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FIDE Candidates 2026: What is the tie-breaker format in women’s category?  The FIDE Candidates 2026 is advancing to its final stages, and the women’s category in particular has been tightly contested.Ahead of Round 11 which will happen on Saturday, April 11, India’s R Vaishali holds a slender lead of 0.5 up top with six points followed by China’s Zhu Jiner and Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk who are both tied for second place with 5.5 points.
Points table: Women’s Category (Updated until Round 10)

1. R. Vaishali – 6

2. Zhu Jiner – 5.5

2. Anna Muzychuk – 5.5

4. Aleksandra Goryachkina – 5

4. Bibisara Assaubayeva – 5

4. Kateryna Lagno – 5

7. Divya Deshmukh – 4.5

8. Tan Zhongyi – 3.5
Here are the Tie-Breaker regulations for the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026
Tie-Breaker Regulations

If there is a tie for first place after 14 rounds, a playoff to determine the winner shall be played. The play-off may consist of up to three stages.
Stage 1:
a) If there are 2 players tied, after a drawing for colors made on the day of Round 14, a match of two games shall be played with a time control of 15 minutes for each player + 10 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1.

b) If there are between 3 and 6 players (inclusive) tied, after pairings made on the day of Round 14, a single round robin tournament shall be played with a time control of 15 minutes for each player + 10 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1.

c) If there are either 7 or 8 players tied, after pairings made on the day of Round 14, a single round robin tournament shall be played with a time control of 10 minutes for each player + 5 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1.
Stage 2: Played among players who remain tied for first place after Stage 1

a) If there are 2 players tied, after a drawing for colors, a match of two games shall be played with a time control of 3 minutes for each player + 2 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1.

b) If there are more than 2 players tied, after new pairings, a single round robin tournament shall be played with a time control of 3 minutes for each player + 2 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1.
Stage 3: Played among players who remain tied for first place after Stage 2

a) A knockout tournament shall be played. If there are more than two players, the knockout bracket shall be determined by drawing of lots. Each match shall consist of one game played with a time control of 3 minutes for each player + 2 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1. The colours for the game shall be determined by a drawing of lots.

b) If the game in clause a) is drawn, another game shall be played with the colors reversed with a time control of 3 minutes for each player + 2 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1.

c) If the game in clause b) is drawn, then one sudden death game shall be played.
Sudden Death Regulations
• White will have 4 minutes + 2 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1.

• Both players will submit a time bid – specifying how much starting time they are willing to play with as Black, also with a 2-second increment per move, starting from move 1. A bid cannot be more than 4 minutes. The player who submits the lowest time wins the bid and plays with Black. If the players make exactly the same bid, Black starts with that amount of time; colors will be determined by drawing of lots.

• If the sudden death game is drawn, Black will win the match.

Tie-Breaker Regulations for other positions

If a playoff for first place is played, ties for all positions except for first place shall be broken according to the following criteria, in order of priority:

a) The later round reached in Stage III of the playoff .

b) The higher number of points scored in Stage II of the playoff.

c) The higher number of points scored in Stage I of the playoff.

If there is no tie for first place after 14 rounds, ties for all positions shall be broken according to the following criteria, in order of priority:

a) Sonneborn-Berger System.

b) Total number of wins in the tournament.

c) The results of the games between the players involved in the tie.

d) Drawing of lots.
Published on Apr 13, 2026  #FIDE #Candidates #tiebreaker #format #womens #category

FIDE Candidates 2026: What is the tie-breaker format in women’s category?

The FIDE Candidates 2026 is advancing to its final stages, and the women’s category in particular has been tightly contested.

Ahead of Round 11 which will happen on Saturday, April 11, India’s R Vaishali holds a slender lead of 0.5 up top with six points followed by China’s Zhu Jiner and Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk who are both tied for second place with 5.5 points.

Points table: Women’s Category (Updated until Round 10)

1. R. Vaishali – 6

2. Zhu Jiner – 5.5

2. Anna Muzychuk – 5.5

4. Aleksandra Goryachkina – 5

4. Bibisara Assaubayeva – 5

4. Kateryna Lagno – 5

7. Divya Deshmukh – 4.5

8. Tan Zhongyi – 3.5

Here are the Tie-Breaker regulations for the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026

Tie-Breaker Regulations

If there is a tie for first place after 14 rounds, a playoff to determine the winner shall be played. The play-off may consist of up to three stages.

Stage 1:

a) If there are 2 players tied, after a drawing for colors made on the day of Round 14, a match of two games shall be played with a time control of 15 minutes for each player + 10 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1.

b) If there are between 3 and 6 players (inclusive) tied, after pairings made on the day of Round 14, a single round robin tournament shall be played with a time control of 15 minutes for each player + 10 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1.

c) If there are either 7 or 8 players tied, after pairings made on the day of Round 14, a single round robin tournament shall be played with a time control of 10 minutes for each player + 5 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1.

Stage 2: Played among players who remain tied for first place after Stage 1

a) If there are 2 players tied, after a drawing for colors, a match of two games shall be played with a time control of 3 minutes for each player + 2 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1.

b) If there are more than 2 players tied, after new pairings, a single round robin tournament shall be played with a time control of 3 minutes for each player + 2 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1.

