The Tampa Bay Lightning have the most NHL playoff wins since 2000 with 126. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche are tied for second with 120 apiece, while the Boston Bruins rank fourth with 110.
This ranking counts Stanley Cup Playoff game wins from the 2000 playoffs through the end of the 2026 playoffs. That is the postseason attached to the 1999-00 season through the postseason attached to the 2025-26 season. It measures sustained playoff success, not only championships, so long runs and repeat appearances both matter.
The seven graphics cover franchises with at least five wins. The complete table also includes the Utah Mammoth, whose two wins in their first playoff appearance place them below the graphic cutoff. For more NHL history, see the most goals scored in a single NHL season.
Most NHL Playoff Wins Since 2000: Key Facts
- Leader: Tampa Bay Lightning, 126 playoff wins
- Second place: Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche, 120 each
- 100-win club: Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Colorado, Boston, Dallas, San Jose and Carolina
- Highest-ranked franchises without a Stanley Cup in this window: Dallas Stars and San Jose Sharks, 104 wins each
- Fastest expansion-era climb: Vegas Golden Knights, 76 wins since beginning play in 2017-18
- Newest entry: Utah Mammoth, two wins in the 2026 playoffs
- Last reviewed: August 11, 2026
How This Ranking Works
This is a ranking of postseason game wins, not series wins, playoff appearances or Stanley Cups. Every game classified in the NHL’s playoff records counts once, including the 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers and round-robin seeding games. Regular-season, preseason and exhibition wins are excluded.
“Since 2000” begins with the 2000 Stanley Cup Playoffs, which followed the 1999-00 regular season, and ends with Carolina winning the 2026 Stanley Cup. Teams with the same total share the same rank, and the next rank skips the appropriate number of places.
Franchise age matters. Vegas, Seattle and Utah had far fewer seasons available to accumulate wins. The inactive Arizona Coyotes remain listed because they recorded playoff wins during the period, while Utah is listed separately under its current franchise identity. The tiers are presentation bands for the supplied graphics; the complete table is ordered strictly by wins and does not include a tier column.
Tier 1: 120+ Playoff Wins
Tier 1 of NHL teams with the most playoff wins since 2000, featuring the Tampa Bay Lightning with 126 wins and the Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche with 120 each.
Tampa Bay Lightning — 126 Playoff Wins
Tampa Bay owns the No. 1 spot by six wins. The Lightning won the Stanley Cup in 2004, 2020 and 2021, reached two other Finals in 2015 and 2022, and built their total across both the Martin St. Louis–Vincent Lecavalier era and the Steven Stamkos–Nikita Kucherov–Victor Hedman core. Their lead is the product of championships and unusual staying power.
Pittsburgh Penguins — 120 Playoff Wins
Pittsburgh shares second place after winning the Cup in 2009, 2016 and 2017 and reaching the 2008 Final. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang drove a playoff window that lasted far longer than most championship cores. Crosby’s place in that run is also part of the case for him among the best NHL centers of all time.
Colorado Avalanche — 120 Playoff Wins
Colorado is tied with Pittsburgh at 120. The Avalanche won championships in 2001 and 2022, connecting the Joe Sakic–Peter Forsberg years to the Nathan MacKinnon–Cale Makar era. Few franchises in this ranking have created two title-calibre windows so far apart.
Tier 2: 100+ Playoff Wins
Tier 2 features the Boston Bruins with 110 playoff wins, Dallas Stars and San Jose Sharks with 104 each, and Carolina Hurricanes with 102.
Boston Bruins — 110 Playoff Wins
Boston ranks fourth overall and won the 2011 Stanley Cup before returning to the Final in 2013 and 2019. The Bruins combined elite goaltending, defensive continuity and a long run of playoff qualification, allowing them to keep adding wins even in seasons that ended short of the Cup.
Dallas Stars — 104 Playoff Wins
Dallas is tied for fifth with 104 wins. The Stars reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2000 and 2020 and added several conference-final runs in between and afterward. Their total is less concentrated than a single championship peak, which is exactly what this cumulative statistic rewards.
San Jose Sharks — 104 Playoff Wins
San Jose also has 104 wins, the most by any franchise on this list that did not win the Stanley Cup during the period. The Sharks reached the 2016 Final and were a frequent Western Conference contender for much of the 2000s and 2010s. Their position shows why playoff wins and championships answer different questions.
