The 2023 NHL Playoffs are underway with the best teams in the league competing for the coveted Stanley Cup. We look forward to some spectacular goals and saves as the best players in the NHL step up their game for the playoffs. There are sixteen teams in round one of the playoffs. Which team will be hoisting the Stanley Cup at the end of the season? Cheer on your favorite team to take the Cup this year. Watch the 2023 NHL Playoffs from anywhere in the world without blackouts with a VPN.
| Rank | VPN Service | Our Score | Server Locations | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | 9.8 | 160 |  |
| 2 |  | 9.4 | 87 | |
| 3 |  | 9.2 | 95 | |
How to Watch the NHL Playoffs with a VPN
You can watch all four rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs live by following these steps:
Sign up for ExpressVPN (includes a 30-day risk-free money-back guarantee)- Download and install the ExpressVPN app. They have apps for desktop and mobile devices. You can also use their MediaStreamer service on Firestick and game consoles.
- Connect to a VPN server in the United States. The key is to connect to a server location that is not in the local market for the game you want to watch.
- You will want to connect to an ExpressVPN server in Canada. You can select between servers in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Once connected you will want to visit https://gem.cbc.ca/ and sign up for free. The service only asks for name and email address.
- If you have any questions, ExpressVPN tech support is available 24/7 via live chat to help.
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NHL Playoffs Teams and Brackets
The Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Vegas Golden Knights, and Colorado Avalanche are the top seated teams in the playoffs this year. They will need to win all four rounds to take home the Stanley Cup. Can the Vegas Golden Knights surprise the competition and march into history? That’s what the playoffs are all about. Watch and enjoy all the action.
Let’s take a look at the teams that made the 2023 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs:
| Seed | East | West | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bruins | Hurricanes | Golden Knights | Avalanche |
| 2 | Panthers | Islanders | Jets | Kraken |
| 3 | Maple Leafs | Devils | Oilers | Stars |
| 4 | Lightning | Rangers | Kings | Wild |
The first round will see seeds 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3 in each division. For example, the Eastern division will see the Boston Bruins match up against the Florida Panthers, while the Toronto Maple Leafs will face the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Stanley Cup Playoffs History and Broadcasters
All eyes will be on the Las Vegas Golden Knights again this year for the championship. Can the Golden Knights skate into history as the first expansion team to win the Stanley Cup in their 4th season? This is truly an epic team to watch. You may not see these circumstances happen again, at least for some time.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs is one of the oldest professional sports championships in North America. Originally commissioned in 1892, mergers and folds have seen the cup come to represent the best the league has to offer. For the playoffs and the championship, the teams competing play 7 games per series. The two teams play three 20 minute periods. The teams alternate locations, and the first team to win 4 games is considered the winner.
Unlike other professional sports, there is not a new cup created every year. When the bottom band is full from engraved names, the oldest band is removed and preserved in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Also not all names from the winning team are included on the trophy. Of course, the cities that represent the teams in the Stanley Cup Playoffs will get a nice boost to their economy. Instead of a neutral location, many like the style of playing in the teams home arenas.
The NHL Playoffs will be broadcast on the NBC Sports Network, NBC, CNBC, or USA channel in the United States. You will need a cable or satellite login to view the live streams on either of those channels. There is another alternative this year. You can sign up for CBC Gem to watch all the excitement. The drawback to the CBC Gem streaming service is the geo restrictions. Fortunately, you can avoid the blackouts by using a VPN. This will allow you to enjoy every Stanley Cup game from anywhere in the world. Connect to a VPN server in the Canada and enjoy the NHL Playoffs without the annoying geo blocks. Cheer your team on to victory this year and watch them lift the cup.
Enjoy all the excitement during the 2023 NHL Playoffs. Please share this post with your friends so they can enjoy all the action from anywhere in the world with a VPN.