The race to the Stanley Cup Playoffs is really heating up. There’s just a handful of games left for each team to play as everyone is vying for a chance to win the cup and the seeding in each conference could be very interesting this year.
In the East, only the Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs have locked up playoff berths. The real drama in that conference is the race for the second wild card spot. The Montreal Canadiens have a narrow two-point edge over the New York Rangers and a four-point advantage over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
In the West, the top three Central Division teams have clinched with the Colorado Avalanche joining the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night. The top of that division will be a battle for home-ice advantage in the last handful of games. The Vegas Golden Knights have also clinched in the Pacific.
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.
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.
Eastern Conference playoff picture
Atlantic Division
1. Toronto Maple Leafs | 46-25-4 | 96 points – X
Points percentage: .640
Regulation wins: 38
Regulation plus overtime wins: 45
Current first-round matchup: Ottawa Senators
2. Tampa Bay Lightning | 44-26-5 | 93 points
Points percentage: .620
Regulation wins: 38
Regulation plus overtime wins: 42
Current first-round matchup: Florida Panthers
3. Florida Panthers | 44-27-4 | 92 points
Points percentage: .613
Regulation wins: 35
Regulation plus overtime wins: 39
Current first-round matchup: Tampa Bay Lightning
Metropolitan Division
1. Washington Capitals | 48-18-9 | 105 points – X
Points percentage: .700
Regulation wins: 41
Regulation plus overtime wins: 47
Current first-round matchup: Montreal Canadiens
2. Carolina Hurricanes | 46-24-4 | 96 points – X
Points percentage: .649
Regulation wins: 41
Regulation plus overtime wins: 46
Current first-round matchup: New Jersey Devils
3. New Jersey Devils | 40-29-7 | 87 points
Points percentage: .572
Regulation wins: 35
Regulation plus overtime wins: 38
Current first-round matchup: Carolina Hurricanes
Wild Card
WC1. Ottawa Senators | 40-29-6 | 86 points
Points percentage: .568
Regulation wins: 31
Regulation plus overtime wins: 39
Current first-round matchup: Toronto Maple Leafs
WC2. Montreal Canadiens | 36-30-9 | 79 points
Points percentage: .540
Regulation wins: 26
Regulation plus overtime wins: 34
Current first-round matchup: Washington Capitals
New York Rangers | 36-32-7 | 79 points
Points percentage: .527
Regulation wins: 32
Regulation plus overtime wins: 35
Columbus Blue Jackets | 34-31-9 | 77 points
Points percentage: .520
Regulation wins: 24
Regulation plus overtime wins: 28
Detroit Red Wings | 34-33-7 | 75 points
Points percentage: .507
Regulation wins: 26
Regulation plus overtime wins: 31
New York Islanders | 32-32-10 | 74 points
Points percentage: .500
Regulation wins: 25
Regulation plus overtime wins: 30
Western Conference playoff picture
Central Division
1. Winnipeg Jets | 52-20-4 | 108 points – X
Points percentage: .711
Regulation wins: 41
Regulation plus overtime wins: 51
Current first-round matchup: Minnesota Wild
2. Dallas Stars | 50-21-4 | 104 points – X
Points percentage: .693
Regulation wins: 41
Regulation plus overtime wins: 48
Current first-round matchup: Colorado Avalanche
3. Colorado Avalanche | 47-26-4 | 96 points – X
Points percentage: .636
Regulation wins: 39
Regulation plus overtime wins: 44
Current first-round matchup: Dallas Stars
Pacific Division
1. Vegas Golden Knights | 45-22-8 | 98 points-X
Points percentage: .653
Regulation wins: 42
Regulation plus overtime wins: 44
Current first-round matchup: St. Louis Blues
2. Los Angeles Kings | 43-23-9 | 95 points
Points percentage: .633
Regulation wins: 38
Regulation plus overtime wins: 42
Current first-round matchup: Edmonton Oilers
3. Edmonton Oilers | 434-26-5 | 93 points
Points percentage: .620
Regulation wins: 32
Regulation plus overtime wins: 44
Current first-round matchup: Los Angeles Kings
Wild Card
WC1. St. Louis Blues | 42-28-7 | 91 points
Points percentage: .591
Regulation wins: 30
Regulation plus overtime wins: 39
Current first-round matchup: Vegas Golden Knights
WC2. Minnesota Wild | 41-28-7 | 89 points
Points percentage: .586
Regulation wins: 33
Regulation plus overtime wins: 38
Current first-round matchup: Winnipeg Jets
Calgary Flames | 36-27-12 | 84 points
Points percentage: .560
Regulation wins: 27
Regulation plus overtime wins: 32
Vancouver Canucks | 34-28-13 | 81 points
Points percentage: .540
Regulation wins: 26
Regulation plus overtime wins: 31
Utah Hockey Club | 34-30-12 | 80 points
Points percentage: .526
Regulation wins: 26
Regulation plus overtime wins: 33
Read the full article here