Stage 3: Played among players who remain tied for first place after Stage 2

a) A knockout tournament shall be played. If there are more than two players, the knockout bracket shall be determined by drawing of lots. Each match shall consist of one game played with a time control of 3 minutes for each player + 2 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1. The colours for the game shall be determined by a drawing of lots.

b) If the game in clause a) is drawn, another game shall be played with the colors reversed with a time control of 3 minutes for each player + 2 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1.

c) If the game in clause b) is drawn, then one sudden death game shall be played.

Sudden Death Regulations

• White will have 4 minutes + 2 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1.

• Both players will submit a time bid – specifying how much starting time they are willing to play with as Black, also with a 2-second increment per move, starting from move 1. A bid cannot be more than 4 minutes. The player who submits the lowest time wins the bid and plays with Black. If the players make exactly the same bid, Black starts with that amount of time; colors will be determined by drawing of lots.

• If the sudden death game is drawn, Black will win the match.

Tie-Breaker Regulations for other positions

If a playoff for first place is played, ties for all positions except for first place shall be broken according to the following criteria, in order of priority:

a) The later round reached in Stage III of the playoff .

b) The higher number of points scored in Stage II of the playoff.

c) The higher number of points scored in Stage I of the playoff.

If there is no tie for first place after 14 rounds, ties for all positions shall be broken according to the following criteria, in order of priority:

a) Sonneborn-Berger System.

b) Total number of wins in the tournament.

c) The results of the games between the players involved in the tie.

d) Drawing of lots.

Published on Apr 13, 2026

#FIDE #Candidates #tiebreaker #format #womens #category

The FIDE Candidates 2026 is advancing to its final stages, and the women’s category in particular has been tightly contested.

Ahead of Round 11 which will happen on Saturday, April 11, India’s R Vaishali holds a slender lead of 0.5 up top with six points followed by China’s Zhu Jiner and Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk who are both tied for second place with 5.5 points.

Points table: Women’s Category (Updated until Round 10)

1. R. Vaishali – 6

2. Zhu Jiner – 5.5

2. Anna Muzychuk – 5.5

4. Aleksandra Goryachkina – 5

4. Bibisara Assaubayeva – 5

4. Kateryna Lagno – 5

7. Divya Deshmukh – 4.5

8. Tan Zhongyi – 3.5

Here are the Tie-Breaker regulations for the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026

Tie-Breaker Regulations

If there is a tie for first place after 14 rounds, a playoff to determine the winner shall be played. The play-off may consist of up to three stages.

Stage 1:

a) If there are 2 players tied, after a drawing for colors made on the day of Round 14, a match of two games shall be played with a time control of 15 minutes for each player + 10 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1.

b) If there are between 3 and 6 players (inclusive) tied, after pairings made on the day of Round 14, a single round robin tournament shall be played with a time control of 15 minutes for each player + 10 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1.

c) If there are either 7 or 8 players tied, after pairings made on the day of Round 14, a single round robin tournament shall be played with a time control of 10 minutes for each player + 5 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1.

Stage 2: Played among players who remain tied for first place after Stage 1

a) If there are 2 players tied, after a drawing for colors, a match of two games shall be played with a time control of 3 minutes for each player + 2 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1.

b) If there are more than 2 players tied, after new pairings, a single round robin tournament shall be played with a time control of 3 minutes for each player + 2 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1.

Stage 3: Played among players who remain tied for first place after Stage 2

a) A knockout tournament shall be played. If there are more than two players, the knockout bracket shall be determined by drawing of lots. Each match shall consist of one game played with a time control of 3 minutes for each player + 2 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1. The colours for the game shall be determined by a drawing of lots.

b) If the game in clause a) is drawn, another game shall be played with the colors reversed with a time control of 3 minutes for each player + 2 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1.

c) If the game in clause b) is drawn, then one sudden death game shall be played.

Sudden Death Regulations

• White will have 4 minutes + 2 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1.

• Both players will submit a time bid – specifying how much starting time they are willing to play with as Black, also with a 2-second increment per move, starting from move 1. A bid cannot be more than 4 minutes. The player who submits the lowest time wins the bid and plays with Black. If the players make exactly the same bid, Black starts with that amount of time; colors will be determined by drawing of lots.

• If the sudden death game is drawn, Black will win the match.

Tie-Breaker Regulations for other positions

If a playoff for first place is played, ties for all positions except for first place shall be broken according to the following criteria, in order of priority:

a) The later round reached in Stage III of the playoff .

b) The higher number of points scored in Stage II of the playoff.

c) The higher number of points scored in Stage I of the playoff.

If there is no tie for first place after 14 rounds, ties for all positions shall be broken according to the following criteria, in order of priority:

a) Sonneborn-Berger System.

b) Total number of wins in the tournament.

c) The results of the games between the players involved in the tie.

d) Drawing of lots.

