KeyBank Center and Buffalo runs back the same matchup that earned a perfect 10 in both Games 1 and 2. Sabres royal blue home against Bruins road whites is the cleanest jersey matchup of Round 1 and one of the best looks in the entire NHL. The Sabres came in up 3-1 with a chance to close out the series at home, but Boston grabbed Game 5 in the cleanest jersey pairing of Round 1 to extend Round 1 and send the series back to TD Garden 3-2 Sabres. Same matchup, same broadcast read, same grade. Ten out of 10.
Game 5: Minnesota Wild at Dallas Stars
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Score: 8 / 10
Series flips back to American Airlines Center and Dallas runs back the same alternate black with the center-star chest mark that earned an 8 in both Games 1 and 2 against Wild road whites. Same matchup as the Dallas home games to open the series, same broadcast read, same grade. The Stars black alternate is one of the cleaner alternates in the league with the single chest star anchoring the design and the green-and-silver trim giving the broadcast a real color story. Wild whites land clean against it. Minnesota grabbed the swing game on the road to take a 3-2 series lead heading back to Xcel Energy Center for Game 6. Eight out of 10.
Game 5: Anaheim Ducks at Edmonton Oilers
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Score: 7.5 / 10
Series flips back to Rogers Place and Edmonton runs back the same blue primary that opened the series, with Anaheim in road whites for the third game in this exact uniform combination. Same matchup as Games 1 and 2, same 7.5 grade. The Oilers blue is one of the most underrated primaries in the league and the Ducks road whites carry the team's classic orange and black accents cleanly, but the orange tones across both sides still leave us wanting a little more visual separation across the chest. Edmonton wins Game 5 at home to extend Round 1 and force a Game 6 in Anaheim with the Ducks still up 3-2.
Game 5: Philadelphia Flyers at Pittsburgh Penguins
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Score: 9 / 10
The series swings back to PPG Paints Arena and Pittsburgh runs back the same yellow alternate that opened the series, with Philadelphia in road whites for the third game in this exact uniform combination. The score holds at the same 9 we gave Games 1 and 2 because the visual is unchanged, and the Penguins finally got the yellow alternate into the win column in Round 1 with the Game 5 victory to extend the series. Pittsburgh now sits 1-2 in this look heading into a Game 6 in Philadelphia. There was a real argument before puck drop that the Pens should have flipped to the primary black home sweater for the elimination game to push a Mario Lemieux-era nostalgia moment, but the equipment staff went back to the yellow and got rewarded. Series 3-2 Flyers, broadcast read unchanged.
Round 1 Game 4 Matchups
Saturday, Sunday, and Monday delivered all eight Game 4s with two series sweeps, four series tied 2-2 after Vegas evened things up Monday night, and two with the higher seed up 3-1 heading into Game 5. The Hurricanes finished the Senators 4-0 on Saturday in Ottawa, and the Avalanche finished the Kings 4-0 on Sunday in Los Angeles. Sunday in particular ran clean across the board, with Lightning at Canadiens and Oilers at Ducks both holding the same 9-out-of-10 grades they earned in Game 3 thanks to Montreal's iconic red home sweater and Anaheim's primary orange. Pens at Flyers ran back our perfect 10. Sunday averaged 8.3 across four games, Saturday averaged 7.7 across three. Vegas at Mammoth Game 4 closed out the Game 4 slate Monday night at Delta Center with Vegas taking the win to tie the series 2-2.
Game 4: Pittsburgh Penguins at Philadelphia Flyers
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Score: 10 / 10
Same uniforms as Game 3 and the same perfect 10. Pittsburgh runs back the road whites and Philadelphia stays in their Icon orange at home. The Penguins win Game 4 to avoid the sweep, and the series swings back to Pittsburgh with the Flyers leading 3-1. The cleanest jersey matchup of Round 1 keeps reading the same on broadcast: two primary uniforms, perfect contrast, exactly what NHL playoff hockey is supposed to look like.
