<P> The Stanley Cup playoffs (French: Les séries éliminatoires de la Coupe Stanley) is an elimination tournament in the National Hockey League consisting of four rounds of best - of - seven series . Eight teams from each of the two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season points totals . The final round is commonly known as the Stanley Cup Finals, which sees the two conference champions play for the Stanley Cup . </P> <P> The NHL has always used a playoff tournament to determine its champion . Its playoff system has changed over the years, from the league's inception in 1917 when ownership of the Stanley Cup was shared between different leagues, to when the NHL took over the Cup in 1926, to the current setup today . </P> <P> The Stanley Cup playoffs consists of four rounds of best - of - seven series . Each series is played in a 2--2--1--1--1 format, meaning the team with home - ice advantage hosts games one, two, five, and seven, while their opponent hosts games three, four, and six . Games five, six, and seven are only played if needed . </P> <P> Eight teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs . In the playoff series format instituted in 2014, the first, second, and third place team in each of the four divisions qualify for the playoffs automatically . Two additional teams from each conference, regardless of divisional alignment, also qualify for the playoffs by having the highest point totals out of the remaining teams in the conference . These teams are referred to as the Wild Cards . Since there is no attention paid to divisional alignment with the wild cards, it is possible for one division in each conference to have five teams in the postseason while the other has just three . </P>

Is the first round of nhl playoffs best of 5 or best of 7