Published on Apr 13, 2026

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#FIDE #Candidates #tiebreaker #format #womens #category

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Deadspin | Nico Hischier (3 points) nets OT winner as Devils defeat Senators <div id=""><section id="0" class=" w-full"><div class="xl:container mx-0 !px-4 py-0 pb-4 !mx-0 !px-0"><img src="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28718062.jpg" srcset="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28718062.jpg" alt="NHL: Ottawa Senators at New Jersey Devils" class="w-full" fetchpriority="high" loading="eager"/><span class="text-0.8 leading-tight">Apr 12, 2026; Newark, New Jersey, USA; New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier (13) celebrates with teammates after scoring the game-winning goal in overtime against the Ottawa Senators at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images<!-- --> <!-- --> </span></div></section><section id="section-1"> <p>Nico Hischier scored a power-play goal with 1:42 remaining in overtime and the New Jersey Devils earned a 4-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Sunday night in Newark, N.J.</p> </section><section id="section-2"> <p>Hischier collected two goals and an assist and finished off his fifth three-point game of the season by getting to the net after winning an offensive zone faceoff from Shane Pinto.</p> </section><section id="section-3"> <p>The Devils moved the puck around and goalie James Reimer stopped a shot by Jack Hughes. Reimer could not control the rebound as Hischier beat Ottawa defensemen Artem Zub and Nikolas Matinpalo to the loose puck and slid it under his pads for his ninth career overtime goal.</p> </section><section id="section-4"> <p>Dawson Mercer scored the tying goal on a short-handed breakaway with 7:32 remaining in regulation after getting a tally disallowed due to an offsides call in the first period. Connor Brown also scored on a short-handed breakaway as the Devils held a 2-0 lead through the opening 20 minutes.</p> </section><section id="section-5"> <p>Hughes notched two assists to reach 50 assists for the second time in his career as the Devils (42-36-3, 87 points) improved to 14-7-1 in their past 22 games.</p> </section><br/><section id="section-6"> <p>Ottawa countered New Jersey’s early lead with three goals in a span of 6:32 during the second period.</p> </section> <section id="section-7"> <p>Michael Amadio scored on a redirection of Zub’s point shot with 12:18 remaining, Pinto buried a one-timer from the right circle with 9:35 left and Fabian Zetterlund put a puck into the open net after forcing a turnover by Hughes near the crease with 5:46 to go.</p> </section><section id="section-8"> <p>New Jersey goalie Nico Daws made 27 saves in his second appearance this season and highlighted his effort with a point-blank stop on Drake Batherson in the final minute before overtime.</p> </section><section id="section-9"> <p>Reimer made 26 saves for the Senators (43-27-11, 97 points), who saw a four-game winning streak stopped and are one point behind Boston for the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. If the teams finish tied, Ottawa would win the tiebreaker due to their 37 regulation wins.</p> </section><section id="section-10"> <p>A day after clinching a playoff spot with Saturday afternoon’s 3-0 win over the New York Islanders, the Senators rested Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stuztle along with defensemen Thomas Chabot and Jake Sanderson.</p> </section><section id="section-11"> <p>–Field Level Media</p> </section></div> #Deadspin #Nico #Hischier #points #nets #winner #Devils #defeat #Senators

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Deadspin | Canadiens ride 3-goal flurry to win, eliminating Isles from playoff race <div id=""><section id="0" class=" w-full"><div class="xl:container mx-0 !px-4 py-0 pb-4 !mx-0 !px-0"><img src="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28716390.jpg" srcset="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28716390.jpg" alt="NHL: Montreal Canadiens at New York Islanders" class="w-full" fetchpriority="high" loading="eager"/><span class="text-0.8 leading-tight">Apr 12, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; Montréal Canadiens right wing Ivan Demidov (93) tips a shot towards New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (30) in the first period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Alexander Wohl-Imagn Images<!-- --> <!-- --> </span></div></section><section id="section-1"> <p>Nick Suzuki, Ivan Demidov and Alex Newhook scored in a 55-second span late in the second period for the Montreal Canadiens, who eliminated the collapsed New York Islanders from playoff contention with a 4-1 win Sunday night in Elmont, N.Y.</p> </section><section id="section-2"> <p>Jacob Fowler made 29 saves while Zachary Bolduc scored with 14.7 seconds left in the third for the playoff-bound Canadiens (48-23-10, 106 points), who maintained their hopes of winning the Atlantic Division or finishing second and earning home ice in the first round.</p> </section><section id="section-3"> <p>The Canadiens are tied for first with the Buffalo Sabres, two points ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Montreal does not have the regulation wins tiebreaker over either team.</p> </section><section id="section-4"> <p>Casey Cizikas scored in the third for the Islanders (43-33-5, 91 points), who occupied a playoff spot for most of the season before losing nine of their past 13 (4-9-0). New York entered the weekend one point behind the third-place Philadelphia Flyers in the Metropolitan Division but had its hopes damaged in a 3-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators Saturday afternoon.</p> </section><section id="section-5"> <p>The skid cost head coach Patrick Roy his job April 5. Peter DeBoer fell to 1-2-0 at the helm Sunday.</p> </section><br/><section id="section-6"> <p>Goalie Ilya Sorokin recorded 18 saves.</p> </section> <section id="section-7"> <p>The Canadiens outshot the Islanders 15-11 before breaking through when Juraj Slafkosky passed into the crease, and Suzuki extended his stick and flicked the puck past Sorokin with 4:04 left in the middle frame.</p> </section><section id="section-8"> <p>Islanders rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer was whistled for high-sticking Cole Caufield moments before the goal to set up the power play that resulted in Demidov’s score 28 seconds later. Suzuki, in the left faceoff circle, dished the puck across the ice and Demidov went to one knee at the goal line before beating Sorokin, who couldn’t sprawl back into position.</p> </section><section id="section-9"> <p>Newhook completed the flurry with 3:09 remaining. Bolduc chipped the puck to a streaking Newhook, who was well ahead of Cizikas before he bore in on Sorokin and sent a shot beyond his stick shoulder.</p> </section><section id="section-10"> <p>Cizikas redirected Scott Mayfield’s shot from above the left faceoff circle with 11:15 left. Sorokin exited for the extra skater with 3:30 remaining but the Islanders could get no closer before Bolduc scored an even-strength goal.</p> </section><section id="section-11"> <p>–Field Level Media</p> </section></div> #Deadspin #Canadiens #ride #3goal #flurry #win #eliminating #Isles #playoff #race