Game 4: Tampa Bay Lightning at Montreal Canadiens
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Score: 9 / 10
Same matchup as Game 3 and the same 9. The Canadiens stay in their iconic red home sweater for the second straight game at Bell Centre and the Lightning run back their road whites. Habs red is one of the most recognizable uniforms in all of professional sports, and Tampa's whites with the bolt strike read clean against it. Tampa wins Game 4 on the road to even the series 2-2 after Montreal took Game 3. This series is now a uniform showcase every night, and we are getting two more games of it minimum.
Game 4: Edmonton Oilers at Anaheim Ducks
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Score: 9 / 10
Same matchup as Game 3 and the same 9. The Ducks run back their primary orange home sweater at Honda Center and Edmonton stays in road whites. The orange-on-white look is one of the most underrated jersey matchups in the NHL, and the Ducks have absolutely owned the visuals of this series. Anaheim wins Game 4 to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. Edmonton's road whites are clean too, but Anaheim is the story here both on the scoreboard and on the broadcast aesthetic.
Game 4: Buffalo Sabres at Boston Bruins
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Score: 8 / 10
Same uniforms as Game 3 and the same 8. The Bruins repeat their primary black home sweater at TD Garden and the Sabres run back their road whites. Buffalo wins Game 4 on the road to take a commanding 3-1 series lead heading back to KeyBank Center. The home-and-away read on TD Garden ice is clean and the Bruins gold trim gives the broadcast the contrast it needs against Buffalo's whites. Boston's primary home is still a black sweater that holds the matchup back from a higher grade, but Buffalo's whites carry it to a solid 8.
Game 4: Colorado Avalanche at Los Angeles Kings
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Score: 7 / 10
Same uniforms as Game 3 and the same 7. The Kings repeat their black primary at Crypto.com Arena and the Avalanche run back their road whites. Colorado completes the sweep on the road to win the series 4-0. The Kings black-and-silver still reads a touch flat against Avalanche whites without a louder color on either side, but both teams committed to a clean home-and-away in every game of the series, and the playoff visual standard held even on a sweep night.
Game 4: Dallas Stars at Minnesota Wild
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Score: 7 / 10
Same uniforms as Game 3 and the same 7. The Wild repeat their green primary home sweater and Dallas runs back their road whites at Xcel Energy Center. Minnesota wins 3-2 at home to even the series 2-2 and force a back-and-forth Game 5 in Dallas. The Wild reds and Stars silver accents keep the broadcast contrast functional even with similar greens on both sides, and the home-and-away execution stays clean.
Game 4: Vegas Golden Knights at Utah Mammoth
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Score: 7 / 10
Game 4 tipped Monday night at Delta Center with the Mammoth leading the series 2-1 after a Game 3 win at home. Utah ran back the primary black home sweater that delivered in Game 3, and Vegas stayed in their road whites for the second straight game. Mammoth black-and-blue against Vegas whites gives the broadcast the contrast the Vegas gold home sweater never quite delivered in Games 1 and 2. Vegas takes Game 4 in Salt Lake to tie the series 2-2 and pull home-ice advantage back to T-Mobile Arena. Seven out of 10 holds, same as the Game 3 read.
Game 4: Carolina Hurricanes at Ottawa Senators
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Score: 6 / 10
Same uniforms as Game 3 and the same 6. Ottawa runs back their primary black home sweater for the second straight game and Carolina stays in road whites. The Hurricanes complete the sweep on the road to win the series 4-0. We still love the Sens home jersey on its own, but the red-and-black palette overlap with the Hurricanes whites kept the broadcast visual a step below where Round 1 wants it. Clean home-and-away execution every game, weaker visual payoff because of color overlap.
