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The Stanley Cup Playoffs field is nearly set. There’s just a pair of games for each team left the regular season and only three spots are left up for grabs. Seeding is also a hot-button topic with many of the first-round matchups still in flux.
In the Eastern Conference, the Washington Capitals have earned the top seed. They are still awaiting their first-round matchup, but it was expected to be against the Montreal Canadiens. However, the Canadiens suffered a 4-3 overtime loss at the hands of the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday. As a result, the Columbus Blue Jackets are still alive for the East’s final Wild Card spot, but will need to win their final two games and have some help.
The West is a bit of a different story with three teams vying for two spots, while the Winnipeg Jets secured the Presidents’ Trophy for the first time in franchise history. The Minnesota Wild, St. Louis Blues and Calgary Flames are all still battling for the wild card spots. The Flames are still very much alive following a win against the San Jose Sharks on Sunday.
The playoff picture will likely change on a daily basis, so CBS Sports will have you covered with our NHL playoff race tracker. It will be updated daily to show where each potential playoff team sits in the standings as the postseason draws near. The Stanley Cup Playoffs begin on April 19.
Reminder: Here’s how the NHL playoff seeding works
- The top three teams in each division automatically qualify for the playoffs.
- Each conference has two wild-card spots.
- The top division winner in each conference will play the second wild card team, and the other division winner will play the first wild card team.
- The second and third-place teams in each division will match up with one another in the first round.
*Regulation wins are the first tiebreaker, and regulation plus overtime wins are the second tiebreaker. Shootout wins are not counted in regulation plus overtime wins. X denotes clinched playoff berth. Z denotes clinched best record in conference.
Eastern Conference playoff picture
Atlantic Division
1. Toronto Maple Leafs | 50-26-4 | 104 points – X
Points percentage: .650
Regulation wins: 40
Regulation plus overtime wins: 49
Current first-round matchup: Ottawa Senators
2. Tampa Bay Lightning | 46-26-8 | 100 points – X
Points percentage: .625
Regulation wins: 40
Regulation plus overtime wins: 44
Current first-round matchup: Florida Panthers
3. Florida Panthers | 47-30-4 | 98 points – X
Points percentage: .605
Regulation wins: 37
Regulation plus overtime wins: 41
Current first-round matchup: Tampa Bay Lightning
Metropolitan Division
1. Washington Capitals | 50-21-9 | 109 points – Z
Points percentage: .681
Regulation wins: 42
Regulation plus overtime wins: 48
Current first-round matchup: Montreal Canadiens
2. Carolina Hurricanes | 47-28-5 | 99 points – X
Points percentage: .619
Regulation wins: 42
Regulation plus overtime wins: 47
Current first-round matchup: New Jersey Devils
3. New Jersey Devils | 41-32-7 | 89 points – X
Points percentage: .556
Regulation wins: 36
Regulation plus overtime wins: 39
Current first-round matchup: Carolina Hurricanes
Wild Card
WC1. Ottawa Senators | 44-30-6 | 94 points
Points percentage: .588
Regulation wins: 34
Regulation plus overtime wins: 43
Current first-round matchup: Toronto Maple Leafs
WC2. Montreal Canadiens | 39-31-11 | 89 points
Points percentage: .549
Regulation wins: 29
Regulation plus overtime wins: 37
Current first-round matchup: Washington Capitals
Columbus Blue Jackets | 38-33-9 | 85 points
Points percentage: .531
Regulation wins: 28
Regulation plus overtime wins: 32
Western Conference playoff picture
Central Division
1. Winnipeg Jets | 55-22-4 | 114 points – X
Points percentage: .704
Regulation wins: 43
Regulation plus overtime wins: 53
Current first-round matchup: St. Louis Blues
2. Dallas Stars | 50-25-6 | 106 points – X
Points percentage: .654
Regulation wins: 41
Regulation plus overtime wins: 48
Current first-round matchup: Colorado Avalanche
3. Colorado Avalanche | 49-29-4 | 102 points – X
Points percentage: .622
Regulation wins: 40
Regulation plus overtime wins: 45
Current first-round matchup: Dallas Stars
Pacific Division
1. Vegas Golden Knights | 49-22-9 | 107 points-X
Points percentage: .669
Regulation wins: 45
Regulation plus overtime wins: 48
Current first-round matchup: Minnesota Wild
2. Los Angeles Kings | 47-24-9 | 103 points – X
Points percentage: .644
Regulation wins: 42
Regulation plus overtime wins: 46
Current first-round matchup: Edmonton Oilers
3. Edmonton Oilers | 47-29-5 | 99 points – X
Points percentage: .611
Regulation wins: 35
Regulation plus overtime wins: 47
Current first-round matchup: Los Angeles Kings
Wild Card
WC1. Minnesota Wild | 44-30-7 | 95 points
Points percentage: .586
Regulation wins: 33
Regulation plus overtime wins: 41
Current first-round matchup: Vegas Golden Knights
WC2. St. Louis Blues | 43-30-8 | 94 points
Points percentage: .580
Regulation wins: 31
Regulation plus overtime wins: 39
Current first-round matchup: Winnipeg Jets
Calgary Flames | 39-27-14 | 92 points
Points percentage: .575
Regulation wins: 30
Regulation plus overtime wins: 35