The NHL has hit the business end of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with just four teams remaining. The Eastern Conference Finals is entering its fourth game between the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens, with Carolina leading 2-1. The West sees the Colorado Avalanche trying to stave off elimination against the Vegas Golden Knights, who are leading 3-0.

That’s the top-down view, but if you haven’t been keeping up with the NHL postseason so far, but want to dive in, let’s go a little deeper into these four remaining teams, as well as discuss the broader theme of the playoffs so far.

The Hurricanes have been the most consistent team in the playoffs with an overall record of 10-1, built on the back of their lane-clogging defense and suffocating forecheck. It’s also fair to say they’ve been one of the least-tested teams in the postseason thanks to back-to-back series against the Senators and Flyers to kick off their run.

On paper this team has every tool needed to hoist the cup, but they have two glaring issues right now:

Firstly is in net, where veteran Freddie Andersen has been extremely unreliable in the ECF. In three games he’s allowed 10 goals on 47 shots, an abysmal save percentage of 0.787% — not all of that is on Andersen, with Carolina having defensive breakdowns in every goal allowed, but a playoff-caliber netminder shouldn’t let in as many easy goals as he has.

The second issue is that the Hurricanes’ top line really hasn’t separated itself to prove it can be a cup-winning unit. Andrei Svechnikov/Sebastian Aho/Seth Jarvis have had a lot of opportunities, but not a lot of results. They need this top line to pick up their play in order to really feel like a team that can go all the way.

MONTREAL, CANADA - MAY 25: Andrei Svechnikov #37 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates with Jordan Martinook #48 and Jalen Chatfield #5 after scoring the game-winning goal against the Montréal Canadiens during overtime in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre on May 25, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

MONTREAL, CANADA – MAY 25: Andrei Svechnikov #37 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates with Jordan Martinook #48 and Jalen Chatfield #5 after scoring the game-winning goal against the Montréal Canadiens during overtime in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre on May 25, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Montreal has re-emerged this season to become an exciting and young team, with legitimate Stanley Cup potential in the future. I say, “in the future,” because the ECF thus far has proven there’s still a lot to work on for the Habs. Their free-flowing offense based on long outlet passes to the wings is a beautiful tactic, but it’s too predictable and one-note. It caught Carolina off guard in Game 1, but they’ve since adjusted to allow only 25 shots in two games, after Montreal had 22 shots in Game 1 alone.

The team needs more toughness, both up front and on the blue line — which can come with time. The real story of the postseason for Montreal has been the breakout performance of rookie goalie Jakub Dobeš, who is cementing himself as an absolute phenom. Without Dobeš in goal the Canadiens would have likely allowed five or six more goals in this series, and the rookie legitimately looks like a future Vezina-caliber tender.

This series is far from over with Carolina really struggling to get quality opportunities because of Dobeš, while also having extreme goaltending issues of their own. Montreal is fast, skilled, and if they can crack the code to breaking through the Canes’ defense then they will cause problems.

The Canadiens went through the No. 2 and No. 3 ranked teams in the East to reach this point. They proved their mettle against the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Buffalo Sabres, both of whom were outclassed. Meanwhile the Hurricanes had an easier route through the Metropolitan division, but showed why they were the top team in the Eastern Conference this season.

The Avs were the runaway favorites to win the Stanley Cup this year on the back of an astounding regular season that saw the team finish at 55-16-11 to win the Presidents’ Cup — but everything is going wrong. A late-season injury to phenom defenseman Cale Makar carried into the playoffs, and his absence is really showing in the Western Conference Finals.

Without Makar at full strength, the shape of Colorado falls apart, both offensively and defensively. You can see the void on the ice, and problematically other players haven’t stepped up. Martin Necas has largely disappeared this postseason, and with him playing poorly we’ve see Nathan McKinnon suffer as well.