Round 1 Game 3 Matchups
All eight series have now played Game 3, with every home team getting their first home playoff game of Round 1. The Penguins at Flyers earns the only perfect 10 of Round 1, Pittsburgh in classic whites on the road and Philadelphia in Icon orange at home. Lightning at Canadiens and Oilers at Ducks both jumped to a 9 thanks to Montreal pulling out their iconic red home sweater for the first time in the series and Anaheim hitting the ice in their primary orange. The Sabres at Bruins flips from Buffalo to Boston with the Bruins in their primary black home sweater against Buffalo's road whites. The Avalanche at Kings, Stars at Wild, and Golden Knights at Mammoth round out the rest of the slate with clean home-and-away reads. The Hurricanes at Senators is the closest palette overlap of the round, both teams in red-and-black uniforms on the same ice. The eight Game 3s averaged 7.9 out of 10.
Game 3: Pittsburgh Penguins at Philadelphia Flyers
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Score: 10 / 10
Our best-looking uniform matchup of the Pens-Flyers series. Pittsburgh on the road in their classic whites against Philadelphia in their Icon orange at home for the first home game of Round 1. Both teams wearing their primary uniforms. The Flyers orange is one of the most recognizable sweaters in hockey, and the Penguins whites read perfectly clean against it. Philadelphia takes Game 3 to go up 3-0 in the series. Easy 10 out of 10. Exactly what a playoff uniform matchup should look like.
Game 3: Tampa Bay Lightning at Montreal Canadiens
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Score: 9 / 10
The series flips to Bell Centre and Montreal pulls out their iconic red home sweater for the first time in Round 1. This is the single most recognizable jersey in hockey, and pairing it with Tampa's road whites and the bolt strike is everything Round 1 should look like. Montreal won Game 3 at home in red to cut the series to 2-1 Tampa, and the visual jumped four full points from our Game 1 and Game 2 read at Amalie Arena. Nine out of 10. We dock one because Tampa's road white still feels a little flat next to the Canadiens primary, but that is on the Lightning, not Montreal.
Game 3: Edmonton Oilers at Anaheim Ducks
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Score: 9 / 10
The series flips to Honda Center and Anaheim pulls out their primary orange home sweater for the first time in Round 1. The Ducks orange is one of the most underrated home jerseys in the NHL, and pairing it with Edmonton's road whites delivers the kind of broadcast contrast Game 1 and Game 2 at Rogers Place could not. Anaheim won Game 3 at home to take a 2-1 series lead, and our grade jumps a full point and a half from the 7.5 we had on the Edmonton side. Nine out of 10. The Ducks home orange is a top-five primary in the league and they are quietly running away with this series both on the scoreboard and in the visual.
Game 3: Buffalo Sabres at Boston Bruins
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Score: 8 / 10
The series flips from Buffalo to Boston for Game 3 and the visual loses a little color. The Bruins pull out their primary black home sweater for the first home playoff game of Round 1, and the Sabres flip to their road whites after two games in the royal blue home sweaters. It reads as a clean home-and-away matchup on TD Garden ice, and the Bruins gold trim gives the broadcast enough contrast to work, but we would rate this higher if Boston had a colorful primary instead of black. Buffalo wins Game 3 on the road to take a 2-1 series lead, and we give the jersey matchup an 8 out of 10.
Game 3: Colorado Avalanche at Los Angeles Kings
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Score: 7 / 10
The Kings open the series at home in their black primary home sweater and the Avalanche flip to their road whites after two games in burgundy. Straight home-and-away compliance, but the Kings black-and-silver reads a little flat against Avalanche whites without a bolder color on either side to drive broadcast contrast. A colorful Kings alternate would have pushed this to an 8 or 9, but the primary home black is still the right choice over a City or alternate. Colorado takes Game 3 on the road to go up 3-0 in the series. Seven out of 10 for two teams committing to the playoff standard even if the palette is a bit bland.
From the Arena
We were at Crypto.com Arena for Game 3. Here is how it looked from our seats, Kings home black on the ice against the Avalanche road whites.
Game 3: Dallas Stars at Minnesota Wild
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Score: 7 / 10
Similar greens on both sides, but the uniform matchup reads better on broadcast than the palette overlap suggests. The Stars flip to road whites for the first time in the series and the Wild pull out their green home sweater for their first home game of Round 1. Both primary uniforms. The Wild red accents and Stars silver details keep the contrast functional on TV. Dallas takes Game 3 on the road to lead the series 2-1. Solid 7 out of 10 for two teams committing to their primary looks.