Carolina Hurricanes — 102 Playoff Wins
Carolina moved into the 100-win group by going 16-3 on the way to the 2026 Stanley Cup. That title joined the Hurricanes’ 2006 championship and gave the franchise two Cups in the window. No team gained more ground in the final season covered by this ranking.
Tier 3: 80+ Playoff Wins
Tier 3 features the Detroit Red Wings with 97 wins, Anaheim Ducks with 91, Philadelphia Flyers with 88, New Jersey Devils with 86, New York Rangers with 84, and the Chicago Blackhawks and Washington Capitals with 81 each.
Detroit Red Wings — 97 Playoff Wins
Detroit leads this group with 97 wins. The Red Wings captured the Cup in 2002 and 2008, returned to the Final in 2009 and carried a historic playoff-appearance streak deep into the period. Most of their total came from the first half of the window, but that peak was strong enough to keep them eighth overall.
Anaheim Ducks — 91 Playoff Wins
Anaheim reached the 2003 Final, won the Stanley Cup in 2007 and remained a regular Western contender for years afterward. The Ducks’ 91 wins place them ninth, six behind Detroit and three ahead of Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Flyers — 88 Playoff Wins
Philadelphia’s 88 wins include a trip to the 2010 Stanley Cup Final and several other multi-round runs. The Flyers have no championship in this window, but enough postseason volume to remain in the top 10.
New Jersey Devils — 86 Playoff Wins
New Jersey won the Cup in 2000 and 2003, reached the Final in 2001 and returned again in 2012. The Devils’ 86 wins are spread across their championship defensive era and a later run built around a different roster.
New York Rangers — 84 Playoff Wins
The Rangers reached the 2014 Stanley Cup Final and made multiple conference-final appearances in the Henrik Lundqvist era and beyond. Those deep runs account for much of their 84-win total.
Chicago Blackhawks — 81 Playoff Wins
Chicago won three Stanley Cups in six seasons—2010, 2013 and 2015—and turned a relatively concentrated dynasty into 81 playoff wins. The Blackhawks are tied for 13th despite long stretches outside the postseason on either side of that peak.
Washington Capitals — 81 Playoff Wins
Washington shares 13th with Chicago. The Capitals qualified repeatedly during the Alex Ovechkin era and broke through for the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in 2018. Their total combines that championship with many shorter appearances.
Tier 4: 65+ Playoff Wins
Tier 4 features the Vegas Golden Knights and Montreal Canadiens with 76 playoff wins each, St. Louis Blues with 74, Edmonton Oilers with 73, and Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators with 66 each.
Vegas Golden Knights — 76 Playoff Wins
Vegas has accumulated 76 playoff wins in only nine seasons of existence. The Golden Knights reached the Final in their inaugural 2017-18 season, won the 2023 Stanley Cup and returned to the Final in 2026. No older franchise near them on the table has matched that pace, which is why Vegas remains central to any discussion of the best teams in the NHL today.
Montreal Canadiens — 76 Playoff Wins
Montreal is tied with Vegas at 76. The Canadiens’ largest run in this period came in 2021, when they reached the Stanley Cup Final, while several other appearances were extended by outstanding goaltending.
St. Louis Blues — 74 Playoff Wins
St. Louis has 74 wins, led by the franchise’s first Stanley Cup championship in 2019. The Blues also made enough other playoff appearances to sit just two wins behind Vegas and Montreal.
Edmonton Oilers — 73 Playoff Wins
Edmonton reached the 2006 Stanley Cup Final and returned to deep-round contention in the Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl era. The Oilers’ 73 wins put them one behind St. Louis and three behind the tie for 15th.
Toronto Maple Leafs — 66 Playoff Wins
Toronto is tied for 19th with 66 wins. The Maple Leafs have produced regular playoff appearances across multiple roster eras, but without the championship run that would create a larger one-season jump.
Ottawa Senators — 66 Playoff Wins
Ottawa also has 66 wins. The Senators reached the 2007 Stanley Cup Final, returned to the Eastern Conference Final in 2017 and built much of their total through repeated appearances in the 2000s.
Tier 5: 45+ Playoff Wins
Tier 5 features the Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings with 64 playoff wins each, Florida Panthers with 57, Nashville Predators with 56, and New York Islanders with 47.