Call it the Presidents’ Cup Curse, but this doesn’t look anything like the Avalanche team which bodied the league during the regular season, then beat the Stars and Wild. Colorado is out of gas, and down 3-0 against the Knights means it’s almost assured they will go home.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 24: Mark Stone #61 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates his goal with Tomas Hertl #48 and Mitch Marner #93 during the second period in Game Three of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche at T-Mobile Arena on May 24, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights defeated the Avalanche 5-3. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 24: Mark Stone #61 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates his goal with Tomas Hertl #48 and Mitch Marner #93 during the second period in Game Three of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche at T-Mobile Arena on May 24, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights defeated the Avalanche 5-3. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Full credit to the Knights, because they really looked nothing like a cup team until they installed John Tortarella as head coach late in the season. This team is an entirely different animal with Torts on the bench, and their veteran experience paired with star power have made them a team to watch.

One of the biggest benefactors of the new coaching scheme has been Mitch Marner, who was the Knights’ big free agent signing last summer. Initially, he struggled to find his footing in Vegas, but in the postseason he has 21 points in 15 games — earning every cent of his big money contract.

This is a team that is really difficult to put in a box. They were so average during the regular season it’s tough to ignore, but so good now that it can’t be overlooked. Now they’re taking it to Colorado in the Western Conference Finals to give themselves a legitimate shot to win it all.

This was a similar story to the East where the Avalanche went thought the toughest competition inside the conference, while the Golden Knights got an easy road. If you see people complaining about the playoff structure in the NHL then the west is the best reason why, because the Avs had to play the No. 2 and No. 3 ranked teams in the West just to reach the conference finals, despite being the best team in the conference — while Vegas drew No. 6 and No. 7 ranked teams, while finishing 5th in the division.

Stanley Cup Finals prediction

The Golden Knights should close out against the Avalanche, while I believe the Hurricanes will need six games to put away Montreal. This sets us up for Vegas vs. Carolina in the Stanley Cup Finals.

It’s been a tremendous run for the Golden Knights, but Carolina is the toughest team in these playoffs. Their defense alone makes them nearly impenetrable, and no team has solved it so far.

Carolina Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup, 4-2

#NHL #Stanley #Cup #Playoffs #Conference #primer #race #cup #real">NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs: Conference primer as the race for the cup gets real  The NHL has hit the business end of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with just four teams remaining. The Eastern Conference Finals is entering its fourth game between the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens, with Carolina leading 2-1. The West sees the Colorado Avalanche trying to stave off elimination against the Vegas Golden Knights, who are leading 3-0.That’s the top-down view, but if you haven’t been keeping up with the NHL postseason so far, but want to dive in, let’s go a little deeper into these four remaining teams, as well as discuss the broader theme of the playoffs so far.The Hurricanes have been the most consistent team in the playoffs with an overall record of 10-1, built on the back of their lane-clogging defense and suffocating forecheck. It’s also fair to say they’ve been one of the least-tested teams in the postseason thanks to back-to-back series against the Senators and Flyers to kick off their run.On paper this team has every tool needed to hoist the cup, but they have two glaring issues right now:Firstly is in net, where veteran Freddie Andersen has been extremely unreliable in the ECF. In three games he’s allowed 10 goals on 47 shots, an abysmal save percentage of 0.787% — not all of that is on Andersen, with Carolina having defensive breakdowns in every goal allowed, but a playoff-caliber netminder shouldn’t let in as many easy goals as he has.The second issue is that the Hurricanes’ top line really hasn’t separated itself to prove it can be a cup-winning unit. Andrei Svechnikov/Sebastian Aho/Seth Jarvis have had a lot of opportunities, but not a lot of results. They need this top line to pick up their play in order to really feel like a team that can go all the way.MONTREAL, CANADA – MAY 25: Andrei Svechnikov #37 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates with Jordan Martinook #48 and Jalen Chatfield #5 after scoring the game-winning goal against the Montréal Canadiens during overtime in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre on May 25, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) Getty ImagesMontreal has re-emerged this season to become an exciting and young team, with legitimate Stanley Cup potential in the future. I say, “in the future,” because the ECF thus far has proven there’s still a lot to work on for the Habs. Their free-flowing offense based on long outlet passes to the wings is a beautiful tactic, but it’s too predictable and one-note. It caught Carolina off guard in Game 1, but they’ve since adjusted to allow only 25 shots in two games, after Montreal had 22 shots in Game 1 alone.The team needs more toughness, both up front and on the blue line — which can come with time. The real story of the postseason for Montreal has been the breakout performance of rookie goalie Jakub Dobeš, who is cementing himself as an absolute phenom. Without Dobeš in goal the Canadiens would have likely allowed five or six more goals in this series, and the rookie legitimately looks like a future Vezina-caliber tender.This series is far from over with Carolina really struggling to get quality opportunities because of Dobeš, while also having extreme goaltending issues of their own. Montreal is fast, skilled, and if they can crack the code to breaking through the Canes’ defense then they will cause problems.The Canadiens went through the No. 2 and No. 3 ranked teams in the East to reach this point. They proved their mettle against the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Buffalo Sabres, both of whom were outclassed. Meanwhile the Hurricanes had an easier route through the Metropolitan division, but showed why they were the top team in the Eastern Conference this season.The Avs were the runaway favorites to win the Stanley Cup this year on the back of an astounding regular season that saw the team finish at 55-16-11 to win the Presidents’ Cup — but everything is going wrong. A late-season injury to phenom defenseman Cale Makar carried into the playoffs, and his absence is really showing in the Western Conference Finals.Without Makar at full strength, the shape of Colorado falls apart, both offensively and defensively. You can see the void on the ice, and problematically other players haven’t stepped up. Martin Necas has largely disappeared this postseason, and with him playing poorly we’ve see Nathan McKinnon suffer as well.Call it the Presidents’ Cup Curse, but this doesn’t look anything like the Avalanche team which bodied the league during the regular season, then beat the Stars and Wild. Colorado is out of gas, and down 3-0 against the Knights means it’s almost assured they will go home.LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 24: Mark Stone #61 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates his goal with Tomas Hertl #48 and Mitch Marner #93 during the second period in Game Three of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche at T-Mobile Arena on May 24, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights defeated the Avalanche 5-3. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images) Getty ImagesFull credit to the Knights, because they really looked nothing like a cup team until they installed John Tortarella as head coach late in the season. This team is an entirely different animal with Torts on the bench, and their veteran experience paired with star power have made them a team to watch.One of the biggest benefactors of the new coaching scheme has been Mitch Marner, who was the Knights’ big free agent signing last summer. Initially, he struggled to find his footing in Vegas, but in the postseason he has 21 points in 15 games — earning every cent of his big money contract.This is a team that is really difficult to put in a box. They were so average during the regular season it’s tough to ignore, but so good now that it can’t be overlooked. Now they’re taking it to Colorado in the Western Conference Finals to give themselves a legitimate shot to win it all.This was a similar story to the East where the Avalanche went thought the toughest competition inside the conference, while the Golden Knights got an easy road. If you see people complaining about the playoff structure in the NHL then the west is the best reason why, because the Avs had to play the No. 2 and No. 3 ranked teams in the West just to reach the conference finals, despite being the best team in the conference — while Vegas drew No. 6 and No. 7 ranked teams, while finishing 5th in the division.Stanley Cup Finals predictionThe Golden Knights should close out against the Avalanche, while I believe the Hurricanes will need six games to put away Montreal. This sets us up for Vegas vs. Carolina in the Stanley Cup Finals.It’s been a tremendous run for the Golden Knights, but Carolina is the toughest team in these playoffs. Their defense alone makes them nearly impenetrable, and no team has solved it so far.Carolina Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup, 4-2  #NHL #Stanley #Cup #Playoffs #Conference #primer #race #cup #real