Game 3: Vegas Golden Knights at Utah Mammoth
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Score: 7 / 10
The series flips to Delta Center for Utah's first home playoff game ever and the Mammoth get their primary black home sweater on the ice for the first time in Round 1. We have liked the Mammoth identity from day one and the home sweater carries the same clean modern design energy as the road whites. Vegas pulls out their road whites after running their gold home sweater in Games 1 and 2, which gives the broadcast more contrast than the gold-on-white look did. Mammoth wins Game 3 at home to take a 2-1 series lead. Seven out of 10. A real step up from the matchup we saw in Vegas.
Game 3: Carolina Hurricanes at Ottawa Senators
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Score: 6 / 10
Love the Senators' home sweater. Ottawa finally gets home and pulls out their primary black home jersey with the Roman Senator profile. The design is one of the sharper looks in the Eastern Conference. The problem is the Hurricanes white road sweater carries heavy red trim that overlaps with Ottawa's palette, so the two uniforms bleed into each other on broadcast in a way that costs points. Clean home-and-away compliance and two good-looking sweaters, but the color families do not give us the contrast Round 1 hockey wants. Carolina takes Game 3 on the road to sweep ahead 3-0 in the series. Six out of 10.
Round 1 Game 2 Matchups
Six series have played Game 2 so far. Every team ran back the same sweater from Game 1, so the matchup scores repeat across the board. The Bruins at Sabres perfect 10 is still the cleanest-looking game of Round 1, now backed by Boston winning Game 2 on the road to even the series 1-1.
Game 2: Ottawa Senators at Carolina Hurricanes
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Score: 4 / 10
Same jerseys as Game 1. The Hurricanes run it back in their black primary at home and the Senators repeat their road whites. Carolina takes Game 2 at home and leads the series 2-0. The visual stays the same, and so does our read. Overlapping red-and-black color palettes on both teams, clean home-and-away execution, but not much broadcast contrast to work with.
Game 2: Minnesota Wild at Dallas Stars
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Score: 8 / 10
Same jerseys as Game 1. The Stars repeat their black alternate with the star on the chest and the Wild stick with their road whites. Dallas takes Game 2 at home to even the series 1-1. The jersey matchup is still one of the best-looking of Round 1, and now the series has the drama to match the visual.
Game 2: Montreal Canadiens at Tampa Bay Lightning
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Score: 5 / 10
Same jerseys as Game 1. The Lightning run it back in blue at home and the Canadiens repeat their road whites. Montreal took Game 1 on the road in their whites, and Tampa answered in Game 2 to even the series 1-1. Clean home-and-away execution both nights, same functional broadcast visual, same 5 out of 10. The blue and white combination works but does not carry the visual energy of the top Round 1 matchups.
Game 2: Boston Bruins at Buffalo Sabres
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Score: 10 / 10
Same jerseys as Game 1 and still the best-looking matchup of Round 1. The Sabres repeat their royal blue home sweater and the Bruins run back their iconic road whites on the ice at KeyBank Center. Boston takes Game 2 on the road to even the series 1-1. Same perfect 10. This is exactly what NHL playoff hockey is supposed to look like.
Game 2: Utah Mammoth at Vegas Golden Knights
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Score: 6 / 10
Same jerseys as Game 1. The Golden Knights stay in their gold primary at home and the Mammoth repeat their road whites. Utah takes Game 2 on the road to even the series 1-1. The gold-against-white visual is unchanged from Game 1 and so is the score.
Game 2: Los Angeles Kings at Colorado Avalanche
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Score: 8 / 10
Same jerseys as Game 1 and still one of the cleaner visuals of Round 1. The Avalanche repeat their burgundy at home and the Kings run it back in whites on the road. Colorado takes Game 2 to lead the series 2-0. The burgundy against the silver-trimmed Kings whites on the Ball Arena ice is exactly what NHL playoff hockey should look like.