Vancouver Canucks — 64 Playoff Wins
Vancouver’s 64 wins are led by its run to Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final. The Canucks share 21st place with Los Angeles, although the two franchises reached the same total through very different postseason histories.
Los Angeles Kings — 64 Playoff Wins
Los Angeles won the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014, turning two dominant runs into half of the franchise’s 64 wins during this period. The Kings’ total is more championship-heavy than Vancouver’s even though the teams are tied.
Florida Panthers — 57 Playoff Wins
Florida reached three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals from 2023 through 2025 and won the championship in 2024 and 2025. That recent surge lifted the Panthers to 57 wins, but their long wait for earlier playoff success keeps them 23rd in the full-period ranking.
Nashville Predators — 56 Playoff Wins
Nashville is one win behind Florida. The Predators reached the 2017 Stanley Cup Final and followed it with other playoff appearances, but no later run has carried them as deep.
New York Islanders — 47 Playoff Wins
The Islanders reached consecutive conference finals in 2020 and 2021, producing 19 wins across those two postseasons. Those runs make up a large share of their 47-win total.
Tier 6: 25+ Playoff Wins
Tier 6 features the Calgary Flames and Minnesota Wild with 41 playoff wins each and the Buffalo Sabres with 40.
Calgary Flames — 41 Playoff Wins
Calgary’s 2004 trip to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final produced 15 wins, more than one-third of the Flames’ 41-win total. They are tied for 26th with Minnesota.
Minnesota Wild — 41 Playoff Wins
Minnesota also has 41 wins. The Wild reached the Western Conference Final in 2003, but frequent first-round exits have limited the value of their many playoff qualifications.
Buffalo Sabres — 40 Playoff Wins
Buffalo sits one win behind Calgary and Minnesota after adding seven victories in 2026. The Sabres’ earlier high point was a pair of conference-final trips in 2006 and 2007.
Tier 7: 5+ Playoff Wins
Tier 7 features the Winnipeg Jets with 24 playoff wins, Arizona Coyotes with 18, Columbus Blue Jackets with 15, and Seattle Kraken with 7.
Winnipeg Jets — 24 Playoff Wins
Winnipeg’s best run came in 2018, when the Jets won two rounds and reached the Western Conference Final. The franchise has made other appearances, but 24 total wins leave it just below the 25-win graphic threshold.
Arizona Coyotes — 18 Playoff Wins
Arizona’s 18 wins include the franchise’s 2012 Western Conference Final run. The Coyotes are inactive, but they remain part of this historical table because those wins occurred within the measured period.
Columbus Blue Jackets — 15 Playoff Wins
Columbus has 15 playoff wins. Six came in 2019, when the Blue Jackets swept the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Lightning before losing in the second round; four more followed in 2020.
Seattle Kraken — 7 Playoff Wins
Seattle earned all seven wins during its 2023 playoff debut, eliminating Colorado in seven games before losing to Dallas in the second round. The low cumulative total is primarily a function of franchise age.
Below the Graphic Cutoff
Utah Mammoth — 2 Playoff Wins
Utah won two games in its first playoff appearance in 2026. The Mammoth took a 2-1 series lead against Vegas before losing the next three games and the series, 4-2. Utah belongs in the complete ranking at No. 33, but sits below the five-win minimum used by the supplied tier graphics.
Biggest Takeaways From the Ranking
Tampa Bay’s lead is real, but not secure
The Lightning lead Pittsburgh and Colorado by only six wins. One conference-final run can erase that gap, so the top position could change quickly even though Tampa Bay has the best complete résumé in the window.
Seven franchises have reached 100 wins
Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Colorado, Boston, Dallas, San Jose and Carolina form the 100-win group. The sharp drop from Carolina at 102 to Detroit at 97 creates a clean dividing line between the top seven and the rest of the table.
Carolina made the biggest 2026 move
The Hurricanes added 16 wins during their 16-3 championship run, climbing from 86 to 102. Vegas added 14 on its trip to the Final, while Buffalo added seven in its return to the postseason and Utah entered the table with two.
Vegas has accumulated wins at an unmatched expansion pace
Vegas reached 76 wins in nine seasons, tying Montreal and passing several franchises that had the full 27-playoff window. Expansion timing makes raw totals harder for newer teams, which makes Vegas’ position more impressive rather than less.