MONTREAL, CANADA - MAY 25: Andrei Svechnikov #37 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates with Jordan Martinook #48 and Jalen Chatfield #5 after scoring the game-winning goal against the Montréal Canadiens during overtime in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre on May 25, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

MONTREAL, CANADA – MAY 25: Andrei Svechnikov #37 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates with Jordan Martinook #48 and Jalen Chatfield #5 after scoring the game-winning goal against the Montréal Canadiens during overtime in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre on May 25, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Montreal has re-emerged this season to become an exciting and young team, with legitimate Stanley Cup potential in the future. I say, “in the future,” because the ECF thus far has proven there’s still a lot to work on for the Habs. Their free-flowing offense based on long outlet passes to the wings is a beautiful tactic, but it’s too predictable and one-note. It caught Carolina off guard in Game 1, but they’ve since adjusted to allow only 25 shots in two games, after Montreal had 22 shots in Game 1 alone.

The team needs more toughness, both up front and on the blue line — which can come with time. The real story of the postseason for Montreal has been the breakout performance of rookie goalie Jakub Dobeš, who is cementing himself as an absolute phenom. Without Dobeš in goal the Canadiens would have likely allowed five or six more goals in this series, and the rookie legitimately looks like a future Vezina-caliber tender.

This series is far from over with Carolina really struggling to get quality opportunities because of Dobeš, while also having extreme goaltending issues of their own. Montreal is fast, skilled, and if they can crack the code to breaking through the Canes’ defense then they will cause problems.

The Canadiens went through the No. 2 and No. 3 ranked teams in the East to reach this point. They proved their mettle against the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Buffalo Sabres, both of whom were outclassed. Meanwhile the Hurricanes had an easier route through the Metropolitan division, but showed why they were the top team in the Eastern Conference this season.

The Avs were the runaway favorites to win the Stanley Cup this year on the back of an astounding regular season that saw the team finish at 55-16-11 to win the Presidents’ Cup — but everything is going wrong. A late-season injury to phenom defenseman Cale Makar carried into the playoffs, and his absence is really showing in the Western Conference Finals.

Without Makar at full strength, the shape of Colorado falls apart, both offensively and defensively. You can see the void on the ice, and problematically other players haven’t stepped up. Martin Necas has largely disappeared this postseason, and with him playing poorly we’ve see Nathan McKinnon suffer as well.

