As the regular season comes to a close, playoff hockey begins.
As of April 16, all 16 spots in the Stanley Cup playoffs have been filled, with the top three teams of each division—Atlantic, Metropolitan, Central, and Pacific—making up the first dozen teams of the bracket.
The “Original Six” teams based in the U.S.—the Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, and Detroit Red Wings—will all miss the playoffs this year for the first time in history.
In the Eastern Conference, the Washington Capitals have clinched the top spot. Below them, in order, are the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators, New Jersey Devils, and the Montreal Canadiens.
In the Western Conference, the Winnipeg Jets have clinched the no. 1 seed. The Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings, Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, and St. Louis Blues follow behind.
The Blackhawks have been in the last-place spot in the Eastern Conference for the third year in a row. The Bruins were expected to make the playoffs, but last-minute trades also placed them at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
The Montreal Canadiens were the last to claim their spot, clinching on Wednesday night. The Canadiens and the Columbus Blue Jackets were in competition for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
There are two wild card spots in each conference. The top two teams in each conference that did not win their respective divisions will secure playoff berths and face the division winners in the first round.
On Tuesday, the Wild and Blues clinched the Pacific division’s two wild card spots, eliminating the Calgary Flames’ from playoff contention.
The Jets earned the Presidents’ Trophy for the first time, the award given to the team that finishes the regular season with the most points, despite a 4-1 loss to the Oilers on April 13. However, the team is now focused on the Stanley Cup.
“At the end of the day, it’s not the trophy we’re after,” Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel said in a press conference. “It’s a heck of an accomplishment. Guys should be real proud of it, just what we’ve gone through this year, and to be right in the thick of things all year long as one of the best in the League, it’s a heck of an accomplishment.”
The Golden Knights clinched the top spot in the Pacific division, their fourth title in eight seasons, with home-ice advantage on Saturday night with a 5-3 win over the Nashville Predators.
The Maple Leafs clinched the Atlantic division after a 4-0 shutout against the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday.
The off-season consists of four rounds of competition, with each round being seven games long, with a best of four outcome needed to advance.
The regular season will end on April 17. Playoffs are set to begin on April 19 and will finish no later than June 23.