Game 2: Anaheim Ducks at Edmonton Oilers
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Score: 7.5 / 10
Same sweaters as Game 1. The Oilers run it back in their blue primary at home and the Ducks stay in road whites. Anaheim takes Game 2 on the road to even the series 1-1. Same look as the opener, same score. Oilers blue against Ducks whites still reads well on broadcast, and the series now has the drama to match the visual.
Game 2: Philadelphia Flyers at Pittsburgh Penguins
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Score: 9 / 10
Same jerseys as Game 1. The Penguins run it back in their yellow alternate at home and the Flyers repeat their road whites. Philadelphia takes Game 2 on the road to go up 2-0 in the series. Same 9 out of 10 matchup that opened the series, same Pens yellow and Flyers whites combo that reads so well on NHL broadcasts. The road team winning back-to-back in Pittsburgh sets up a loud Philadelphia crowd for Game 3.
Round 1 Game 1 Matchups
Game 1: Ottawa Senators at Carolina Hurricanes
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Score: 4 / 10
The Hurricanes bring out their black primary home sweater and the Senators counter in their road whites. We like both jerseys as individual looks, and the Sens whites in particular are underrated. But next to each other, the color palettes are too similar. Both teams lean into red and black accents, both sweaters carry dark detailing, and the broadcast ends up feeling monochrome. Clean home-and-away execution on the NHL's part, weaker visual payoff.
Game 1: Minnesota Wild at Dallas Stars
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Score: 8 / 10
The Stars break out their black alternate home sweater with the star on the chest and we are all the way in. This is one of the cleanest alternate looks in the league, and pairing it with the ice at American Airlines Center makes the broadcast pop. The Wild hold up their end in clean road whites with the green and red accents reading cleanly against Dallas black. We've always been fans of this matchup, and Round 1 Game 1 delivers exactly what we want it to.
Game 1: Philadelphia Flyers at Pittsburgh Penguins
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Score: 9 / 10
The Penguins go with their yellow alternate at home and the Flyers counter in their road whites. Both are iconic NHL looks. The Pens yellow is one of the best alternate sweaters in hockey and the Flyers orange-and-white road is one of the most recognizable silhouettes in the league. The only thing keeping this from a 10 is we wish Pittsburgh had stuck with their primary black for the full traditional Penguins look. Still one of the best matchups of Round 1.
Game 1: Los Angeles Kings at Colorado Avalanche
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Score: 8 / 10
The Avalanche in their burgundy at home and the Kings in clean whites on the road. Denver's burgundy reads beautifully against LA's silver-trimmed whites. Both teams in their primary editions, both using color palettes that clash cleanly on broadcast. This is exactly what NHL playoff hockey is supposed to look like when both teams commit to their classic looks.
Game 1: Montreal Canadiens at Tampa Bay Lightning
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Score: 5 / 10
The Lightning in blue at home and the Canadiens in white on the road. Clean home-and-away execution. Contrast reads fine on broadcast, the colors work, and neither team is making a mistake here. The issue is that the combined visual is a little flat. Both franchise identities get carried by the blue on one side and the Habs wordmark on the other without much energy. Functional playoff look without much personality.
Game 1: Boston Bruins at Buffalo Sabres
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Score: 10 / 10
This is what a Round 1 matchup should look like. The Sabres break out their royal blue home sweater and it is one of the cleanest looks in the league. The Bruins in their iconic road whites with the black and gold accents provide exactly the right contrast. Buffalo blue against Boston white on the ice at KeyBank Center is one of the best-looking jersey matchups of the entire NHL postseason. No notes. Perfect 10.
Game 1: Utah Mammoth at Vegas Golden Knights
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Score: 6 / 10
The Mammoth break out their road set and we are into it. Utah's first-year identity is one of the cleanest redesigns in the league, and the wordmark and crest carry the same puck-drop-era design energy we've been fans of from day one. The Golden Knights in their gold primary at home are a tougher sell. Vegas gold reads better on a replica in a store than it does on a broadcast, and the gold-against-white visual runs a little boring on TV even when both teams are committing to the home-and-away playoff standard.