Call it the Presidents’ Cup Curse, but this doesn’t look anything like the Avalanche team which bodied the league during the regular season, then beat the Stars and Wild. Colorado is out of gas, and down 3-0 against the Knights means it’s almost assured they will go home.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 24: Mark Stone #61 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates his goal with Tomas Hertl #48 and Mitch Marner #93 during the second period in Game Three of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche at T-Mobile Arena on May 24, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights defeated the Avalanche 5-3. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 24: Mark Stone #61 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates his goal with Tomas Hertl #48 and Mitch Marner #93 during the second period in Game Three of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche at T-Mobile Arena on May 24, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights defeated the Avalanche 5-3. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Full credit to the Knights, because they really looked nothing like a cup team until they installed John Tortarella as head coach late in the season. This team is an entirely different animal with Torts on the bench, and their veteran experience paired with star power have made them a team to watch.

One of the biggest benefactors of the new coaching scheme has been Mitch Marner, who was the Knights’ big free agent signing last summer. Initially, he struggled to find his footing in Vegas, but in the postseason he has 21 points in 15 games — earning every cent of his big money contract.

This is a team that is really difficult to put in a box. They were so average during the regular season it’s tough to ignore, but so good now that it can’t be overlooked. Now they’re taking it to Colorado in the Western Conference Finals to give themselves a legitimate shot to win it all.

This was a similar story to the East where the Avalanche went thought the toughest competition inside the conference, while the Golden Knights got an easy road. If you see people complaining about the playoff structure in the NHL then the west is the best reason why, because the Avs had to play the No. 2 and No. 3 ranked teams in the West just to reach the conference finals, despite being the best team in the conference — while Vegas drew No. 6 and No. 7 ranked teams, while finishing 5th in the division.

Stanley Cup Finals prediction

The Golden Knights should close out against the Avalanche, while I believe the Hurricanes will need six games to put away Montreal. This sets us up for Vegas vs. Carolina in the Stanley Cup Finals.

It’s been a tremendous run for the Golden Knights, but Carolina is the toughest team in these playoffs. Their defense alone makes them nearly impenetrable, and no team has solved it so far.

Carolina Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup, 4-2

#NHL #Stanley #Cup #Playoffs #Conference #primer #race #cup #real">NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs: Conference primer as the race for the cup gets real

The NHL has hit the business end of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with just four teams remaining. The Eastern Conference Finals is entering its fourth game between the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens, with Carolina leading 2-1. The West sees the Colorado Avalanche trying to stave off elimination against the Vegas Golden Knights, who are leading 3-0.

That’s the top-down view, but if you haven’t been keeping up with the NHL postseason so far, but want to dive in, let’s go a little deeper into these four remaining teams, as well as discuss the broader theme of the playoffs so far.

The Hurricanes have been the most consistent team in the playoffs with an overall record of 10-1, built on the back of their lane-clogging defense and suffocating forecheck. It’s also fair to say they’ve been one of the least-tested teams in the postseason thanks to back-to-back series against the Senators and Flyers to kick off their run.

On paper this team has every tool needed to hoist the cup, but they have two glaring issues right now:

Firstly is in net, where veteran Freddie Andersen has been extremely unreliable in the ECF. In three games he’s allowed 10 goals on 47 shots, an abysmal save percentage of 0.787% — not all of that is on Andersen, with Carolina having defensive breakdowns in every goal allowed, but a playoff-caliber netminder shouldn’t let in as many easy goals as he has.

The second issue is that the Hurricanes’ top line really hasn’t separated itself to prove it can be a cup-winning unit. Andrei Svechnikov/Sebastian Aho/Seth Jarvis have had a lot of opportunities, but not a lot of results. They need this top line to pick up their play in order to really feel like a team that can go all the way.

MONTREAL, CANADA - MAY 25: Andrei Svechnikov #37 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates with Jordan Martinook #48 and Jalen Chatfield #5 after scoring the game-winning goal against the Montréal Canadiens during overtime in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre on May 25, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

MONTREAL, CANADA – MAY 25: Andrei Svechnikov #37 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates with Jordan Martinook #48 and Jalen Chatfield #5 after scoring the game-winning goal against the Montréal Canadiens during overtime in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre on May 25, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Montreal has re-emerged this season to become an exciting and young team, with legitimate Stanley Cup potential in the future. I say, “in the future,” because the ECF thus far has proven there’s still a lot to work on for the Habs. Their free-flowing offense based on long outlet passes to the wings is a beautiful tactic, but it’s too predictable and one-note. It caught Carolina off guard in Game 1, but they’ve since adjusted to allow only 25 shots in two games, after Montreal had 22 shots in Game 1 alone.

The team needs more toughness, both up front and on the blue line — which can come with time. The real story of the postseason for Montreal has been the breakout performance of rookie goalie Jakub Dobeš, who is cementing himself as an absolute phenom. Without Dobeš in goal the Canadiens would have likely allowed five or six more goals in this series, and the rookie legitimately looks like a future Vezina-caliber tender.