San Jose proves this is not a championship ranking
The Sharks are tied for fifth with 104 wins despite never winning the Cup in the period. Florida, by contrast, has two championships but ranks 23rd because nearly all of its success arrived late in the window.
Complete NHL Playoff Wins Since 2000 Table
The table includes all 32 current NHL franchises plus the inactive Arizona Coyotes. Tied teams share a rank; there is no tier column.
| Rank | Team | Playoff Wins |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 126 |
| T-2 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 120 |
| T-2 | Colorado Avalanche | 120 |
| 4 | Boston Bruins | 110 |
| T-5 | Dallas Stars | 104 |
| T-5 | San Jose Sharks | 104 |
| 7 | Carolina Hurricanes | 102 |
| 8 | Detroit Red Wings | 97 |
| 9 | Anaheim Ducks | 91 |
| 10 | Philadelphia Flyers | 88 |
| 11 | New Jersey Devils | 86 |
| 12 | New York Rangers | 84 |
| T-13 | Chicago Blackhawks | 81 |
| T-13 | Washington Capitals | 81 |
| T-15 | Vegas Golden Knights | 76 |
| T-15 | Montreal Canadiens | 76 |
| 17 | St. Louis Blues | 74 |
| 18 | Edmonton Oilers | 73 |
| T-19 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 66 |
| T-19 | Ottawa Senators | 66 |
| T-21 | Vancouver Canucks | 64 |
| T-21 | Los Angeles Kings | 64 |
| 23 | Florida Panthers | 57 |
| 24 | Nashville Predators | 56 |
| 25 | New York Islanders | 47 |
| T-26 | Calgary Flames | 41 |
| T-26 | Minnesota Wild | 41 |
| 28 | Buffalo Sabres | 40 |
| 29 | Winnipeg Jets | 24 |
| 30 | Arizona Coyotes | 18 |
| 31 | Columbus Blue Jackets | 15 |
| 32 | Seattle Kraken | 7 |
| 33 | Utah Mammoth | 2 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which NHL team has the most playoff wins since 2000?
The Tampa Bay Lightning lead with 126 Stanley Cup Playoff game wins from the 2000 playoffs through the 2026 playoffs.
Which teams are tied for second?
The Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche are tied for second with 120 playoff wins each.
Does this ranking count playoff series wins?
No. It counts individual playoff game wins. A four-game sweep adds four wins, while a seven-game series victory also adds four.
Why is Arizona included separately from Utah?
Arizona is retained as an inactive historical franchise because it earned 18 playoff wins during the period. Utah is listed as a separate current franchise and earned its first two playoff wins in 2026.
Why is Utah missing from the tier graphics?
The seven supplied graphics stop at five wins. Utah has two, so the Mammoth appear in the complete table and in a separate section below the graphic cutoff.
Why do the Golden Knights rank so high?
Vegas reached the Stanley Cup Final three times in its first nine seasons, won the 2023 championship and accumulated 76 playoff wins by the end of 2026.
Is this an all-time NHL playoff wins list?
No. It begins with the 2000 playoffs. Wins from earlier postseasons are not included.
Data Notes
- The date range is the 2000 through 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, inclusive.
- The 2000 playoffs belong to the 1999-00 season; the 2026 playoffs belong to the 2025-26 season.
- Totals are postseason game wins, not series wins or championships, and include the 2020 qualifying and round-robin games classified in NHL playoff records.
- Ties use competition ranking, so two teams at T-2 are followed by No. 4.
- The table includes 33 franchise identities: all 32 current teams and the inactive Arizona Coyotes.
- The seven supplied graphics cover teams with at least five wins; Utah’s two wins appear below that cutoff.
- Totals were reviewed after the 2026 Stanley Cup Final and were last checked on August 11, 2026.
More NHL Rankings
Continue with more SOG Sports NHL history and analysis:
- Most Points in a Single NHL Season
- Most Assists in a Single NHL Season
- Best NHL Centers Every Year
- Best NHL Goalies Every Year
- Best NHL Players of the 2010s
- Best Offenses in the NHL Today
- Best Defenses in the NHL Today
Tampa Bay owns the best cumulative playoff record of the period, but Pittsburgh and Colorado remain close enough to take the lead with one deep run. That is the value of tracking game wins alongside Stanley Cups: it captures championship peaks, repeated contention and how quickly newer franchises are building their own postseason histories.
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