Game 1: Anaheim Ducks at Edmonton Oilers
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Score: 7.5 / 10
The Oilers go with their blue primary at home and the Ducks in whites on the road. Both are great-looking individual jerseys. The Oilers blue is one of the most underrated primary sweaters in hockey and the Ducks road white carries the team's classic orange and black accents cleanly. The one nitpick is that the orange accent colors between the two teams are close enough that the jerseys can feel visually similar at the top of the chest on broadcast. The overall look is still strong, we just wanted a little more visual separation. Nice Round 1 combination.
Round 1 Scorecard
Game 3s averaged 7.9 out of 10 across the eight series, the strongest game number of Round 1 so far thanks to every home team getting their first home playoff game and most pulling out their primary sweater. Lightning at Canadiens and Oilers at Ducks each jumped four points and a point and a half from their Game 1 grades when Montreal broke out the iconic red and Anaheim hit the ice in their primary orange. Game 4s averaged 8.0 across the seven completed games, the highest of Round 1, with two series sweeps and three series tied 2-2.
Round 1 Running Average
7.5 / 10
Thirty-One Games Through Sunday. Round 1 Jersey Aesthetic Grade.
Frequently Asked Questions About the 2026 NHL Playoffs Round 1 Uniforms
What jerseys are the NHL teams wearing in Round 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs?
All eight Round 1 Game 1 jersey matchups are official. The Hurricanes wear their black primary at home against the Senators in white, the Stars wear their black alternate with the center star at home against the Wild in white, the Penguins wear their yellow alternate at home against the Flyers in white, the Avalanche wear burgundy at home against the Kings in white, the Lightning wear blue at home against the Canadiens in white, the Sabres wear royal blue at home against the Bruins in white, the Golden Knights wear their gold primary at home against the Mammoth in white, and the Oilers wear their blue primary at home against the Ducks in white.
When did Round 1 of the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs start?
Round 1 of the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs tipped off in mid-April with all eight series underway. Games are split between TNT Sports (TNT, TBS, truTV, HBO Max) and ESPN (ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, ESPN Unlimited).
What is the best-looking Round 1 NHL Playoffs matchup so far?
The Boston Bruins at Buffalo Sabres earned a perfect 10 out of 10 with Buffalo in royal blue home sweaters and Boston in their iconic road whites on the ice at KeyBank Center. It's the cleanest broadcast visual of Round 1.
What is the worst-graded Round 1 NHL Playoffs matchup so far?
The Ottawa Senators at Carolina Hurricanes earned a 4 out of 10 for Game 1 and Game 2. Both teams are in strong individual jerseys, but the red-and-black color palettes overlap enough that the broadcast visual runs monochrome.
Who won Game 2 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1 series?
Wednesday's Game 2 results: the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Montreal Canadiens at home to even that series 1-1 after Montreal took Game 1 on the road, the Boston Bruins beat the Buffalo Sabres on the road to even the series 1-1, the Utah Mammoth beat the Vegas Golden Knights on the road to even that series 1-1, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Los Angeles Kings to lead that series 2-0. Every team wore the same jersey they wore in Game 1, so the matchup scores repeat in our tracker.
Did the teams wear different jerseys for Game 2 of the 2026 NHL Playoffs?
No. Every Round 1 series that has played Game 2 so far ran back the same sweater combination from Game 1. The Hurricanes stayed in their black primary, the Stars stayed in their black alternate with the center star, the Penguins stayed in their yellow alternate, the Avalanche stayed in burgundy, the Lightning stayed in blue, the Sabres stayed in royal blue, the Golden Knights stayed in their gold primary, and the Oilers stayed in their blue primary. Every road team repeated their whites. The NHL's home-color, road-white convention produces consistent jersey matchups from game to game.
Who won Game 3 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1 series?