This series is far from over with Carolina really struggling to get quality opportunities because of Dobeš, while also having extreme goaltending issues of their own. Montreal is fast, skilled, and if they can crack the code to breaking through the Canes’ defense then they will cause problems.

The Canadiens went through the No. 2 and No. 3 ranked teams in the East to reach this point. They proved their mettle against the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Buffalo Sabres, both of whom were outclassed. Meanwhile the Hurricanes had an easier route through the Metropolitan division, but showed why they were the top team in the Eastern Conference this season.

The Avs were the runaway favorites to win the Stanley Cup this year on the back of an astounding regular season that saw the team finish at 55-16-11 to win the Presidents’ Cup — but everything is going wrong. A late-season injury to phenom defenseman Cale Makar carried into the playoffs, and his absence is really showing in the Western Conference Finals.

Without Makar at full strength, the shape of Colorado falls apart, both offensively and defensively. You can see the void on the ice, and problematically other players haven’t stepped up. Martin Necas has largely disappeared this postseason, and with him playing poorly we’ve see Nathan McKinnon suffer as well.

Call it the Presidents’ Cup Curse, but this doesn’t look anything like the Avalanche team which bodied the league during the regular season, then beat the Stars and Wild. Colorado is out of gas, and down 3-0 against the Knights means it’s almost assured they will go home.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 24: Mark Stone #61 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates his goal with Tomas Hertl #48 and Mitch Marner #93 during the second period in Game Three of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche at T-Mobile Arena on May 24, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights defeated the Avalanche 5-3. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 24: Mark Stone #61 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates his goal with Tomas Hertl #48 and Mitch Marner #93 during the second period in Game Three of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche at T-Mobile Arena on May 24, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights defeated the Avalanche 5-3. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Full credit to the Knights, because they really looked nothing like a cup team until they installed John Tortarella as head coach late in the season. This team is an entirely different animal with Torts on the bench, and their veteran experience paired with star power have made them a team to watch.

One of the biggest benefactors of the new coaching scheme has been Mitch Marner, who was the Knights’ big free agent signing last summer. Initially, he struggled to find his footing in Vegas, but in the postseason he has 21 points in 15 games — earning every cent of his big money contract.

This is a team that is really difficult to put in a box. They were so average during the regular season it’s tough to ignore, but so good now that it can’t be overlooked. Now they’re taking it to Colorado in the Western Conference Finals to give themselves a legitimate shot to win it all.

This was a similar story to the East where the Avalanche went thought the toughest competition inside the conference, while the Golden Knights got an easy road. If you see people complaining about the playoff structure in the NHL then the west is the best reason why, because the Avs had to play the No. 2 and No. 3 ranked teams in the West just to reach the conference finals, despite being the best team in the conference — while Vegas drew No. 6 and No. 7 ranked teams, while finishing 5th in the division.

Stanley Cup Finals prediction

The Golden Knights should close out against the Avalanche, while I believe the Hurricanes will need six games to put away Montreal. This sets us up for Vegas vs. Carolina in the Stanley Cup Finals.

It’s been a tremendous run for the Golden Knights, but Carolina is the toughest team in these playoffs. Their defense alone makes them nearly impenetrable, and no team has solved it so far.

Carolina Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup, 4-2

#NHL #Stanley #Cup #Playoffs #Conference #primer #race #cup #real

Royal Challengers Bengaluru became only the fourth team to make it to consecutive finals in the Indian Premier League.

Defending champion RCB achieved the feat by beating Gujarat Titans by 92 runs in the Qualifier 1 in Dharamsala on Tuesday.

Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians are the other three teams to pull off the feat.

CSK’s streak extended to four consecutive finals, from 2010 to 2013, with the side winning two of them.

Mumbai Indians followed suit by winning the 2019 and 2020 titles. Titans joined in by entering the 2022 and 2023 summit clashes, winning the first one.

Teams to make consecutive IPL finals

Chennai Super Kings: 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 (four consecutive finals)

Mumbai Indians: 2019 and 2020

Gujarat Titans: 2022 and 2023

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 2025 and 2026

Published on May 26, 2026

#RCB #fourth #team #enter #consecutive #IPL #finals">RCB becomes fourth team to enter consecutive IPL finals  Royal Challengers Bengaluru became only the fourth team to make it to consecutive finals in the Indian Premier League.Defending champion RCB achieved the feat by beating Gujarat Titans by 92 runs in the Qualifier 1 in Dharamsala on Tuesday.Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians are the other three teams to pull off the feat.CSK’s streak extended to four consecutive finals, from 2010 to 2013, with the side winning two of them.Mumbai Indians followed suit by winning the 2019 and 2020 titles. Titans joined in by entering the 2022 and 2023 summit clashes, winning the first one.
Teams to make consecutive IPL finals

Chennai Super Kings: 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 (four consecutive finals)

Mumbai Indians: 2019 and 2020

Gujarat Titans: 2022 and 2023

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 2025 and 2026
Published on May 26, 2026  #RCB #fourth #team #enter #consecutive #IPL #finals

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