Game 3 results across all eight series: Carolina took a 3-0 lead at Ottawa, Dallas took a 2-1 lead in Minnesota, Philadelphia took a 3-0 lead at home over Pittsburgh, Colorado took a 3-0 lead at Los Angeles, Montreal took a 2-1 lead at home over Tampa Bay, Buffalo took a 2-1 lead at Boston, Utah took a 2-1 lead at home over Vegas, and Anaheim took a 2-1 lead at home over Edmonton. Every home team got their first home game of Round 1 and every home team wore a primary sweater.
Who won Game 4 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1 series?
Game 4 results across the seven completed series: Carolina swept Ottawa 4-0 on Saturday, Minnesota beat Dallas 3-2 to even the series 2-2 on Saturday, Pittsburgh beat Philadelphia on Saturday to avoid the sweep with the Flyers leading 3-1, Buffalo beat Boston on Sunday to take a 3-1 series lead, Colorado swept Los Angeles 4-0 on Sunday, Tampa Bay beat Montreal on Sunday to even the series 2-2, and Anaheim beat Edmonton on Sunday to take a 3-1 series lead. Vegas at Mammoth Game 4 tips Monday night at Delta Center.
Did the Canadiens and Ducks pull out their primary home sweaters in Round 1?
Yes. Montreal pulled out their iconic red home sweater for Game 3 and Game 4 at Bell Centre, the first time we have seen the Canadiens primary in Round 1. Anaheim pulled out their primary orange home sweater for Game 3 and Game 4 at Honda Center, the first time we have seen the Ducks primary in Round 1. Both matchups jumped to a 9 out of 10 for the home games, the largest score increase of any series between Game 2 and Game 3.
What is the best-graded Round 1 NHL Playoffs matchup so far?
Three matchups share a perfect 10 out of 10 across the round so far: the Boston Bruins at Buffalo Sabres in Game 1 and Game 2 with Buffalo in royal blue and Boston in their iconic road whites, and the Pittsburgh Penguins at Philadelphia Flyers in Game 3 and Game 4 with Pittsburgh in classic whites and Philadelphia in Icon orange. Both home teams committed to their primary sweater, and both produced the cleanest broadcast visuals of Round 1.
Are the Bruins still wearing their road whites for Game 2 against the Sabres?
Yes. The Boston Bruins wore their classic road white sweater for Game 2 against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Wednesday, the same sweater they wore in Game 1. Buffalo repeated their royal blue home sweater. The matchup earned a perfect 10 out of 10 for the second straight game, and Boston won Game 2 on the road to even the series 1-1.
Are the Dallas Stars wearing the black alternate in Round 1?
Yes. The Dallas Stars are wearing their black alternate home sweater with the center star on the chest for Round 1 against the Minnesota Wild. It's one of the cleanest alternate sweaters in the league, and it makes the Stars-Wild matchup one of the best-looking series of Round 1.
Are the Penguins wearing the yellow alternate in Round 1?
Yes. The Pittsburgh Penguins are wearing their yellow alternate home sweater against the Philadelphia Flyers in Round 1. The yellow alternate combined with the Flyers whites on the road earned a 9 out of 10.
What are the Utah Mammoth wearing in Round 1?
The Utah Mammoth are wearing their road whites in Round 1 against the Vegas Golden Knights. The Mammoth's first-year identity carries the same clean, modern design energy we've been fans of from day one.
How does the NHL decide which jerseys teams wear in the playoffs?
The NHL enforces a straightforward home-and-away convention in the playoffs. Home teams wear color, road teams wear white, no exceptions. Teams can choose which home sweater to wear (primary or alternate). For Round 1, the Penguins (yellow) and Stars (black with the center star) are the only two teams leaning into their alternates. Every other home team has worn their primary home sweater every game.
Will you update this post with each round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs?
Yes. We'll continue tracking jersey matchups through the entire 2026 NHL Playoffs. As the series progress, we'll update each matchup's wear count and record in uniform, and we'll add Round 2, Conference Finals, and Stanley Cup Final coverage as those matchups are set.
2026 NHL Playoffs Coverage
For more on the postseason branding, see our piece on the NHL removing the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo from the ice.
Jersey matchups updated game by game. We'll grade every series through the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.
